Canadian Supreme Court UNANIMOUSLY approves Doctor Assisted Suicide

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Mikeyy
No offense but your friend needed to man up seriously.

That's disgusting. You can't 'man up' to get through it and for many people there is no 'getting through it' because it doesn't end.

How can you sympathize with his suicide, when as a friend you where supposed to save him?

No I wasn't supposed to 'save him'.

That's what he really wanted. Somebody to care about him.

Wrong. He wanted the severe clinical depression to end.


I'm doubling down ... physician assisted suicide should be available for any adult who wants it, not just those who are terminally ill. People who have no clue about what others are going through are trying to dictate what those who suffer do with their lives. It's none of their business.

I'm sorry but I happen to know depression can be defeated. and I'll go on to say that if he couldn't beat it, he had no right to put his family through what he did.

No right at all.

a reply to: Mikeyy

How can you sympathize with his suicide, when as a friend you where supposed to save him? That's what he really wanted. Somebody to care about him.

That's very naive approach to clinical depression. Robin Williams wasn't at a lack for people who cared about him. He pushed those caring people away.

originally posted by: Mikeyy
I'm sorry but I happen to know depression can be defeated.

Again ... not for everyone.

he had no right to put his family through what he did.

He had every right to end his suffering. People like you have no right to try to force them to have to live in an unending nightmare of it. It's no ones business except his.

a reply to: Mikeyy

No right at all.

IMO that's a selfish outlook. Any person has the right to do as they please with their own lives. Sure, most of them who do end up committing suicide, did it for entirely the wrong reasons. For things that could have been resolved.

But that's not always the case. And because of that, it's wrong for us to try and paint anybody in some sort of negative light for making that kind of decision.

~Tenth

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Mikeyy
I'm sorry but I happen to know depression can be defeated.

Again ... not for everyone.

he had no right to put his family through what he did.

He had every right to end his suffering. People like you have no right to try to force them to have to live in an unending nightmare of it. It's no ones business except his.

And what of his family? What if they lose another as a result of this?

Again, I'm sorry, but I refuse to view depression as a terminal disease such as cancer.

So your life is "tough" you have to deal with it.. Conquer that mountain.

The fact that we want legislation, that allows a 21 year old, that is upset about his life, to walk into the hospital and request the pink juice, quite frankly blows my mind.

it's unacceptable.


And im not that much of a humanitarian lol..

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: Mikeyy

Now let me get this strait, is this ruling only for the elderly sick and dying? Or are Canadian Doctors now offing drug addled teenagers too?

Only the terminally ill.

Cancers, auto-immune, terminal illness etc.

There are no plans to expand the policy to include Depression. I think that would probably go back to the SC as a challenge to the law that will be made in the next 12 months.

~Tenth

I don't believe this is just for those with a terminal illness, but also those with a disease so severe it affects their quality of life, and while they are of sound mind are able to make the decision to end their suffering. That was what I heard said on the live broadcast. I'm sure it will be clarified in the coming weeks, to what extent this will go, and what it will include.

originally posted by: Mikeyy
So your life is "tough" you have to deal with it.. Conquer that mountain.

^^ It's this kind of thinking that shows why life and death decisions should be with the person suffering and not with people who aren't walking in the suffering persons shoes. For MANY people clinical depression can not be conquered and will never end. That's a living hell.

a reply to: AccessDenied

There's technically no law yet to interpret really. Once the provinces have a chance to develop some legislation, then I assume they will use the guidelines set out in this ruling.

I assume it will require approval of more than 1 physician, with witnesses etc.

~Tenth

originally posted by: peskyhumans
a reply to: FlyersFan

Yes I was depressed and took antidepressants for over 5 years. I have a good life going now and I wouldn't have wanted to have offed myself so many years ago.

I know depression is miserable to go through, but it's a lie. You don't have to be like that.

Living with pain and living with depression are not necessarily the same thing.

I believe many of those choosing assisted suicide do so because of lingering, painfull, and terminal illness.

If I'm at the end if my days, given a medical death sentence ---- why should I have to extend it to please others?

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Mikeyy
So your life is "tough" you have to deal with it.. Conquer that mountain.

^^ It's this kind of thinking that shows why life and death decisions should be with the person suffering and not with people who aren't walking in the suffering persons shoes. For MANY people clinical depression can not be conquered and will never end. That's a living hell.

Collateral be damned, am I right?

Who cares about the family or children, the REAL victims in all this.

I'm done though, this is a Canadian affair, I'll argue again if this travesty comes to the states.

Many years ago ... I was sole carer for an artist friend of mine who had terminal cancer which was beyond medical treatment.

One night she asked me if I would help her end it ... I agreed ... but next day she changed her mind.
Her reason being she did not want me to get in any trouble with the Law ... not that I would have cared but she insisted that she did want it put upon me so to speak.

I watched as she deteriorated becoming a physical shadow of her former self ... she passed away peacefully in the end.

My Dad passed away on New Years day this year ... again peacefully but after a 5 year battle.

I believe all have the right to end their own life ... and if they require assistance then so be it.

Many years ago ... I heard the plaintive call of a very distressed cat somewhere in the barn ... I discovered a a poor creature that had obviously been caught and mangled in some farm machinery ... No questions of morals in my mind ... I put the poor creature out of it's misery as quickly as I could ...

And yet there is something to be said for seeing life through to death in a natural way ... I have noticed that there is a gradual acceptance that takes place and sometimes such a death does have great dignity ...

Death is such a difficult reality ... I feel we need to be more open about this natural occurrence ...
Unfortunately some people are so afraid of death they never ever consider it any depth ... who can blame them if they are full of fear ...

