Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide

[Charlotte ~08]

A documentary screened on Sky Real Lives showed motor neurone disease sufferer Craig Ewert taking a lethal dose of drugs at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland here tonight. I don't have Sky so did not see it, nor would I want to, but I do support his decision 100%. Voluntary euthanasia is a subject that has been and continues to be very controversial, what are your views and thoughts?


http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK...y_Daniel_James_Assisted_Suicide_Inquest_Opens

 

[CathrynRose]

what are your views and thoughts?


http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK...y_Daniel_James_Assisted_Suicide_Inquest_Opens

I believe humans should be given the same courtesy we give the other members of our family....pets.

 

[C.Ann]

Firm believer.. I would never want to go through some of the horrendous, unnecessary suffering I have seen people go through when they become terminal, and I won't..

Even with the services of hospice, there are some terminal conditions in which the patient absolutely cannot be made "comfortable" - or even close to it.. To me that is cruel and inhumane.. As someone else mentioned, we don't even do that to our pets..

 

[Master Mason]

I find it odd that we allow our pets to die with dignity, but not our parents.

I watched both of my parents die (its a process not an event) and I am possitive neither one of the would ever have choosen to do it, but if they had I would have supported them in their choice.

 

[crz4mm2]

I am a great supporter.

Only wish it was legal...

 

[3jsmommy]

I agree with all of the posts here so far.
Wow, that doesn't happen often!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

This to me becomes a slippery slope. I remember reading an article about assisted suicide in Holland. There were several cases mentioned where it was done agains the person's wishes to speed things up. One case that really stuck with me was that of a very devout Catholic woman. She was in pain but did not want to be euthanized. Her doctor came in to check on her and found out another doctor had given her a lethal dose of drugs because he "needed the bed." Now, she only had days left at most, but that does not excuse the doctor. Apparently this type of behavior isn't as uncommon as one would think over there.

After really digging deep and assessing my own views on assisted suicide, I have also come to the conclusion that when the time comes, I will allow my pets to die a natural death with dignity at home. Putting my childhood dog and cat to sleep feels too much like murder.

I will admit that I have never seen anybody who suffered from a condition to the extent that they wanted this option. Perhaps if I had it would change my mind, but at this point I believe it is highly unethical.

 

[crz4mm2]

This to me becomes a slippery slope. I remember reading an article about assisted suicide in Holland. There were several cases mentioned where it was done agains the person's wishes to speed things up. One case that really stuck with me was that of a very devout Catholic woman. She was in pain but did not want to be euthanized. Her doctor came in to check on her and found out another doctor had given her a lethal dose of drugs because he "needed the bed." Now, she only had days left at most, but that does not excuse the doctor. Apparently this type of behavior isn't as uncommon as one would think over there.

After really digging deep and assessing my own views on assisted suicide, I have also come to the conclusion that when the time comes, I will allow my pets to die a natural death with dignity at home. Putting my childhood dog and cat to sleep feels too much like murder.

I will admit that I have never seen anybody who suffered from a condition to the extent that they wanted this option. Perhaps if I had it would change my mind, but at this point I believe it is highly unethical.

I think you would.

 

[MariDisney]

This to me becomes a slippery slope. I remember reading an article about assisted suicide in Holland. There were several cases mentioned where it was done agains the person's wishes to speed things up. One case that really stuck with me was that of a very devout Catholic woman. She was in pain but did not want to be euthanized. Her doctor came in to check on her and found out another doctor had given her a lethal dose of drugs because he "needed the bed." Now, she only had days left at most, but that does not excuse the doctor. Apparently this type of behavior isn't as uncommon as one would think over there.

After really digging deep and assessing my own views on assisted suicide, I have also come to the conclusion that when the time comes, I will allow my pets to die a natural death with dignity at home. Putting my childhood dog and cat to sleep feels too much like murder.

I will admit that I have never seen anybody who suffered from a condition to the extent that they wanted this option. Perhaps if I had it would change my mind, but at this point I believe it is highly unethical.

I completely agree. I think it's the slippery slope idea that make me unable to support the legalization of euthanasia.

 

[TheZue]

I agree that we treat our pets better. There are some diseases out there that are absolutely horrific. My uncle's final weeks with cancer he was vomiting feces...can you imagine? And then add pain to that with no chance of survival. Why should we force people to go through the final month of that? Then you look at the end stages for ALS and a few others and it's absolutely awful.

