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We euthanize our beloved pets when their time draws near so they don't have to suffer. Why, then, can we not allow our dear human loved ones going through the agony of an incurable illness whose only prognosis is terrible suffering the right to die in a similar manner if they so choose.This would be especially for situations in knowing that their only release will be death whenever it came. I have never understood that.
Last edited by Minervah; 11-03-2014 at 07:52 PM..
Reason: better wording
When I read the article about Ms. Maynard's illness and her decision to end her life as she did, it not only absolutely broke my heart, but it once again made me think about wrong it is that we as a "progressive society" have made it so very difficult for people like her (and there are LOTS of them) to seek and find a safe place to turn to when they need this kind of help. Only 5 states offer this very personal choice to end ones life in a comfortable and familiar setting - why is that? The fact that she had to uproot herself and her family and move to a different state to accomplish her decision upsets me almost as much as the attitudes that I am hearing and reading about her. She made her own decisions, set her own goals and lived what remaining time she had in the manner that made her and her family happy. She had every right to do that - we all do. I don't see anything cowardly or otherwise about that. She's free now - and she died knowing how very much her family loved her - and they knew the same coming from her. In the end - it all came back to love. They all had time to prepare, say goodbye, hug and kiss each other, and they will cherish those moments until their own time comes. How many folks never get those few precious gifts at the end? It matters not what any of us, not me or any of you out there think about her or what choices she made. It was right for her - and I would do it myself if I were wearing her shoes. My God will love me either way - because I trust him to. BTW - an article stated her husband, mother and step-father, and her best friend - who is also a physician - were present. She had had the pills in her possession for some time. I applaud her for her bravery and the courage it took for her to live her truth, even in her death. Just my opinion....
When I read the article about Ms. Maynard's illness and her decision to end her life as she did, it not only absolutely broke my heart, but it once again made me think about wrong it is that we as a "progressive society" have made it so very difficult for people like her (and there are LOTS of them) to seek and find a safe place to turn to when they need this kind of help. Only 5 states offer this very personal choice to end ones life in a comfortable and familiar setting - why is that? The fact that she had to uproot herself and her family and move to a different state to accomplish her decision upsets me almost as much as the attitudes that I am hearing and reading about her. She made her own decisions, set her own goals and lived what remaining time she had in the manner that made her and her family happy. She had every right to do that - we all do. I don't see anything cowardly or otherwise about that. She's free now - and she died knowing how very much her family loved her - and they knew the same coming from her. In the end - it all came back to love. They all had time to prepare, say goodbye, hug and kiss each other, and they will cherish those moments until their own time comes. How many folks never get those few precious gifts at the end? It matters not what any of us, not me or any of you out there think about her or what choices she made. It was right for her - and I would do it myself if I were wearing her shoes. My God will love me either way - because I trust him to. BTW - an article stated her husband, mother and step-father, and her best friend - who is also a physician - were present. She had had the pills in her possession for some time. I applaud her for her bravery and the courage it took for her to live her truth, even in her death. Just my opinion....
Very well stated. My heart breaks for Brittany and this impossible decision she had to make. Also, my heart goes out to her family and friends.
No cancer didn't take her life, she took her own life. Cancer probably would have eventually taken her life but she ended before that happened. I would view a loved one losing their battle with cancer a stong person who fought a good fight until the end with courage and strength. I would not look at them as losing dignity because they can not physically take care of themselves. There are medications for patients to make them feel comfortable and not feel any pain.
What a bunch of crap! I take it you've never watched someone you loved die of cancer. I have. Medications to relieve pain and make them comfortable? You think being rendered unconscious with massive amounts of morphine is a better alternative? Do you think it would have been better for her to continue to subject herself and her family to the repeated seizures that were already occurring? Seeing your loved one wither away in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of several ports in their body to remove the fluids and blood that disease produces. The endless tests, choking, crying. Parades of doctors, the sound of pump pulling blood from the lungs. The seeming endless vigil around the hospital bed. Terminal patients are not 'fighting a good fight', they are DYING. Not 'probably' dying, they are DYING. Period. Done. Facing that is courageous enough.
I would have done, and if necessary, will do the same.
There are some great points for Brittany on this thread. This article also says it well:
"The argument that only God may decide when we die is not one that I consider consistent with the view that God created us with free choice. If you seek out medical care, you are making choices about how long you will live. If you drive too fast, drink too much, smoke to much or fail to get your kids vaccinated, then you are making decisions about how soon death comes. To see God as having to work through respirators, kidney dialysis and heart-lung machines to decide when you will die is to trivialize the divine."
