[former Paramedic]
Yes… many, many years ago; a friend and traveling companion.
Maddie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about 2 months before I met her. This was the 1970s… there was no real treatment for this disease. Yes, the doctors would offer chemo, but all it could accomplish, at best, was extend your life a few more months. And of course, with all the side effects of the “treatment”, those extra months were not usually very enjoyable.
I had no idea that Maddie was ill when I (reluctantly) agreed to allow her to travel with me on an extended motorcycle tour. And over the course of 2 months on the road, she never once complained or gave any hint that something was wrong with her health.
A month and a half after she left the tour (ostensibly to go back to work as a school teacher), I paid her a visit…. that is when I learned that she was terminally ill.
She had decided to forego the discomforts and indignities of any treatment, and make the best of the remaining time that she had. She also absolutely refused to go anywhere near a hospital. Again, it was the 1970s. There really wasn’t any such thing as hospice then, and the concept of palliative care was in its infancy. So I decided to stay with her. Fortunately, her family physician was an open-minded and forward-thinking sort of guy… he allowed me (paramedic) and a visiting nurse to be in charge of Maddie’s care and pain management, and provided all the pharmaceuticals that we needed to accomplish that mission.
Maddie lasted about another 2 months after I arrived at her home. The first month (the good month) was all about mentally preparing for death (for both of us). The second month was mostly about keeping her comfortable.
When she finally left this world, it was peacefully, pain-free, and with at least a little dignity.
Maddie did not “choose to die”. She would have given anything to have more time in this world. But when that opportunity was taken away, she chose to go her way… again, peacefully and with dignity.
As a result of her choice, Maddie probably “lost” 3 - 5 months of additional life. But she didn’t have to endure the pain and discomforts of futile “barbaric” treatment. What she got in exchange was the opportunity to experience an adventure of a lifetime… one that few people ever get to have: Two months on a motorcycle traveling to and exploring just about every nook and cranny in the lower 48 states. Personally, I think it was a good trade-off, and a very wise choice.
The story of the 12,000 mile Bicentennial motorcycle tour that Maddie and I rode together is here: Quora User's answer to What problems do motorcycle bikers face during long distance rides?