dlq04

Well put Bill, as I totally agree and everyone my age that I have talked to feel the same way. When the hell is someone going to take the lead on this politically? The kook that tried didn't get far, nor help the cause any.

Lainey

We are kinder to our animals than our elderly who would prefer to exit this world on their own terms and with dignity.

Scooterboy

Amen!

After watching my late wife suffer and finally die from MS and begging to die I couldn't agree more. Dr. Kavorkjan (spelling??) was her hero!

boltonblue

I told my kids "just get the pillow" when it's time.

At sixty I'm not old in the classic sense but I am not happy with the quality of my life over the last ten years and the changes I've dealt with.
I used to work out, bike, play soccer, ski, golf and hike. I always had some project going or was working on cars. Exercise felt good.. That endorphin rush afterwards was nice.
I've skied once in the last ten years, soccer? nope. biking almost not at all, didn't get out at all last year. Walking is tough. I haven't decided if I will join my golf league this year.
Movement is a trial and afterwards I am just beat up.

At some point I may save them the trouble.

Lainey

The young woman with cancer who moved to Oregon (was it) so that she could die on her terms was very courageous. I'm not sure of the laws wherever she was, but she had what she needed when she decided her time had come.

My sympathies to you, Dave for what your late wife and you went through/endured and to all who watch loved ones pass away from lingering and cruel illness.

Bolton, don't rush out too soon, ok?

Lainey

The young woman with cancer who moved to Oregon (was it) so that she could die on her terms was very courageous. I'm not sure of the laws wherever she was, but she had what she needed when she decided her time had come.

My sympathies to you, Dave for what your late wife and you went through/endured and to all who watch loved ones pass away from lingering and cruel illness.

Bolton, don't rush out too soon, ok?

Scooterboy

I will not let my family go thru any of that crap with me. As long as I am able I will take care of my own end.

cosmomiller

It is a slippery ethical slope you head down. There have been cases that should not have been cases in countries (Netherlands) where folks have been taken out when they did not fit the neat categories of the law.

Better yet is a much improved end of life care (especially according to my neighbor anesthesiologist) that is sadly and tragically lacking in this country.

Legal Bill

I'm not ranting at you personally, here Cosmo, just the arguments you are making. Forgive me if it seems otherwise.

I can think of nothing worse than even more "end-of-life" care for the person and society as a whole. Is it somehow better to keep my zombie body alive by surrounding it with nurses and doctors in an idyllic country setting at the expense of society? It already goes on too far. the real tragedy would be to extend it further against the wishes of the patient.

I believe the medical profession should have no say in this issue. They are, at the very best, biased by the ethical oath they took which includes the phrase "do no harm." And at the very worst, the medical profession has a STRONG financial interest in keeping us alive and providing medical services until they can't keep you alive any longer. How many times must we see the statistics that show the highest percentage of medical costs are incurred in the last year of life? Even the most rosey of such estimates put 13% of medical costs at end of life. Others have estimated 30%. And what is the ethical problem with letting me terminate my life if I don't fit some precise category of the law? Are we to suppose that narrowly drafted laws created by legislatures are somehow inherently ethical??

The role of the medical profession should be limited to assisting the individual with his or her end of life plan once society wakes up and realizes that we should all be free to make this decision for ourselves. The arguments to the contrary are just a bunch of fantasy horror stories made up to scare children. The law can easily provide protection against the possibility that an unscrupulous heir is trying to terminate someone's life prematurely. Other than that, just let us go. None of us should be forced down the road of a gun in our mouth or an experiment with sleeping pills, dying with the guilt that some poor soul (or relative) will have to live with the shock of stumbling across your corpse. I'd love an end of life scenario where I can be surrounded by my loved ones, say my goodbyes, let them say theirs and then make my exit with as much dignity as possible. Hell, I'll even have the reading of the will while I'm still alive so they can say their thank-yous to the living person rather than the mahogany coffin.

John Silber, the former president of Boston University and one-time candidate for Governor had it right. He quoted King Lear during a debate on the issue of health care and said "I want to remind the voters of Massachusetts that Shakespeare was right when he said 'Ripeness is all.' When you've had a long life and you're ripe, then it's time to go.''

cosmomiller

Nothing personal taken by me, be assured.
It has been my observation, over time, that practically speaking, the "medical profession" does a bit more under the radar, so to speak, than what is bandied about in legislative house chambers. When a terminally ill patient is in pain, a significant amount of medication is often administered perhaps hastening the eventual end. The first time I saw that was when my 56 year old mother was succumbing to pancreatic cancer in 1974. She died at home. Old Dr Morton came several times a day, black bag in hand, held her hand and shot her with (presumably morphine) a strong pain killer that made her comfortable. She could still communicate.
A good friend of mine, an internist, also talks about fellow docs taking steps to deal with the reality of a terminal situation and doing what they feel is best for the person and family: a comfortable departure.
My previously mentioned neighbor anesthesiologist said they found patients in real pain could self administer doses of pain killers that would be fatal for you and I but would keep them at a level they determined comfortable enough. The issue is many docs will not prescribe drugs in that manner. This is one area that needs to be addressed.
Life and death are natural components of existence. lt is my hope and prayer we can help each other make that journey with compassion and mercy.