Do the Terminally Ill Have a Right to Die?

Originally posted by DAVID64
6 years ago my dad died of lung cancer. When he was first diagnosed, it was too late, they said he only had about 8 - 12 months to live. With chemo and radiation he lasted 8 months. Up until the last 2 months he did pretty good, he lost his hair and felt a bit weak and nauseated from all the chemo, but otherwise ok. The last 2 was the nightmare. My dad was 6" 1' and about 220 lbs. In that time he went down to less than 100 lbs and became so weak we had to carry him to the bathroom and anywhere else he went. Cancer EATS your body. He was in so much pain the drugs they gave him knocked him out but he would still moan from the pain, even while asleep. At the last he could not even swallow to ease his dry throat. The doctors only offered more drugs and radiation to extend his time. It should be legal in every state and all over the world to end your life when it is no longer a life worth living.

David I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your dad i know cancer is horrible i wish they had a cure for it but sadly they don't Ive seen what cancer does to a person its beyond horrible..

Originally posted by daggyz
Unless your a vegetable any patient has the ability to end their life cleanly. Why do they need others to do it for them? Fear or too gutless?

The strongest people I have seen are those who battle until death takes them naturally, whilst they were suffering they didn't say, thougt more of adding to others before they died and left something other than a defeated life.

To be fair, not many are that strong to be able to do that.

thank you for your post..

Originally posted by Ashyr
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

i think its kinda like catch 22.

you are born free and Independent

you are in control of yourself at all times.
have the ability to do anything u really want to.
including killing yourself. alot do.

however when you are unable. you are at the mercy of others.
now

haha either way "your a yo yo" token suffering for some "benefit" out there. i guarantee it.

emotional anyone?

thanks for the post im not sure what to say..

Having given this some more thought, I want to add that you should be over the age of 21 or whatever age the brain fully matures to make this decision. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a young person say they wanted to die because what they were going through was unbearable yet saw them radically change their mood in a matter of hours/days (myself included) I'd be a rich man.

I love that, in the US, terminal patients don't have a right to have someone help them die, but they can have a feeding tube removed so they starve to death like Schiavo (SP). Pathetic.

next.oregonianextra.com...

Have you guys ever heard of Lovelle Svart? I went to a journalism convention in Portland last year, and The Oregionian made this heartbreaking presentation over new media. Lovelle found out she was dying of lung cancer, and was given the medicine to kill herself if she ever wanted to, as that is legal in Oregon. The cameras follow her throughout her incredible journey, even up to the moment she passes on. It's a great example of why the choice should be in the patient's hands. The link above will take you to The Oregionian's Lovelle site.

Originally posted by JosephJohnson
Having given this some more thought, I want to add that you should be over the age of 21 or whatever age the brain fully matures to make this decision. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a young person say they wanted to die because what they were going through was unbearable yet saw them radically change their mood in a matter of hours/days (myself included) I'd be a rich man.

I think the older you are the better it would be even at 21 i changed my mind every other hour but not at 38 Ive matured alot over the years..

Originally posted by skoalman88
I love that, in the US, terminal patients don't have a right to have someone help them die, but they can have a feeding tube removed so they starve to death like Schiavo (SP). Pathetic.

The Schiavo case was a sad one i think it took 10 days for her to die ..I'm not sure..that was a hard one to watch on the news

Originally posted by nascarpacerfan
next.oregonianextra.com...

Have you guys ever heard of Lovelle Svart? I went to a journalism convention in Portland last year, and The Oregionian made this heartbreaking presentation over new media. Lovelle found out she was dying of lung cancer, and was given the medicine to kill herself if she ever wanted to, as that is legal in Oregon. The cameras follow her throughout her incredible journey, even up to the moment she passes on. It's a great example of why the choice should be in the patient's hands. The link above will take you to The Oregionian's Lovelle site.

edit on 4-4-2011 by nascarpacerfan because: Needed proper spacing.

I just finished watching Lovelle Svart video she looked so at peace and happy I'm glad she got her wish..thank you so much for this link its a good one for all to watch

My opinion regards the question "Why?'. Why do other people / government think they have control over whether we can choose to end our lives should we desire it. From my perspective its clearly bad business...if people decide they would rather have a painless, dignified death, the government and various institutions deem it "WRONG" or "UNNATURAL" or in some case "MURDER".

