Euthanasia

[samclem]

Yeah, I have it. But somewhere up above I noted that Final Exit counsels an awful death involving pills and plastic bags over your head. All because appropriate medications are not legally available.

Apparently there are no tall buildings, bridges, or firearms where the author comes from.

 

[donheff]

Apparently there are no tall buildings, bridges, or firearms where the author comes from.

You forgot the smilie Sam but that is just the point. A gun to the head is pretty efficient (although far from a sure thing) but it sure leaves a mess for your survivors and is a scary thing for the doer. Jumping off a building is even worse. A pill or an injection of insulin and a nod off to la la land in your own bed seems a much more humane (dare I say Christian?) exit. I didn't mean to offend by the Christian remark but, seriously, did any of the Gospels mention Jesus prohibiting suicide? I assume there is some reference in the Old Testament but that document is so full of horrors it seems fair to ignore what you choose - believers certainly do.

 

[Sarah in SC]

AL, AL, please tell them again about the quitting eating, would you? Really!

Geez, who wants to find you after the gun goes off or plastic bag what-have-you? Gross!

Khan, having no caretaker (rudely assuming that I will outlive the 8 yr older DH), I've contracted with my younger cousin that if she thinks I'm losing my mind, to please take me way out in the woods and leave me there. If I can find my way back, great, if not, exposure is not so bad a way to go.

 

[TromboneAl]

Maybe we can combine this topic with "It's Wednesday Weigh-ins."

I would think that if you are already quite sick and frail, stopping eating wouldn't be too traumatic. That is, if you've already lost 30% of your body weight, and can't get out of bed, it shouldn't take too long.

Also, people do go on extended fasts, and say you get used to it.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

My mother did not have Alzheimer's; she had diabetes, crippling arthritis et al, and (at the end) strokes. But I wasn't there, she had a caring husband (my father), and only spent 6 weeks in a nursing home.

I have inherited the crippling conditions and have no caretaker.

sorry about all that. i inherited mom's arthritis especially in my hands & feet and it makes me wonder if i'll be able to enjoy a sailing life later on. though not crippling, i can relate at least a little.

but i totally relate to having no caretaker. i certainly won't have the very good care i gave mom. at least my brother will have his wife and kids if it comes to that.

my fantasy is similar to sarah's only instead of being left in the woods i'll just set myself adrift until i become either shark food or just a ghost ship. being placed in a nursing home, even a good one, with no one to check up on me is not the life i envision.

 

[Khan]

sorry about all that. i inherited mom's arthritis especially in my hands & feet and it makes me wonder if i'll be able to enjoy a sailing life later on. though not crippling, i can relate at least a little.

Mother slowly had to give up things she enjoyed: crocheting, knitting, sewing, gardening, her job (20 hours a week in the local library), hanging out laundry, driving.

but i totally relate to having no caretaker. i certainly won't have the very good care i gave mom. at least my brother will have his wife and kids if it comes to that.

I like living alone. I fully admit that I am nearly impossible to live with; and I can only imagine how miserable I would make a caretaker as I became more disabled

my fantasy is similar to sarah's only instead of being left in the woods i'll just set myself adrift until i become either shark food or just a ghost ship. being placed in a nursing home, even a good one, with no one to check up on me is not the life i envision.

Agreed. What's the point?

 

[CuppaJoe]

Sorry, I’m late in commenting on several posts. IMO, Having someone at your bedside isn’t always "a grand and a wonderful thing": If it wasn’t confidential, I could tell client stories that make my hair stand on end, and of obits to cringe at.

Another aspect of this is that people who have no handy next-of-kin or friends can sometimes stay in the hospital or nursing home longer. This happened several times to my mom and I think it was a better alternative to leaving earlier to a caregiver. They had to wait until one of us could arrange vacation time and fly there.

Also when she was in home hospice care, there was a nice supply of morphine in the fridge.

Regarding the poll, like so many other topics here, "It Depends."

 

[jclarksnakes]

............................................................................................
As things stand, thousands of doctors and nurses are doing this today but are at risk if some wacko prosecutor wants to challenge their actions.

There are several key words and phrases to keep in mind when the time comes......
"I/we have the right to refuse treatment"
"I/we never wanted it to get to this point"
"mom/dad would never have wanted to continue on like this"
"I/we cannot stand seeing mom/dad suffer like this"
"there must be some medicine that can end the suffering?"
"we know you have done everything possible but maybe there is nothing left to try"
"maybe another doctor would be more comfortable talking about this?"
"Hospice care?"
"morphine?"

 

[Puzzley]

My mother is 98, and has been in some type of care facility for 10 years, the last 5 of which is a full care nursing home. She is the oldest resident there, and also holds the longest residency title. Most in a nursing home last 2-3 years. she's outlived five roommates. She has senile dementia, is in a wheelchair, and is/was impossible for my sisters and me to care for at home. She has, of late, become almost unresponsive, but still eats well, and continues to live. she has a strong constitution, but on a 1-10 scale, her quality of life is in negative numbers.

Five years ago, she was pleading with us to let her die, but her condition has gotten us past that. She was a caregiver for a couple of older aunts before they had to go to homes, and this was the LAST thing she envisioned for herself. She would have gladly opted for some merciful exit, had it been her choice. We have all the legal documents in place so that there will never be a question when/if we get to the feeding tube/machines stage, but now, we're all just waiting and enduring....

Fortunately, my father made some wise stock decisions years ago that allow us to maintain her despite the expense. (Exxon) She will probably eventually run through it all, which is a shame, because one of my sisters could use the money.

 

[Zoocat]

Also when she was in home hospice care, there was a nice supply of morphine in the fridge.

Ah, yes. Let's hope that this treatment becomes quite a bit more available for a wide variety of terminal ailments.

 

[citrine]

I would definitely not want to live in a hospice wasting away.
I hope that euthanasia becomes legal at some point in the future....no reason to take up all the medical resources to live like a vegetable.