Bruce: Thank you for your letter, it offers the most valuable perspective I can imagine.  I'm 73 and have recently witnessed the very "difficult" deaths of two good friends...One from ALS, the other after a long, "losing" battle with cancer.  Both men reached the point where they were in constant pain, needed heavy, heavy pain medication and had no "in between" time giving them any quality of life....either intense pain or drug-induced "sleep."

I strongly agree with you.  At some point, it's time to "wave the white flag" and end one's life.  It should be, as you say, at the stage of your choosing.  

It's a difficult circumstance, a difficult choice and a difficult topic for discussion.  Thank you for reminding us all that we need to consider it, and, perhaps, will face the choice ourselves.  We need the legal authority to do so.

my best to you,  Gary