[Serious] Total locked in syndrome and assisted dying

[brewer]

Last week I had my 15 year old dog euthenised, she was suffering and had no hope of recovery, it was the kindest thing to do... I would hope that if I was in the same position, someone would do the same for me.  (Euthenised, killed, call it what you will, but she was not "put to sleep" that is a cop out for those who can't face the truth)

Condolences.

We call it 'put down'. Thankfully we have vet friends that will come to the house, makes it easier for all concerned.

[Paleophyte]

We've had medically assisted dying in Canada for several years now and no regrets. They've recently expanded eligibility so that you no longer need a terminal disease to qualify, merely a "grievous and irremediable medical condition". You also need to be capable of consent. Medical professionals are not compelled to assist in your death if they have moral/religious objections, however they are required to refer you to a practitioner who has no such qualms. This has not proven to be a difficulty. All in all it has been carried off with surprisingly little fanfare or protest.

What was shocking was the speed with which the change happened. The Supreme Court threw out the existing laws, ruling that they violated basic Charter freedoms, and left the federal government 6 months to get a functional law in place. Faced with the prospect of no legal framework whatsoever, the federal government moved with surprising speed and put through a pretty decent assisted dying law.

[arewethereyet]

We've had medically assisted dying in Canada for several years now and no regrets. They've recently expanded eligibility so that you no longer need a terminal disease to qualify, merely a "grievous and irremediable medical condition". You also need to be capable of consent. Medical professionals are not compelled to assist in your death if they have moral/religious objections, however they are required to refer you to a practitioner who has no such qualms. This has not proven to be a difficulty. All in all it has been carried off with surprisingly little fanfare or protest.

What was shocking was the speed with which the change happened. The Supreme Court threw out the existing laws, ruling that they violated basic Charter freedoms, and left the federal government 6 months to get a functional law in place. Faced with the prospect of no legal framework whatsoever, the federal government moved with surprising speed and put through a pretty decent assisted dying law.

After a series of severe health issues and one near fatal car accident...there was no coming back from all that for my dad. The wreck stopped the cancer treatments and the series of strokes just jacked with everything. It's a shame that even with a directive in place the doctor still needed to hear it from me (or one of us kids) to agree to palliative care only. There was certainly no option for the medical staff to 'help' as evidenced by the nurse who left his room and slumped against the wall sobbing because she couldn't ease his pain without killing him and that wasn't an option open to her.

When we (kids) were all there the last time prior to his death, along with other meds lined up neatly in a row on his kitchen counter was a near full bottle of Oxycontin (50, I think) and also some hydrocodone. When we all left to head home those meds were all there. Six days later we were on our way back because he had died. Husband and I were first ones to arrive. The bottle of Oxy was missing. First thought was drug seeker but they would have taken other things in the house as well as the Hydrocodone so we were pretty confused. At dinner one night with his lady friend we mentioned how odd it was that the Oxy was gone from his house...she handed us the bottle with four tablets left in it. She said he had asked for them.

So, I am sure you can all do the math. Dad found out his brother-in-law was coming to see him and he didn't want his lady friend to be alone. The last night my uncle was there was my dad's last. Pretty sure dad didn't want her to be alone since we were scattered across the country.

They were his meds. Prescribed to him but he was physically unable to get to them and they would have had to have been crushed up since he could barely swallow. It's a damn shame she was put in the position of having to break the law to give him the relief he was pleading for. Had he asked me, I'd have done the same.

Why we make so many people in this country suffer needlessly when the only end to that suffering is death by their own hand or with the help of another is inhumane. We generally treat animals with more compassion.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

This seems more than a little appropriate to the topic:

Swiss Suicide Pod

[color=rgba(2, 20, 31, 0.85)]Switzerland has just legalized a new way to die by assisted suicide. The country’s medical review board has authorized the use of the Sarco Suicide Pod, which is a 3-D-printed portable coffin-like capsule with windows that can be transported to a tranquil place for a person’s final moments of life.[/color]

Boru

[Angrboda]

In a world burdened by overpopulation, should there be any restrictions on ending your own life beyond being of sound mind?

[arewethereyet]

In a world burdened by overpopulation, should there be any restrictions on ending your own life beyond being of sound mind?

That was truly my question in all this. Dad was a veterinarian and was quite aware of the path his last days were going to take biologically. When we were there that last week, even when he appeared to be sound asleep, he would pop in the conversation with perfectly fitting comments. His mind was clear even with all the morphine in his system.

He was so angry with the doctor when the doctor questioned his ability to make the decision to stop all treatments and I heard him shout at the doctor to ask his kids as we knew what he wanted. UGH!

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

In a world burdened by overpopulation, should there be any restrictions on ending your own life beyond being of sound mind?

I’ve never really thought that not being of unsound mind should qualify as a restriction.

One of the most common reasons cited for suicide is overwhelming, unbearable, untreatable pain. Whether that physical or emotional, it’s going to be enough to make you of unsound mind. I can’t see why being so overburdened with pain that you can’t think straight means you should be prevented from taking your own life.

Boru

[brewer]

In a world burdened by overpopulation, should there be any restrictions on ending your own life beyond being of sound mind?

If the person has the ability to do it on their own I believe the answer is no. Hopefully they're smart enough to choose a 100% fatal method.

Asking someone else to assist is another matter, thus the debate.

Both mom and dad developed terminal cancer, both eventually chose to stop treatment when it became pointless. Both got morphine drips 'for pain' at the end.

[Duty]

I apologise for not updating this thread sooner with my evolving views RE this. I'm still working at the unit (50 hour weeks scheduled for the whole of January). I am still...perhaps increasingly concerned about the paradigm of several "silent" patients/residents. I sincerely desire that I am able to provide this thread with a more thorough update, from my perspective, sooner rather than later. On a somewhat related note:  

New law allowing assisted suicide takes effect in Austria 1 January 2022

[Rev. Rye]

When I get around to writing a will, I think I'd include stipulations that if I'm in such a condition with no real hope of ever leaving it, I'm to be given a lethal dose of morphine. Ideally, with the nurse tasked to do the honours dressed like this:



"Twisted Nerve" would be optional. Maybe just play this, with Dana Colley's saxophone coming in as soon as the first molecules of morphine enter my blood stream:




And if being given a lethal dose of morphine isn't allowed, then the only other acceptable option would be to have the mob put a hit out on me.

Remembering vividly the debacle around Terri Schiavo and her feeding tube has made me that fucking sure about it.