November last year Greg felt some pain in his back. It just wouldn't go away. His doctor recommended some extensive tests and the results were frightening. He had cancer throughout his body and in his bones. Greg died on Tuesday 16th March this year. I saw him regularly over the last few months of his life.

I have seen many people die with cancer. Some quickly, others very slowly. I find it almost impossible to write about them.

Greg's wife is a nurse. She attended him 24 hours a day at home and in hospital. He was receiving the best palliative care imaginable. Yet nothing could stop this huge man from losing his sense of dignity or take away his pain. Knowing there was no hope, he wanted it all to end quickly. He was in pain and his lovely family could hardly cope with his suffering.

His wife spoke to me about euthanasia. That is quite unusual. Very rarely do I find people in such circumstances requesting euthanasia. Hope seems eternally strong. She spoke about euthanasia because of Greg's pain. It was coming from her heart of compassion, but no decision was made.

Greg suffered terribly to the end. Everyone knew that the morphine was going to kill him before the cancer did and it got to the stage where this "alternative" seemed the most compassionate option (choice). Of course the morphine was given to relieve the pain, but it was "understood" that it was doing more than that. It eventually causes your breathing to stop.

Greg never spoke to me about euthanasia, but if he had, what would have been YOUR response?

It was obvious he was in severe pain. The prognosis was clear. The medication was having little effect, but he was becoming delirious. Just let him suffer? For how long? Days or weeks? No one really knew. Make him as comfortable as possible? We were doing that! Support him? Yes of course!

I deeply believe in the sanctity and preciousness of everyone's life. Yes everyone. But war doesn't. Political ambition doesn't. Deep and profound revenge doesn't. Capital punishment in an odd sort of a way doesn't - "an eye for an eye".

The sanctity of life it seems is negotiable. It all depends on the circumstances or the culture, or the politics or the religion or whatever. There is no universal uniformity at all. And we may find ourselves shifting ground according to changed circumstances as well.

Greg was being "killed" by the medication but no one said that. And even though it was lethal is wasn't being stopped. We all had to experience the agonizingly slow process. But what was the alternative? Administer some other form of fast acting lethal medication? Stop all medication and let nature take its course?

This dilemma is faced every day. That is why the issue of euthanasia will not go away.

Some would say euthanasia is about legitimizing the "killing" of the terminally ill or those in vegetative states. At one level that is undeniable. Others say it is about the freedom to choose how and when we die. And that is labeled "suicide".

Public opinion it seems is strongly in favour of euthanasia. But government or medical policy is not made by opinion polls.

It seems our society can say yes to euthanasia as a sentiment but no to its implementation as a reality.

And that was the situation we found ourselves in with Greg.

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