Dying with Dignity

[Brandyboy]

Can I open up a debate on assisted dying .. I know it`s a morbid subject but it`s one that`s very close to my heart and it does affects many people.

Having to stand by and watch two very close members of my family pass away from a terminal, very painfull and debilitating disease, knowing full well that you can do nothing to help them, is a truly heartbreaking and soul destroying experience.
In November 1980 my father was suffering from lung cancer and one day he asked me to get a pillow. I thought was to raise his head, but no, he wanted me to cover it ... I wished I had had the courage to do it .. He died three weeks later, still in agony.

Surely it would have so much better for him to go to sleep peacefully forever, surrounded by his loved ones, after saying goodbye.
In fact it would have so much much better for everyone rather than being notified by telephone that your father had just passed away.

If you`re going to die anyway, I can`t see the problem in choosing the time of your death.
I can`t see the problem with dying with dignity.

[Army of stars]

Me neither providng it totally concurs with the wishes of the sick person,however i can forsee all manner of problems because at some stage someone has to metaphorically "fire the final bullet" a decision i would not wish on my worst enemy.

[Brandyboy]

You fire your own final bullet .. ' metaphorically speaking' .

With Dignitas, you drink two glasses of liquid.
In Canada and in some states in the USA, you personally open a drip that is attached to your arm.
Both methods send you asleep, forever and at no time does anyone else have a hand in your passing away accept giving you the means to do so.
You and you alone choose exactly when you want to 'shuffle off your mortal coil`, and in all cases, you must prove to be mentally and physically fit to perform the action.

There's a lot deliberate misinformation bandied around about asssisted dying, from people knocking off elderly rich relatives for their money or people you don`t just like. All of it complete lies and unfortnately in the UK only people with money can do this but have to travel to Switzerland.

[Army of stars]

You fire your own final bullet .. ' metaphorically speaking' .

With Dignitas, you drink two glasses of liquid.
In Canada and in some states in the USA, you personally open a drip that is attached to your arm.
Both methods send you asleep, forever and at no time does anyone else have a hand in your passing away accept giving you the means to do so.
You and you alone choose exactly when you want to 'shuffle off your mortal coil`, and in all cases, you must prove to be mentally and physically fit to perform the action.

There's a lot deliberate misinformation bandied around about asssisted dying, from people knocking off elderly rich relatives for their money or people you don`t just like. All of it complete lies and unfortnately in the UK only people with money can do this but have to travel to Switzerland.

You fire your own final bullet .. ' metaphorically speaking' .

With Dignitas, you drink two glasses of liquid.
In Canada and in some states in the USA, you personally open a drip that is attached to your arm.
Both methods send you asleep, forever and at no time does anyone else have a hand in your passing away accept giving you the means to do so.
You and you alone choose exactly when you want to 'shuffle off your mortal coil`, and in all cases, you must prove to be mentally and physically fit to perform the action.

There's a lot deliberate misinformation bandied around about asssisted dying, from people knocking off elderly rich relatives for their money or people you don`t just like. All of it complete lies and unfortnately in the UK only people with money can do this but have to travel to Switzerland.

All of which describes perfectly the mechanics of how one is assisted to pop ones clogs but i assumed that the posting was about the morality of assisted dying, i.e.how would someone with advanced stage motor neurone disease be able to administer the fluids requires to end ones life and if assisted by a family member or someone else would they be immune from prosecution.

[Brandyboy]

The person who want`s to control their own death always administer their own fluids.

A trained councillor or a doctor is always present and supervises the procceedings until the end .. Friends and family are purely spectators.
But only in the UK can you be prosecuted for the very act of helping someone to travel to Switzerland to end their life with dignity .. even the simple act of buying airline tickets or pushing the wheelchair can have the police knocking on your door and arresting you.

Motor neurone disease is nearly always fatal and there is no cure as you know and sufferers of it who want to end their life with dignity have to make the choice to do it while they still have some control of their mind and body.

And before all this takes place there are lengthy discussions between the person involved, family, doctors and/or experienced professionals to insure that everyone is aware of the final outcome.

https://www.mydeath-mydecision.org.uk/i ... countries/
https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/

[sueh21]

A neighbour of a friend of mine had a debilitating illness that only her brain was still functioning after the rest of her body shut down, how would you cope with that. All she wanted, was to be let go. She did get back to the UK, but don`t know the outcome. I would just want that injection to sleep peacefully.

[Brandyboy]

Not much to ask for is it.

[Andy F]

There is nothing wrong - in essence- with having the right to die.
I have had 3 personal experiences with close relatives with painful terminal illnesses where this would have been the right thing to do. Unfortunately there will always be someone out there wanting to make a name for themselves by challenging this right. Usually it seems to be someone who is totally unconnected with the person in question, notably the organisation calling themselves Care Not Killing, according to BMJ, "..an alliance of around 50 groups, including faith based and pro-life organisations, opposed to legalising euthanasia or physician assisted suicide."

What gives them the right to decide? Do they realise just how much extra unwarranted pain and anguish they cause to already suffering people and relatives?

I fully support the right to die with dignity and I hope that if I'm ever in that situation (god forbid) that someone will help me out.

[Francisco]

..Your life is your life alone , over which you have sovereignty,,no one else!

It is your human right to choose when and how you depart this existence...whether in pain, unable to live your life due to disability, or simply had enough..no one should be allowed to stand in your way!!

But I am ahead of my time in thinking this...in another twenty years this will be the accepted view.

My sympathies are with those who must suffer until that time comes!!

[Brandyboy]

I agree with you both and my profound sympathy Andy F ..
But unfortunately the UK is one of the countries that still denies it`s citizens the right to legally choose to put themselves to sleep if they are suffering from a debilitating, painful and terminal desease.
But thankfully many countries now treat their sick and dying with more respect .. as I have outlned above.

The problem is that the word `suicide' has terrible connotations and is commonly carried out for a variety of reasons.

October is a difficult month for my wife because four of her family took their own lives.
Her sister because she was married to an abusve husband, her nephew because he was mentally ill and threw himself of the Northampton bus station.
But most tragic was her niece who took her own life on the anniversary of her mothers suicide .. my wifes sister.
But she was very drunk at the time and was known to take drugs .. so not all suicides are intentional.

But it was her father who had been suffering from farmers lung desease for nine months and had only a few more months to go.
He was bedridden, on oxygen and in absolute agony ... He put a shopping bag over his head.
At his funeral the priest said to my mother-in-law .. " Francis .. He did this for you ".

So you must give people the choice.
When my father was very ill he said to me that life was like a big meal ... he`d had enough and didn`t want any more.