Assisted suicide: How will Washington live with it?

Assisted suicide: How will Washington live with it?

www.seattlepi.com

The initiative that made Washington the second state to legalize physician-assisted suicide is the stuff of double-edged language and hard ethical choices.
"It is a fact of life. We need to live with it," Arline Hinckley of Compassion & Choices of Washington State, which supports the initiative, told a packed house Wednesday at Bellingham City Club. The advocate, the doctor, and the hospital administrator made variations of the same point: People in the prime of life need to think the unthinkable and talk about the inevitable. Nobody gets out of death.
"Have those discussions now while yo

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I think many of us fear that our last moments are not going to be happy ones. I think we anticipate pain, depression, discomfort and a sense of foreboding as we await death. Painlessly dying in our sleep seems the best way to go.

There are several religious, legal, and cultural issues associated with assisting someone to die on their own terms. It has provoked great controversy. Moral and Ethical arguments include the principle of self a choice to control the time, place, and nature of our death.

It’s also argued that assisted suicide for terminally ill people experiencing extreme suffering can be distinguished from euthanasia used for the purpose of genocide on the grounds that it is based on principles of honor, dignity and respect and is chosen and enacted by the dying person.

The American Medical Association has argued physician assisted suicide is incompatible with the physician's role as the healer.

I’m surprised my state of Washington has accepted assisted suicide. How would we react to a loved one’s request to die, to be free from pain and dignity?

What is the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia?

Assisted suicide occurs when a person — typically someone suffering from an incurable illness or chronic intense pain — intentionally kills himself with the help of another individual.
For example, a doctor may prescribe drugs with the understanding that the patient plans to use them to overdose fatally. Or a doctor may insert an intravenous needle into the arm of a patient, who then pushes a switch to trigger a fatal injection.
Assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, in which someone other than the patient ends the patient's life as painlessly as possible.
Euthanasia may be active, such as when a doctor gives a lethal injection to a patient.
It can also be passive, in cases where a physician doesn't resuscitate a patient whose heart has stopped. Or it can happen when a doctor removes life-support equipment.

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What is the law in the U.S.?

Both Canada and the United States have long outlawed assisted suicide, charging people who help others kill themselves with murder, manslaughter and other offences.
Many U.S. states introduced specific laws prohibiting assisted suicide in the 1990s after Dr. Jack Kevorkian and others pushed the debate into the public spotlight.
Kevorkian, a retired Michigan pathologist, loudly advocated a person's right to die and invented an instrument — dubbed the "suicide machine" — that lets patients inject themselves intravenously with a lethal amount of potassium chloride.
Only three places besides Oregon openly and legally authorize assisted suicide: the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.

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I don't know about the legal issues, but I have been a chronic severe pain patient for 18 years after 23 surgeries. The law shouldn't make it mandatory to suffer instead of a mercy killing. And it depressing to have to wake up every morning with the pain and know you will have to deal with it for the next 40 years or so. I know how hard it would be for family members and my daughter is the reason I never considered it. She needs to have her dad around as long as possible. Her mother left about 2 years old and sister about 8 months old and never looked back. But if you could truly understand how bad it is to live with severe chronic pain all day every day and the thought of getting older when pain usually start in older ages from arthritis, you would, or should respect the persons wishes. But, the problem as I see it is twofold. One knowing what it would do to your loved ones, and secondly I always think if I had done it 10 years ago, I would have missed some wonderful time with my family that was worth all the pain to enjoy. You just don't know what medical science will come up with in your future that could ease your suffering. In the 18 years I have been in pain, they have made amazing advances. It truly is one of the hardest things for you and your family and friends to come to terms with. I still think there are cases beyond hope and the costs, burdens on other family members to care for you, etc., but there are people that basically have no quality of life any longer and to try and make the live with such suffering just isn't the compassionate thing to do. I probably ran all off your OP original intention, and I apologize, but this is a sensitive issue for me.

However, this needs to be discussed in various forums to help people really understand the implications either way. At one time I would have jumped at the chance to do it. Now with having compassionate doctors and finally not being UNDERTREATED for severe pain, my quality of life has almost returned to normal. Suicide or Euthanasia you don't have the chance to have a medical breakthrough that could have changed your life and the lives of your loved ones.

