Content Overview 
- Overview
- Preparations To Make In Case Of A Medical Emergency
- If You Are Likely To Be Hospitalized Or Enter An Assisted Living Facility Or A Nursing Home
- Choose To Live Each Day To The Best You Can. Stay Hopeful.
- It Is Your Choice Whether To Keep Fighting, How Hard, And For How Long
- If A New Treatment Plan Is Recommended
- How To Cope With Physical Issues
- How To Cope With Emotional Issues
- How To Deal With Financial Issues
- If You Have A Death Benefit On Your Credit Card
- What To Do About The Legal Issues
- What To Do If You Are Still Working
- How To Talk With Family And Friends
- Relations With Your Spouse Or Partner
- How To Speak With Your Doctor About Your Wishes
- How To Talk With And Provide For The Care Of Children
- How To Maintain Control Even If You Become Unconscious Or Unable To Speak For Yourself
- Consider Donating Organs Or Your Body
- An Option: Terminal Sedation
- What To Do If Your Doctor Abandons You
- What To Do If You Choose To End Life Early
Nearing End Of Life From Breast Cancer
An Option: Terminal Sedation
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Terminal sedation is the use of drugs to relieve distress and pain at the end of life. Terminal sedation generally renders a person unconscious so you sleep peacefully and painlessly until death.
Terminal sedation is not euthanasia which uses drugs for the purpose of inducing death. With terminal sedation, an earlier death may be a by-product of the treatment. However, it is not the purpose.
Terminal sedation can be given in a hospital, in a hospice or at home.
Terminal sedation is legal. It is not considered suicide or assisted suicide.
If you become unconscious, the person you appoint to make medical decisions on your behalf when you are unable to make them yourself (your “health care proxy”) can ask for terminal sedation to relieve pain and discomfort. Your proxy can also decide when it is time to withdraw all life-extending treatments - including feeding and even fluids. (To learn about proxies, see Health Care Power of Attorney.