When I was 21 it hit me like a lightening bolt " I am going to die ... so what is the point of anything in such a cruel Universe ... I decided to make it my mission to come to an understanding of death ... and I have ... in so much as I do not fear it because of my strong belief in the soul ...

Sorry to ramble but to finish ... Yes all have the right to end their life ... but also as a society we should explore and try to understand and educate about "Death" for I believe once the fear is taken away we would all feel liberated ...

Now that we're starting to agree on "humane" ways to kill people that should end at least some of the debate on how the death penalty is administered. just use the "humane" drugs right?

originally posted by: Mikeyy
Who cares about the family or children, the REAL victims in all this.

If any of those people want to force the suffering person to stick around and continue to suffer .. then those family members are the cruel ones. Not the person who is severely suffering and wants to end it.

a reply to: Mikeyy

In light of your views, I have a question for you.
Do you think, that with the right to assisted suicide, people may actually talk to their family about their decision, regardless of the reason for making it?

I think in some cases they would, which would give the family the time they need to say goodbye. Instead of going out in the backyard, and leaving the family to clean up the mess.

But sorry, I'm a firm believer in "my body, my choice". In every way.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

It's about time that someone decided to let people take their own lives with the dignity and respect that they deserve... Onya Canada!

a reply to: howmuch4another

It looks like the 'humane' drugs to end one's life have problems too.

Since the Oregon DWDA took effect in 1997, 460 patients have died by self-administration of a lethal dose of a prescription medication.[11] In 2009, 95 prescriptions were written for lethal medications, resulting in 59 deaths (in the remaining cases, the medication was not ingested). About 80% of the patients had malignant cancer, and the most commonly ingested lethal medication was secobarbital (85% of cases). About 78% of the patients were 55–84 years of age. The time from ingestion to death ranged from two minutes to 4.5 days.

www.medscape.com...

a reply to: howmuch4another

Interestingly there was a show on UK TV many moons ago ... I sort of remember it was narrated by and starred Jeffrey Archer a former (disgraced) MP ... The show was about investigating the most humane way to kill regarding capital punishment ...

The method of killing or State murder chosen was by injection of a drug which caused a great sense of euphoria and perversely a great sense of well being ...

At the time I thought this would be perfect for assisted suicides ... though I am against capital punishment.
But unfortunately state murder is a fact / law ... though in reality an eye for an eye is nothing but revenge
So though there are better ways to kill people available ... I doubt some care about the suffering of the convict and may even relish their suffering ...

originally posted by: InTheLight
a reply to: howmuch4another

It looks like the 'humane' drugs to end one's life have problems too.

Since the Oregon DWDA took effect in 1997, 460 patients have died by self-administration of a lethal dose of a prescription medication.[11] In 2009, 95 prescriptions were written for lethal medications, resulting in 59 deaths (in the remaining cases, the medication was not ingested). About 80% of the patients had malignant cancer, and the most commonly ingested lethal medication was secobarbital (85% of cases). About 78% of the patients were 55–84 years of age. The time from ingestion to death ranged from two minutes to 4.5 days.

www.medscape.com...

Well then we should halt all this self administered medication immediately until we can find a more "humane" way. Isn't that how the argument goes?

Just seems like in my state the same folks arguing for "die with dignity" are on the other hand arguing that lethal injection for the DP is inhumane. It's hypocritical.

Yeah I won't derail any further. It's not the topic of the OP.

Sorry Tenth

a reply to: howmuch4another

Just seems like in my state the same folks arguing for "die with dignity" are on the other hand arguing that lethal injection for the DP is inhumane.

I think the difference is that those people were convicted and given the death penalty. Not a lot of inmates would do that voluntarily if you know what I mean. So there is no way to 'humanly' kill a victim of of the Death Penalty.

As for assisted suicide, well the person involved is making that decision themselves, not the state, or the doctors etc.

ETA: Little know fact, OP's are just that, an opening post and conversations, naturally evolve over the course of a thread. So does the topic in most cases. So, don't be sorry .

~Tenth

originally posted by: hombero
This is a misleading title. The supreme Court had not approved anything. They have struck down the law banning assisted suicide. Parliament has a year to come up with new laws on the matter:

The historic, groundbreaking decision from the country’s top court sweeps away the existing law and gives Parliament a year to draft new legislation that recognizes the right of clearly consenting adults who are enduring intolerable suffering — physical or mental — to seek medical help ending their lives.

m.680news.com...

Please check your facts more closely next time when reporting on such important news.

Well if you're not for it, you're against it. As it stands, it looks like docs are no longer bound by the previous law and currently can assist until other laws are enacted.

My dear friend whom I had posted about previously had terminal cancer and could have lived maybe up to a year but also had multiple other issues such as only one kidney, was a year ago placed on dialyses due to the negative reaction to chemo, cancer was spreading throughout the body, diabetic, etc. My friend recently in early Dec 2015 broke a hip which would require surgery and at the hospital made the decision to refuse any more treatment. My friend was placed in a room, had an IV hook up to administer pain med (morphine) and had a DNR band placed on their wrist. My friend refused all other meds and was allowed to die in peace if you will. Nurses came in to adjust, clean and check pain levels but let my friend rest with visitations from friends and family. Three of us took turns at the hospital staying with my friend so my friend would not pass alone. When I first started staying on a regular basis, the pain md dosage was 25, it had increased to 150 just before my friend passed. It took a good 12 days or so (can't remember exact date of admission) to pass. The last three days my friend was completely out of it and finally passed a few days before Xmas.

It was a good way to go IMHO and the hospital had a room where family members could take advantage of a bed and shower.