Euthanasia doesn't represent any unique attributes related to morality or what is right or wrong. The argument began when these institutions decided that your freedom is for sale. Your choice is theirs to determine and thus created a vast amount of negative stigma regarding the subject. If the terminally ill are suddenly able to die free, at any time they deem to be right. That's a possible 6 months - "X" amount of years that the pharmaceutical companies lose revenue. And these corporations back government, and they're wish shall be done or the politicians will "feel" it next election.

Life and death, are the main money makers of the world. They will bleed you dry while your able, and use you to the inch of your life. Then torture you for rest of your time on earth, bankrupting you and your family just to squeeze the last penny from your cold hands.

S&F for OP. I hope the future holds higher ethical standards on FREEDOM, then the generations of the past and the present.

Do the terminally Ill have a right to die? YES, I say definitely, without a doubt: yes!

We are born with a free will and allowed to make our own choices in life, if we are willing to bare the consequences of those choices. What is it about humanity that most people are so against the choice of death? In my opinion it is the fear for the unknown and our own selfish fear for greeve when a loved one dies.
Death is the one thing we can be sure of in life and I do understand why some don't want to wait 70 years for it. Be it suicide or euthanasia, if someone doesn't want to live anymore, who are we to stop them and call death the 'big evil'? It's not evil but just as natural as birth.

After my dad was diagnosed with cancer, he lived exactly 6 more months before he died and these 6 months where hell on earth for him. I'm 100% sure that death came as a relieve for him...
Two weeks before, he was still given meds, they talked about another round of radiation and chemo, while he himself was not even half a person anymore. He wanted to die. Afterwards it became clear to us all the the doctors knew he didn't have much longer, only none of them said it out loud. My father on the other hand knew and decided for himself to stop it one way or another: he stopped eating completely.
His last two days he spend in a hospital, all his organs where shutting down and he was in terrible pains, even on morphine I could still hear him crying at the end of the hall. It was inhuman and the only thing the doctors did was, give him more meds, more tests, while they knew it wouldn't do anything.
At one point I went to see his doctor and asked him to be honest with me, how long did he have? he said 'his kidneys shut down, if we cant reverse it it will be a matter of hours'. I asked him then how long would he have would his kidneys start working again and he said 'we don't know exactly, but probably not more then a week'
I asked the doctor to stop the treatment right away and he said they couldn't do that either, he was at the max of his pain meds and they would continue fighting till the end.
That evening another doctor started his shift. He visited my fathers room once, then left and came back. He told us he had something that could relieve my fathers pain, but if he gave it to him his body would not continue to fight and it would go very quick. I don't know what he gave him, but we agreed to it without a second thought.
He died an hour later peaceful in a deep sleep. There is nothing on record about the last dose of meds he received. That doctor is an angel in my eyes and me and my family are very grateful for what he did.
It wasn't even a hard decision to make and one I don't regret. I know that everyone who has seen something like this happening will agree with me. I also think more doctors have to break the taboo around the subject, how can they inform patients and family of terminally ill patients if even for them death is still a taboo?

I'll make this argument as simple and straightforward as possible.

Even though we have such things as "illegal" drugs, meaning you can't use drugs at your own free will, in your household, by yourself to your own body doing no harm to others, we consider ourselves to be free here in America.

Now I ask all of you, even though it may harm the person or not is irrelevant. Does a person have reign over their own body? Should they be able to do whatever they want with or to themselves?

If someone is terminally ill, then some stupid argument like, "YOU CAN'T JUST BE ALLOWED TO KILL YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN YOU NEED TO RAISE!" is irrelevant. So, if people are to be free, then a terminally ill patient, who decides in clear conscience and judgement, that even though it will cut their time even shorter, they are going to pass away anyway and would like to go now; as to rid themselves and their families of a slow death. In my opinion, not only should terminally ill patients be allowed to commit suicide or be given assisted suicide like Dr. Kevorkian (sp?), but I believe it is a human right. Again, leave the religious beliefs or the non-terminally ill out of the argument. Terminally ill patients have the right to commit suicide.

Originally posted by arcanewings
My opinion regards the question "Why?'. Why do other people / government think they have control over whether we can choose to end our lives should we desire it. From my perspective its clearly bad business...if people decide they would rather have a painless, dignified death, the government and various institutions deem it "WRONG" or "UNNATURAL" or in some case "MURDER".

Euthanasia doesn't represent any unique attributes related to morality or what is right or wrong. The argument began when these institutions decided that your freedom is for sale. Your choice is theirs to determine and thus created a vast amount of negative stigma regarding the subject. If the terminally ill are suddenly able to die free, at any time they deem to be right. That's a possible 6 months - "X" amount of years that the pharmaceutical companies lose revenue. And these corporations back government, and they're wish shall be done or the politicians will "feel" it next election.