I don't have a terminal illness. But I have lived with pain. There were times when it was so bad that I remember thinking how I finally understood why people in these situations want to end it. I can't imagine this, all day, every day, only to have it worsen. If you're not in pain, you're knocked out on drugs. You're already gone. You have no quality of life. You are simply there to suffer so your family doesn't have to let go. I wouldn't want that, the expense or the work for them. But I don't know that I can be that brave. Cowardly? Please. We spend our lives avoiding death, even when we are taunting it. To make a lucid, voluntary decision to take your own life, being of sound mind, can NOT be easy. To choose to walk away from a wonderful family and life BEFORE the illness takes you takes massive strength. I hope this makes a lot of people think and question what they were conditioned to believe about death, and life.
There is amongst some religiously-devout circles the position that our lives aren't in our hands; that instead they're in the hands of some overarching divinity. Suicide therefore usurps an authority that is not properly ours, rendering the act grossly immoral.
Subject to such a view, an individual's decision to hasten the end-of-life would never be justified; nor could such a view be softened by appeals to attenuate suffering.
Instead it seems to me that while the circumstances of our lives are well outside of our immediate control – diseases, accidents and the like – as rational beings, we have legitimately some powers over ourselves, including the power to end our lives.
It's true that the person in question was well-loved by relatives and friends, and that her death – whether "naturally" or with direct intervention – will deeply sadden those loved ones. But consider: suppose that she were a reclusive person, living alone, with no remaining relatives and few friends, no husband or parents, no coworkers or visitors, but the same debilitating illness. Would in that case her decision to hasten her death have been somehow more justified? Would by eschewing the moral concerns of causing grief to others, her decision be less controversial or less "immoral" according to opponents of suicide?
I don't agree with taking your own life at all. That is called suicide. Why could not the doctors give her meds to reduce pain and let nature take over. It is not our choice to come in this world and it's not our choice to take ourselves out of this world.
I do understand why Brittany did what she did but if she was my family member I would have talked her out of it.
One size does not fit all love. It should be an individual decision made by preference not by committee. I respect what she did and have seen way too much needless suffering in my 25 years in health care. You're entitled to your belief system and I respect it. In return I would expect you to respect some else's belief system that you may not agree with. Live and let live.
I don't agree with taking your own life at all. That is called suicide. Why could not the doctors give her meds to reduce pain and let nature take over. It is not our choice to come in this world and it's not our choice to take ourselves out of this world.
I do understand why Brittany did what she did but if she was my family member I would have talked her out of it.
I will tell you why. American hospitals are not allowed to give strong enough pain meds to alleviate severe pain. The reason is fear of addiction even though ironically the patient is dying and addiction will never take place. If you don't believe me, ask any nurse who has to take care of terminally ill patients in extreme pain.
As far as "nature taking it's course," nature will struggle to keep a living thing alive. It sees the misguided efforts of the medical profession's attempts to keep the patient alive under any circumstances as the patient's rallying and will continue to fight for life. The patient can be in agony, nature doesn't care. It only knows to try and keep the flesh alive no matter what the condition as long as possible. Humans interfering with nature with means above and beyond reasonable as the custom we have come to accept.
Nature surrenders when humans lose the battle but in the meantime the patient gets to be the battlefield often with little or no say in the matter.
When a doctor I know was a resident he told me this story. One night he was passing by a patient's room in the hospital he was working. He kept hearing a faint cry coming from the room. He decided to step in to see if he could help. He came upon a man so covered in tubes carrying fluids in and out of his veins everywhere in his body. Machines were hooked up to him. You had to look closely to see a human being under all that.
Of course there was a morphine drip for pain but the patient appeared not only to be in discomfort, he also appeared to be in pain.
The doctor bent down closer to try and hear what the man was saying.
"Please kill me." "Please kill me."
This and the ravages of her disease is what Brittany Maynard was trying to avoid both for her and her family. Nature was not going to take this man as long as the medical profession was having their way with him.
And take note, this story happened in the 1960's. If you thinks things have changed for terminal patients you are sadly mistaken.
I can tell you do not know much about the subject. I would sincerely suggest you read up on it and if you still want to go the route of pain and suffering that's fine, but don't judge others who decide not to go that route based on knowledge and sound decision.
I do understand why Brittany did what she did but if she was my family member I would have talked her out of it.
I am a cancer survivor. While I was not terminal, the next few years are still critical. I could relapse and become terminal at any moment. I could even have already relapsed and not know it. That's my reality.
There are no words to describe how I would react if someone who claimed to love me tried to talk me out of death with dignity if the time comes. That is the epitome of selfishness and self-centeredness - and I honestly can't believe someone would have the gaul to say or do such a thing.
Several things would happen: 1. They would be asked to leave and not come back. 2. They would be barred from my funeral. 3. If that person was in my will, they would be immediately and entirely removed. There is absolutely no love or respect in such a request and as such, that person would be summarily removed from whatever life I had left. No excuses, no exceptions.
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