Page 73 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
IS THAT ALL?
No. Lower respiratory infections, colon and rectum cancers, kidney disease, hypertensive heart disease and diabetes.
As someone who reads a great many death certificates (this note explains the cause of death), I can definitely attest that this list is accurate. You will die eventually, but you can help prolong your life by following the steps outlined in this piece. There, I’ve said it twice.
WHERE AM I GOING TO DIE?
Believe it or not, this is a rather difficult question to answer. When I started researching this question it became apparent that answering it depends on which country you live in and what kind of health issues you are facing. In Canada, almost 60% of deaths occur in hospitals and 40% are in people’s homes. In the USA, there is a growing trend of people dying at home.
In many polls, respondents have overwhelmingly said they wanted to die at home. The reasons for this are many, but I think it boils down to familiarity and being with loved ones. Unfortunately, the reality of caring for a dying per- son in a home can be very complex and incredibly stressful. Your family be- comes your caregivers full time. This doesn’t allow for any other type of relationship and this can be extremely hard.
If you or a loved one have a terminal illness, I highly recommend looking into hospice. Before he passed, my father was in a hospital for a month. He re- ceived great treatment but it was loud and sterile. He was uncomfortable. The hospice was peaceful and tranquil. If I had to choose between dying in a hos- pice or a home, I’d choose a hospice every time.
WHEN AM I GOING TO DIE?
Like the previous question, this is a matter of geography. About 300,000 people die each year in Canada. The average life expectancy for men in Canada is 80. For women, it is 84. But if you go south, to the USA, men’s life expec- tancy drops to 75 and 80 to women.
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