Life and death, are the main money makers of the world. They will bleed you dry while your able, and use you to the inch of your life. Then torture you for rest of your time on earth, bankrupting you and your family just to squeeze the last penny from your cold hands.

S&F for OP. I hope the future holds higher ethical standards on FREEDOM, then the generations of the past and the present.

Thank you for posting arcanewings
I agree its all about money and thats what they do bleed you dry

I agree, euthanasia should be legal. If I were terminal and less than 6 months, I'd do it, I wouldn't subject myself to the pain and torture. Those people who are terminal, are in more pain than we will ever know.

As far as family is concerned, if one of my parents were in those shoes and decided they wanted to end it all, I'd be upset, sure, but I'd see the bigger picture and be content about it and rejoice in my belief that, I'll see them sometime later.

ETA: S&F!! (Perhaps my first star and flag, ever!)

Originally posted by sugarcookie1

...if I consider my suffering to be unbearable, I would like the choice to die at home at a time of my choosing surrounded by my loved ones. This may well not be a choice I choose to enact, but it is a choice I would still like to have – a choice that would give me, and many others, enormous comfort.So, I support the right to die. That is, ..euthanasia
.

I strongly support the right to die. I am a profoundly spiritual person, and I believe that life is a gift. But I also have two incurable diseases, and sometimes I wonder: is my pain level so high that my quality of life has decayed beyond the point of dignity? Am I going to contribute to society, or become a drain on it? My own dignity is a small factor; my contribution to society is bigger. Also, I consider my children's needs. My youngest is 11, and I would hang on through any amount of pain (and yes, I do know how bad it can get) to see her mature to the point where she's not dependent on me. I hope the day when I have to make a decision like that never comes, but I know it's possible. I want to have the right to make that decision for myself.

Originally posted by oblivietto

Originally posted by sugarcookie1

...if I consider my suffering to be unbearable, I would like the choice to die at home at a time of my choosing surrounded by my loved ones. This may well not be a choice I choose to enact, but it is a choice I would still like to have – a choice that would give me, and many others, enormous comfort.So, I support the right to die. That is, ..euthanasia
.

I strongly support the right to die. I am a profoundly spiritual person, and I believe that life is a gift. But I also have two incurable diseases, and sometimes I wonder: is my pain level so high that my quality of life has decayed beyond the point of dignity? Am I going to contribute to society, or become a drain on it? My own dignity is a small factor; my contribution to society is bigger. Also, I consider my children's needs. My youngest is 11, and I would hang on through any amount of pain (and yes, I do know how bad it can get) to see her mature to the point where she's not dependent on me. I hope the day when I have to make a decision like that never comes, but I know it's possible. I want to have the right to make that decision for myself.

That damn near brought a tear to my eye. Children's needs, is another factor that I'd take in. My parents would kill for me, just like I'd kill for mine or bear any amount of pain for their well-being.

this reminds me of a dutch documentary they showed on tv a couple of weeks ago.
It was about a young man who had cancer since age 17, I think he was 21 when he died from cancer. The journalist followed him in his last year.
He still lived at home with his parents and brother. He knew the last weeks of his life where going to be very painfull, but he also knew that his family wasn't ready to let him go. In stead of choosing death, he chose for sleep. A doctor assisted him in the whole process.

At his own home, he was put to sleep in his own bed. Each day the doctor would come by to give him more drugs that would keep him asleep and free from the pain. The boy specifically asked that he didn't want to wake up anymore and this would be continued untill his body desided it wanted to die. The family sat by his bed every day to watch him sleep peacefully and had a chance to come to terms with it all and say their goodbuys, untill eventuelly, he died.

The boy himself was against euthenasia so he came up with the above because he didn't want to live on in so much pain either.

Originally posted by GypsK
Do the terminally Ill have a right to die? YES, I say definitely, without a doubt: yes!

We are born with a free will and allowed to make our own choices in life, if we are willing to bare the consequences of those choices. What is it about humanity that most people are so against the choice of death? In my opinion it is the fear for the unknown and our own selfish fear for greeve when a loved one dies.
Death is the one thing we can be sure of in life and I do understand why some don't want to wait 70 years for it. Be it suicide or euthanasia, if someone doesn't want to live anymore, who are we to stop them and call death the 'big evil'? It's not evil but just as natural as birth.