I also think we sometimes keep people alive too long as well. My mom is in a nursing home and some of the residents have terrifying dementia and in horrible physical shape, they don't know what's going on or who they are and they are constantly scared. And instead of letting them pass on naturally they are kept alive at all costs. I find that sad as well.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

I am completely and without reservation in favor of allowing a terminally ill person to choose when and how to end her/his life.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

The other thing I thought of is that I have read that there have been some unfortunate cases in countries where this is legal where people have been pressured into it by family members. Several doctors recounted times when the family members got tired of caring for a sick relative and and really pushed them into a decision they were not ready for. If I lived in a country where it was legal I would be terrified of feeling pressured by my doctor or family into making the decision, or having it done against my wishes like the case posted above.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I agree that we treat our pets better. There are some diseases out there that are absolutely horrific. My uncle's final weeks with cancer he was vomiting feces...can you imagine? And then add pain to that with no chance of survival. Why should we force people to go through the final month of that? Then you look at the end stages for ALS and a few others and it's absolutely awful.

I also think we sometimes keep people alive too long as well. My mom is in a nursing home and some of the residents have terrifying dementia and in horrible physical shape, they don't know what's going on or who they are and they are constantly scared. And instead of letting them pass on naturally they are kept alive at all costs. I find that sad as well.

That is sad as well. I am not against stopping heroic measures and allowing nature to take its course if that is what the person wants.

 

[Soarin08]

I completely agree. I think it's the slippery slope idea that make me unable to support the legalization of euthanasia.

Me too. I agree.

 

[zagafi]

I definitely agree with those who stated we allow our pets a dignified end and yet believe it's "wrong" to do so for humans. We have a really screwed up view of death as a society, IMO. Life on earth isn't meant to last forever, and I'm baffled at those who believe "life at all costs" is kinder than a gentle, pain free departure. Euthanizing a person because "they needed the bed" isn't quite the same as a thoughtful decision made by a suffering individual and their family.

I believe that euthanasia should be an option we can state in an advanced directive just as we can choose to not be kept alive by artificial means.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm entirely in favor of it. I'm a cancer survivor, and one of my worst fears is that someday the cancer will return and I'll be forced to die a slow, agonizing death that we wouldn't allow a dog to suffer.

I don't buy those slippery slope arguments at all.

 

[cruellababy]

Any nurse who has worked in a nursing home setting in conjunction w hospice- as I have for many years; has helped move along the process of death/dying. I have given extra morphine-knowing that each extra dose decreases the amount of respirations my patient will take per minute. I have given these doses per the order of hospice directives/md order- all within my deeming the doses as needed. Even then I have held many hands of dying patients still in unimaginable pain as they have taken their last breaths; and in those moments thanking God that this person's painful passing is over.

It is so true that we treat our pets with much more humanity/compassion then we can manage for our fellow man- when my time comes I think seriously that if I were ever in that amount of pain I'll just shoot myself.

 

[Goofyluver]

I am completely and without reservation in favor of allowing a terminally ill person to choose when and how to end her/his life.

Absolutely.

I watched a family member die a slow, horribly painful death due to complications from Parkinson's. It was horrid. In the end, the only choice he could make was to stop accepting food and liquid. It was horribly painful for him. Then, it was over.

I support a person's choice to end his or her life as he or she sees fit.

 

[phragmipedium]

It's legal in Oregon, and it's quite a process. It's rarely used and even when a prescription is given, often it's still not used - sufferers sometimes feel comforted just knowing it's an option that they have ready if it gets too bad.

I don't know if I could put my family through it and I hope none of my family would need put me through it, but I fully support it's legality and understand why one would choose the option. I don't presume to understand the pain and torment that some individuals are going through, nor to judge them for the choice they feel is best for them - I'm glad it's available here.

 

[ksumn1]

I believe a person with a terminal illness should be able to choose. I've never watched anyone die such a painful death personally and hope I never do.

My Great Grandmother was in a coma for 4 or 5 years before she passed. She wasn't in any pain that I know of just not "awake" and not herself. It killed my Grandfather to go see her but my Grandmother went faithfully every Saturday before grocery shopping. I used to go with her (from age 5-8) and when she passed I really couldn't tell any difference. I thought she was just asleep like always.

My DH's grandmother had a heart attack on the way to the hospital 4 years ago. She had time to tell her husband (in view of the EMT's) that if something happened and she couldn't live on her own without medical support to unhook the tubes and let her go. She did not want to live if she wasn't "herself." Sadly, she had a stroke later that afternoon caused in part by the blood thinners given to help with the heart attack. She was in ICU for a week, had 2 surgeries on her brain to relieve the swelling but she never woke up. She was kept alive for 5 days by a ventilator with no brain activity. Her children wanted to keep her alive longer but her husband followed her wishes and had the ventilator took out. All the children and grandchildren got to say Goodbye to her and when the last one left the family went to the cafateria to eat. My MIL stayed with her and told her it was the kids were all gone and if she was ready it was OK to go home . That everyone loved her and we would miss her but we would see her again someday. My MIL said she actually smiled, very faintly squeezed her hand (something she hadn't done in 4 days) and took her last breath.

I honestly think that everyone should have the right to a peacful and dignified death when dealing with a situation where death is imminent and unavoidable. Give the person a choice in how their last moments will be remembered by their loved ones. I really think it's a great gift and blessing.