Just over a year ago my husband and I lost a friend to lung cancer. The cancer had spread throughout his body and was unmerciful. Finally, they had to crank up the pain medication so high that he just spent his last days drifting in and out of conciousness. He no longer ate, and he wasn't given a feeding tube so he did starve himself to death while the cancer ate away at him.

In his case though, he had many coherent months to plan this. He made the choice to not receive a feeding tube. The only liquids that he received were in the form of the liquids in his pain medication IV.

In his case, there really was no reason to live any longer. A feeding tube would have been cruel, not kind. I'm glad he made the decision that he did and that his family members respected his decision when he was helpless to their whims.