Brittany Maynard has ended her life.

a reply to: thesmokingman

You clearly have never had to watch someone die from a degenerative, debilitating & humiliating death.

Yes she was brave for not making her family watch her die, she was brave enough to end their suffering as well as her own.

This isNOT about being afraid of dying, this is about being tired of not being able to move your body, about being tired of constantly pooping and peeing yourself, about being tired of making your family watch you waste away.

Remember, just a few days ago she had said she "changed her mind" and was not going through with it.

Right I forgot that you aren't allowed to ever change your mind, you aren't allowed to second guess your decision, especially when it comes to taking your own life. *roll eyes*

Tell you what, go to the pediatric cancer ward and look at those poor children that are battling the same ailment or even worse, and look at the smiles on their faces. Then tell me this woman was courageous.

Wow....I'm completely disgusted and insulted with that comment. As someone who has personally watched my younger sister battle an incurable illness since she was 5yrs old, I've seen way too many sick & dying children in not just the cancer ward but the Rainbow Pallet ward (where kids go to die) and none of them want to keep suffering. The only reason they do is because of their family. A GOD DAMN CHILD has to continue to suffer because it will make their parents happy. Do you not understand how seriously messed up that is?!!!!! Oh right, you've never seen it, never had to live it so how about you keep your clueless opinions to yourself.

a reply to: thesmokingman

You believe in human rights for all, just that they can't choose to end their life on their terms instead of suffering horrible pain, peeing & pooping yourself all the time and the torture/trauma that the family will go through.

a reply to: Sabiduria

Keep fighting the good fight. The right to die should be a fundamental human right. Switzerland agrees and we all know they are one of the most reasonable nations in existence.

a reply to: tavi45

Since 1999 incurable illnesses has always been apart of my life. My Mom & younger sister have been diagnosed with incurable auto-immune diseases, my older sister has Shingles and I'm awaiting my diagnoses (most likely auto-immune with all the symptoms I have)

Due to illnesses in my family, I've spent many years up at BC Children's Hospital, I've met many sick children ranging different ages and different illnesses and only one has survived this far. I befriended a guy a couple years back who had a terrible form of Leukemia and after I visited him on the Rainbow Pallet (the floor for kids who are dying) I couldn't go into the Children's Hospital anymore. it was way too depressing to see all those sick children suffering, not understanding why, hating their parents for letting nurses and Doctors do horrible things to them.

When my Uncle died of ALS, it was extremely hard on his immediate family because his body started to fail very fast. For the last two months we were praying for God to end his suffering. ((His immediate family is devote Christian too))

I basically never will change my mind about this topic, people should be able to end their life on their terms & with dignity if they have an incurable, debilitating, humiliating, degenerative disease. I've seen what these effects have on family members, I've watched families be torn apart. Children who are traumatized from watching a family member slowly wither away and die.

a reply to: Sabiduria

Have you read "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande? I haven't yet but I heard it's an amazing read. I've heard the author interviewed several times and he is pretty impressive. It will be preaching to the choir for sure but sometimes it's nice to have someone with similar experience crystallize your views in a well thought out book.

originally posted by: Sabiduria
a reply to: thesmokingman

You believe in human rights for all, just that they can't choose to end their life on their terms instead of suffering horrible pain, peeing & pooping yourself all the time and the torture/trauma that the family will go through.

Exactly. It's legal now, in I think six states, and hopefully in time will be an acceptable endeavor. It is so inhumane to force someone to lie in a shell, feeling nothing but pain, and the desire to leave it.

So tired of people trying to force their beliefs on others. In this way, we don't experience the freedoms we have fought so hard to keep.........

a reply to: tavi45

No I haven't heard of that author. I'll put it on my list of things to read, it's a pretty big list though.

a reply to: Sabiduria

I know how that goes. Add it to your reading list. He's a doctor specializing in cancer (iirc) who had to deal with these issues when his father got diagnosed with cancer. I don't think it's exactly about right to die. The focus is more on palliative care and hospice over prolonging life at all costs but it's definitely in the same area. His main point is we need to reexamine the way we think about life and death in medicine.

I think this is a beautiful example of someone taking full responsibility of their life! God bless her!

originally posted by: thesmokingman
There are ways of ending your life with no pain and suffering.

So what, A lot of those ways are unsafe and can end up making things even worse for the person, and their family. She had every right to take her own life this way, and she had every right to make it public.

Maybe it will make people more aware of this Law in certain States, which is a good thing because eventually this will be legal in every one of them, as it should be. ~$heopleNation

Yeah people should have the right to choose for sure, but I do think its a slippery slope to be honest... How about people with depression for instance, I can tell you that depression is a god awful thing to go through, You can have thoughts of death a lot. You may at the time want to die, should these people be able to choose?

Then how about someone that can't make the decision? Should the decision be passed onto doctors and or family members? Look at stephen hawkings, he was given 2 years to live! But vastly outlived this prognosis and lead one of the greatest lives there could be.

Its difficult really... But as I say I do agree this lady being of sound mind (as far as I know) had the right to go out in any way she chose. I just think we shouldn't be so hasty about celebrating it.

a reply to: Meee32

Let's worry about the debate at hand. Slippery slope is never useful. We can debate any other issues as they came.

originally posted by: tavi45
a reply to: Meee32

Let's worry about the debate at hand. Slippery slope is never useful. We can debate any other issues as they came.

But it is all part of the same debate which was my point... 1 thing always always leads to another... And to be honest what I speak of is already happening... Just look at "the liverpool care plan" for instance. I don't know what the answer is, but I think it is something to feel sad about and not something to congratulate and celebrate, in my opinion. But I do also respect peoples rights to do as they please on all matters really.

a reply to: Meee32

I dunno. Slippery slope has only really come into play for things that work against the people such as the Patriot Act or corporate personhood. I haven't seen it really work when the situation is something that benefits real everyday people. I'd be super interested to hear examples against what I just said. I say this with every ounce of sincerity and genuine curiosity the internet can convey. I've never run across this before and love hearing new things

I say good for her. I haven't read up on her whole story, but it's cool that she got to travel and complete her bucket list before moving on to the next life because a lot of terminally ill people don't have that fortune. I also think anyone should be able to take their own life if they have the desire, ill or not. It IS their life after all...

My heart goes out to her and her family.

a reply to: sarra1833 Whoopdefreakindo I don't understand why anybody cares. What's the difference between assisted suicide, someone blowing their brains out, or someone dying of a heart attack because they ate McDonalds every day? Not a GD thing is what. In case no one has noticed/remembered, we ALL die. The only difference between anyone and someone with a terminal illness is that the person with a terminal illness KNOWS they are going to die. The rest of us walk around in the haze of our belief that it can't or won't happen to us. If/when I have a terminal illness, I'll gladly walk my ass outside, lean up against an old oak tree and, with great dignity, put a bullet in my head but I'm not going to make a spectacle of myself in the process. My wife died of cancer (at age 27)...the hard way. Seeing her suffer, I totally understand this girl not wanting to go through that. If only we were all lucky enough to determine the day, time and cause of our death.

a reply to: Meee32

I don't know what the answer is, but I think it is something to feel sad about and not something to congratulate and celebrate, in my opinion. But I do also respect peoples rights to do as they please on all matters really.

I agree entirely with this.