After my dad was diagnosed with cancer, he lived exactly 6 more months before he died and these 6 months where hell on earth for him. I'm 100% sure that death came as a relieve for him...
Two weeks before, he was still given meds, they talked about another round of radiation and chemo, while he himself was not even half a person anymore. He wanted to die. Afterwards it became clear to us all the the doctors knew he didn't have much longer, only none of them said it out loud. My father on the other hand knew and decided for himself to stop it one way or another: he stopped eating completely.
His last two days he spend in a hospital, all his organs where shutting down and he was in terrible pains, even on morphine I could still hear him crying at the end of the hall. It was inhuman and the only thing the doctors did was, give him more meds, more tests, while they knew it wouldn't do anything.
At one point I went to see his doctor and asked him to be honest with me, how long did he have? he said 'his kidneys shut down, if we cant reverse it it will be a matter of hours'. I asked him then how long would he have would his kidneys start working again and he said 'we don't know exactly, but probably not more then a week'
I asked the doctor to stop the treatment right away and he said they couldn't do that either, he was at the max of his pain meds and they would continue fighting till the end.
That evening another doctor started his shift. He visited my fathers room once, then left and came back. He told us he had something that could relieve my fathers pain, but if he gave it to him his body would not continue to fight and it would go very quick. I don't know what he gave him, but we agreed to it without a second thought.
He died an hour later peaceful in a deep sleep. There is nothing on record about the last dose of meds he received. That doctor is an angel in my eyes and me and my family are very grateful for what he did.
It wasn't even a hard decision to make and one I don't regret. I know that everyone who has seen something like this happening will agree with me. I also think more doctors have to break the taboo around the subject, how can they inform patients and family of terminally ill patients if even for them death is still a taboo?

Thank you for posting i read these stories and i just get so emotional..and I'm sorry to hear of your dads passing..the Dr's know when organs are shutting down its just a matter of days and there is no hope but they insist with the argument we will keep fighting till the end and why the end is already there.. whats a few days bring them around for a another round of suffering its inhuman..The Dr that came in for your dad at the end was an angel he knew..you made a hard decision but it was the right one.. I hope more Dr's make it easier so people can pass the way they wish...

Originally posted by oblivietto

Originally posted by sugarcookie1

...if I consider my suffering to be unbearable, I would like the choice to die at home at a time of my choosing surrounded by my loved ones. This may well not be a choice I choose to enact, but it is a choice I would still like to have – a choice that would give me, and many others, enormous comfort.So, I support the right to die. That is, ..euthanasia
.

I strongly support the right to die. I am a profoundly spiritual person, and I believe that life is a gift. But I also have two incurable diseases, and sometimes I wonder: is my pain level so high that my quality of life has decayed beyond the point of dignity? Am I going to contribute to society, or become a drain on it? My own dignity is a small factor; my contribution to society is bigger. Also, I consider my children's needs. My youngest is 11, and I would hang on through any amount of pain (and yes, I do know how bad it can get) to see her mature to the point where she's not dependent on me. I hope the day when I have to make a decision like that never comes, but I know it's possible. I want to have the right to make that decision for myself.

I have no children but if i did id probably feel just like you do id want to see my children grow up and become adults id struggle through it all I'm sure to be part of there lives..

I can get dismissed from medical school for what I am about to post. In fact, this subject is almost nonexistant and certainly not condoned in med school. It is quietly accepted that no doctor will do such things. We are to learn, practice, graduate, go out into the world to improve the quality of life, curtail pandemics, heal the wounded and soothe the troubled mind.

Primum non Nocere, probably the most emphasized idea in medicine. First do no harm. That is a given, a physician with their accumulated knowledge has the power to prolong, enhance, improve, debilitate, complicate and terminate life. And with such potent knowledge, it must be ensured that those who possess it must use it for the benefit of his fellow man. A noble and extraordinary position.

But we tend to forget the "improve the quality of life" part. We tend to be so blinded by the sanctimonious nobility of saving lives, that we set aside those who suffer unimaginable agony that cannot be helped. We have no answer for them, other than making them comfortable. But what if that isn't enough? Isn't it also our duty to extend compassion and empathy?

If all else fails, and there is absolutely no hope, I would rather a man go peacefully with dignity and respect. But that decision is certainly not mine to make. If the patient decides that he/she cannot bear the pain and wishes to no longer extend their agony, they have every right to make that decision. To deny them that, is no different from denying treatment to a curable patient who is capable of living a beautiful life.