I appreciate you posting about this issue.

I think that I should have the choice. If others don't feel it's right, they don't have to do it, but don't take my freedom of choice away.

I don't even see why this is such a heated issue. If someone is in such agony, they're going to find a way to do it, with or without help. At least this way there's no chance of the individual botching the attempt and either ending up in even worse shape or dying a very slow, painful death.

I have a member of my family who is living in constant pain; he's survived both prostate and lung cancer somehow after being a two pack a day smoker all his life (he's in his 80's now) and narrowly avoided having both his legs amputated due to poor circulation. If he announced that he's decided to go out in this way a week from now, I would understand and stand behind him.

If I had the choice of living in unbearable pain, needing someone to wipe my ass and dress me everyday, or die with some dignity surrounded by my family; I would certainly choose the latter. If there happened to be a law against it, I'd just do it myself.

The ultimate act of tyranny is for the state to take away control over ones own life.

It's about time they recognize that people suffering from terminal illnesses have a right to decide if/when they want to die.

We put down animals when they are incurably ill. Why shouldn't humans have the same comfort that a dog gets?

[edit on 27-6-2009 by Kaytagg]

reply to post by spirit_horse


Thank you and Yes you were exactly on topic. Youre a tough one and also compassionate . I'm glad to hear your story and I'm thankful your quality of life got better! It's not an easy road for many and I think the thought crosses anyones mind that endures pain like that.

reply to post by Sundancer


I suppose if I was on my death bed in severe pain or other; I wouldnt want to be forced to endure it for several months. I would like a choice as well, especially due to dignity reasons.

reply to post by ZombieOctopus


Good point. Many trying it themselves would end up worse, brain dead or paralysed or worse. We all have to look forward to old age. It doesnt sound pretty but all the joy we get from family would make it worth the suffering.

I think we should consider "encouraged" assisted suicide to every damned member of the House and Senate.

Even if they have to be compelled kicking and screaming.

God only knows - they're killing us with stupidity!

reply to post by dooper


That's funny dooper. I can add to the list, bankers, hedgefund managers, mortgage lenders, Hank Paulson, Bernanke, Gordon Brown and a few others.

I;m diffiently conflicted with assited suicide. On one hand I dont think its right because i fell like god id in control of our death but on the other side i dont want to see a person suffering especially when they were really good people

They kill people all the time in hospitals now, someone is taking a little to long to die, a little extra morphine, done deal.

A society that provides its members with a painless way to die in the face of suffering is a humane society.

No one who is suffering should have to resort to violent means to kill themselves. The process of death is already hard enough.

All states should allow some form of doctor assisted suicide.

reply to post by honda_queen


One thing I'm interested in is from a Biblical persective. Would it be held against us if we chose assisted suicide? The "Thou shall not kill" comandment is a bit tricky; although I wouldnt know what I would do if a loved one was suffering unbearable pain, begging me to help. It's not like I go get on whitepages.com and find an assisted suicide doctor.

Originally posted by googolplex
They kill people all the time in hospitals now, someone is taking a little to long to die, a little extra morphine, done deal.

That's creepy how do you know this. Ive heard of wacked out nurses killing the elderly for the fun of it. Is that what you meant.

I'd prefer to go that way. Not choosing to kill myself but have a compassionate doctor load me up on morphine to end my suffering.

reply to post by kj6754


I'm sure many termanilly ill people are begging for a loaded syringe, since the doctors wont do it for them.

Having just recently lost my dad to Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), I can tell you I have NO RESERVATIONS about assisted suicide, and the right to the individual to choose to end their suffering from a debilitating disease. No one should have to suffer the way he did. They put ANIMALS down for a lot less than what he had to endure.

reply to post by ZombieOctopus

exactly
What are they gonna do to you it you take care of things yourself?
Arrest you? My dad was saving his pain meds in case it got too bad to handle but he didn't have to use them; RIP dad.
Healing people is a doctor's job. Not killing them .

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


Sorry about your dad.

Not only do animals get put down much easier they also recieve better medical care.