Assisted euthanasia

Bing

Bing

The Legend
 Exiled Scot in Maidstone
No, not a sick joke...

Been watching the news this evening and this topic has come up again. If you have a debilitating condition or illness that reduces your quality of life to near zero, along with that of your family, why should you not be allowed to choose to die if it can be proven beyond reasonable doubt that that is your wish ? I guess it throws up at least one practical issue with life insurance as I believe most don't pay out in the event of suicide, but that aside, isn't prolonging someone's pain or misery just cruel, even though the intent is kindness ? In fact, couldn't preventing someone making this choice be considered a breach of their basic human rights ?

Bit morbid I know, but every time this subject pops up I find myself morally on the side of the person who wishes to 'slip away', so given the range of backgrounds and ages on here, I just wondered - what are your thoughts ?

(can't wait to hear what Nosa has to say about this one :D )
 
I'm with you on this. If a pet was in the state that chap was in and you kept them lingering on, the RSPCA would be all over you...


Tapatalking...
 
My wife died two years ago from a brain tumour;she/we spent three years enduring surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy to "extend her life" as the first oncologist said very matter of factly.The last four months of her life were of zero quality and lacked the dignity which we would have granted our spaniel.The stress gave me a heart attack and was literally heart breaking.She would have gladly taken euthanasia if it was available legally and i know that i would do the same in a similar situation.
She was diagnosed at 46 and died at 49.During that time we were fortunate to have enough to give up work and spend every day together but because we had money we could claim for nothing despite paying NI and taxes,rant over !!
 
I've never experienced someone in my family so ill that they would consider such a thing so my view is biased. I believe in god and believe suicide to be a sin so I'm against it. But as I said my life has been blessed and have not experienced it. Although I think it's wrong, deep down I think I may take that option if it came to it and hope god would forgive me...
 
To me there's a clear difference between suicide and assisted euthanasia. Suicide is one of the most selfish things someone can do to others hence I too consider it wrong. But wishing to die to regain dignity, reduce the pain/burden on others, and to improve the quality of life of others - I'd not say that's selfish in the least.

If I was in a situation such as micz4's wife (thanks for sharing) I'd certainly want the choice about my own destiny. I lead a very active life and couldn't imagine not continuing to do so.
 
a11y said:
To me there's a clear difference between suicide and assisted euthanasia. Suicide is one of the most selfish things someone can do to others hence I too consider it wrong. But wishing to die to regain dignity, reduce the pain/burden on others, and to improve the quality of life of others - I'd not say that's selfish in the least.

If I was in a situation such as micz4's wife (thanks for sharing) I'd certainly want the choice about my own destiny. I lead a very active life and couldn't imagine not continuing to do so.
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Agree with your comments on suicide and the difference between the two.

As a general surgeon in training, I see a fair number of people with advanced cancer who are past any form of curative treatment. When discussing treatment options with patients and family I always make it clear that we're looking at quality of life rather than length of life. We ideally wouldn't offer someone a treatment (surgical or otherwise) to prolong life at the detriment of their quality of life. You could apply the same argument to euthanasia. Unfortunately, the issue isn't as clear cut as that and there are so many pitfalls and grey areas when it comes to validity of consent/family wishes/the opinion of peers and the law that I think it's unlikely to change much over the next few years.
 
micz4 said:
My wife died two years ago from a brain tumour;she/we spent three years enduring surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy to "extend her life" as the first oncologist said very matter of factly.The last four months of her life were of zero quality and lacked the dignity which we would have granted our spaniel.The stress gave me a heart attack and was literally heart breaking.She would have gladly taken euthanasia if it was available legally and i know that i would do the same in a similar situation.
She was diagnosed at 46 and died at 49.During that time we were fortunate to have enough to give up work and spend every day together but because we had money we could claim for nothing despite paying NI and taxes,rant over !!
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Thanks micz4 - very touched you shared this. My mother died of pancreatic cancer when I was 21, mercifully it was not a slow or lingering death so 'assistance' wasn't something considered - though a choice was made not to attempt surgery, which led to her simply slipping away in as confortable a manner as was possible.

What really prompted the post was the fact that my Grandfather died the week before last and I was at his funeral last Friday - I never really had the chance to speak to him about his situation at any length with him being so far away, so I don't know his view, but after his wife died 6 years ago he slowly lost the will to go on. As age took it's toll he got sick more, suffered from serious dementia, and basically started to 'shut down' before our eyes. His last two years were hell for him and his close family in Scotland - unable to control his bodily functions, totally dependent upon others, increasingly often in hostpital with various illnesses, and through it all was often unable to remember even where he was, let alone names of his relatives. The last 6 months he was just angry and sad, and didn't want to be here - fortunately on the 29th February he passed away painlessly in his sleep only 30mins after he had said goodbye to his daughter and my Dad. I wonder if it had been an option, and if he was considered capable of making the decision, if he would have chosen to be helped away.

I am not a big believer in God, just my personal choice, but I agree that suicide is without a doubt one of the single most selfish acts any human being can commit. Keeping someone alive against their will (in some vain hope of what exactly ?) just seems wrong in so many ways.
 
a11y said:
To me there's a clear difference between suicide and assisted euthanasia. Suicide is one of the most selfish things someone can do to others hence I too consider it wrong. But wishing to die to regain dignity, reduce the pain/burden on others, and to improve the quality of life of others - I'd not say that's selfish in the least.
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+1
 
Thanks to both micZ4 and Bing for sharing their experiences. Not that I'm religious, but as the old saying goes, "There by the grace of God go I"

Bing said:
I wonder if it had been an option, and if he was considered capable of making the decision, if he would have chosen to be helped away.
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That's the biggest worry and why I don't think things will change over the next few years. There will always be concern regarding issues of consent and capability to give consent.
 
How can we attach the word humane when dealing with a pet but not apply to a Human is beyond me. My wife and I both watched a parent suffer then die from cancer and we felt cruel and helpless.
 
Having watched both my Parents die very slowly and in alot of pain from Cancer I think that the choice should be there. My mother I know would have taken the option for assisted Suicide but my Father fought it to the bitter end determined to beat it.
I also watched the news last night and I think the poor soul who was featured proved he was of a sound mind and in complete control of his own thoughts, and this I think should be proved before anyone can make that decision about themselves.
On the whole I agree with assisted euthanasia as long as the reasons are moral and correct,
As others have said we wouldn't let a dog suffer like that, But alas as usual it's the useless politicians dictating how we should live and die. they don't agree with Euthanasia but are always too willing send off our kids to die in foreign lands in someone else's war.
 
you can't really comment till you have experienced it yourself! although we all want our loved ones to be with us as long as possible but you don't want them to suffer and be humiliated through the sickness.

as mentioned, if it was a pet it gives us the right to put them to sleep but as humans we can't and it's a crime, why?!
 
Problem with government and law is that one law fits all, irrespective of different individuals and different circumstances.

If it was approved, you could see two things happen. The first is that for those that this would really (should) apply, it would provide the legal and proper way to deal with this. But under that same law, it could potentially be possible that someone might make a rash decision that is not appropriate. That area is where the problem lies, how to prevent the abuse (think of a child who wants an inheritance a bit quicker and encourages a parent to "move on" so to speak).

Even though it is sort of illegal in NL, the unspoken rules in hospitals seem to be to help people along with morphine in doses that certainly helps.

I am not sure if a proper law will help here, I would rather think that the medical profession could provide an invisible service that is brought in via practice rather than rules.
 
Trouble is an " invisible service " is much more open to abuse thinking mainly of DR. Harold Shipman, what we need is a clear and defined law to protect everyone doctors and patients and family members.
 
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