Would You Be More Or Less Likely to Utilize the Death With Dignity Law If You Had A Devastating Diagnosis (MRI, blood tests)
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Sorry but that reduces people to the lowest common denominator of "evolution". I serve purposes beyond the biological...and I've chosen NOT to reproduce so should I just off myself now and stop using resources because I've contributed nothing? I've probably contributed MORE by NOT adding to overpopulation while still doing positive things for the people and environment around me.
I can't rep you again, but thank you sooo much for saying this.
Anyhow, wow, that's hard to say unless it actually happens. Maybe with something like Lou Gehrig's disease, but again I don't know until I am confronted with it. I have had debilitating depressions and suicidal ideations for decades, but SOMETHING makes me keep on trucking. I think that that thing is just a morbid curiosity about life. Sometimes it is so weird it's like a book I cannot put down.
I remember "The Suicide Tourist," a documentary on PBS, about a man who, with his wife, traveled to Sweden (?) to avail himself of their legal physician-assisted suicide (ALS; this was a few years ago). It was quite obvious to me that he didn't want to die yet, that he preferred to live, that he would've been persuaded to live with just a word of encouragement from his spouse or kids, but he felt he would only be a burden to them, and so he had a "duty to die" by his own hand; she didn't act particularly broken up when the deed was done. I found that very sad. I agree that we are more than biological creatures.
Last edited by otterhere; 08-12-2016 at 12:45 PM..
Like say for example, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) one of the worst diagnoses a person could get. I've been watching numerous video on YouTube of people and their families coping with various diseases and Gehrig's is about the worst I've seen. I've had many meetings with myself and have decided that if I ever got a terminal diagnosis like this I would just move to Oregon and use their law. Anyone else feel the same?
Why move? A quick visit to the local gun store (I prefer the 12 gauge with 00 buckshot, 9 .32 caliber pellets flying through your brain does it all) and other than a heck of a mess someone has to clean up, it's all over...
If anyone would think to deny this girl her choice on the basis of religious beliefs, I think they need to take a good hard look at their religion and what it preaches.
Why move? A quick visit to the local gun store (I prefer the 12 gauge with 00 buckshot, 9 .32 caliber pellets flying through your brain does it all) and other than a heck of a mess someone has to clean up, it's all over...
The mess though...
I think many folks don't particularly want to leave that for loves ones.
I watched a few of those programs about people with terminal illnesses who chose to go that route. I think everyone who is in extreme pain with no possibility of rehabilitiation should have this choice. What good is living if you're just suffering?
One can usually tolerate extreme pain with medication and relaxation; actually, even end-stage terminal cancer (most, not all) can be close to pain-free, certainly not physical "suffering" anymore (ever since they stopped worrying whether end-stage patients in excruciating pain might get "hooked" as was the case in the old, rotten days in hospitals).
Personally, if my brain still functions and I am aware, I want to live until the very last moment, even if the medical community thinks there is no hope of my getting "better". I think we may learn to transplant brains in the future, and I find that intriguing. Who cares if my physical body becomes useless, if my brain works, I'm staying, thank you, just plop my brain (and all that goes along with it) onto another, better specimen, whether that means human or robotic
I am concerned with the medical system (and some younger people—including doctors—who want the older generation—except for Bernie Sanders, gone off the earth already—not devoting the equivalent time, care, research and love on older people as the gigantic costs involved with extreme preemies who often continue to have life-long, expensive problems).
I don't want doctors and/or legislators making so-called end-of-life decisions for me, period.
Last edited by SFBayBoomer; 08-12-2016 at 03:51 PM..
One can usually tolerate extreme pain with medication and relaxation; actually, even end-stage terminal cancer (most, not all) can be close to pain-free, certainly not physical "suffering" anymore, and for me, if my brain still functions and I am aware, I want to live until the very last moment, even if the medical community thinks there is no hope.
I am concerned with the medical system (and some younger people—including doctors—who want the older generation—except for Bernie Sanders, gone off the earth already—not devoting the equivalent time, care, research and love on older people as the gigantic costs involved with extreme preemies.
I don't want doctors making so-called end-of-life decisions for me, period.
Agree; very dangerous. And there can be good even in suffering, if you believe in the spirit beyond the body.
Pneumonia is not a horrible way to go. Health professionals have called it "the old man's friend" for years. As long as the air hunger is managed then the patient is usually not in distress. It is far worse to watch and listen to than what the patient is experiencing if morphine is used as needed.
The second point is dying under the care of a doctor rather than a hospice nurse. Many doctors still look upon death as their adversary and will work hard to "win" and avoid liability. Hospice nurses, on the other hand, know what they are there to accomplish and will usually be much more aggressive in the management of pain, distress, and discomfort. I have been with several friends in their final hours. The hospice nurses were open to using any measures as often as possible to keep my friends comfortable.
If ever needed, I will be in hospice care rather than a hospital--keeping the doctors as far away as possible.
That sounds right as rain to me but the problem is hospice nurses have no say in how much morphine to administer the patient. All that falls under the purview of the attending physician. He's the one who determines how much morphine the hospice nurse can give and if he's one of these spineless no-goods who says, "Yeah, he sounds like he's in pain but unfortunately I'm not convinced he's in enough pain to warrant morphine so I'm going to decline the request." then the patient dies screaming.
This thread started out in the retirement forum but got moved here. What you are saying brings up an interesting point. The topic has been brought up many times in many different forums and the one in which the most people have said "yes" to the Death With Dignity Act" has been the older crowd in the retirement forum. Maybe it's because the older one gets, the more they have seen of pain and suffering and the more realistic their attitude towards it becomes.
I think one of the important criteria in older people deciding to do this this also has to do with them gradually shedding their religious scruples as they get older and losing the sense of "God will condemn me to hell for eternity" if I kill myself". Once I lost that foolishness I had no problems ethically with the idea of doing it if the circumstances called for it. I know many people who are bound to their religions and the terror of going to hell would keep them suffering the most excruciating of agonies and putting their loved ones through hell taking care of them because they are terrified of burning for eternity.
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