Quote:
Originally Posted by AGDee
I'm for it, not just in terminal illness cases but in severe disability which precludes any quality of life such as quadraplegia at the C1 or C2 level, severe stroke impairment that will not improve, etc. It isn't really possible for all patients to do it by themselves because some are physically unable to obtain the means.
I'm also pro-hospice, but have seen people suffer up until the very last minute, even while hospice was trying to keep them comfortable. If pain is so great that no pain meds can touch it and a patient is terminal and conscious, it's a pretty awful situation.
I also think "do no harm" can be interpreted a lot of ways. I also struggle with the religious arguments against it. The argument I usually hear is that it is "playing God" and such things should be left up to God. But I never hear that argument go in the other direction. Most (not all) are ok with taking all kinds of medical extreme measures to prolong a life. Isn't this playing God too? Where do we draw that line? People used to die from all kinds of infections that we now treat easily with penicillin. People died of heart problems that are much more easily treated now. If our time and manner of death is all predetermined, then why treat anything? For these reasons, I don't buy into that argument. I just can't understand where the line is. It's one of my first questions for Him when I die. (I have a whole list of these types of questions)
These are all reasons why it is important for people to have patient advocates and Living Wills, if they feel strongly about not being in certain circumstances.
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Yup, I have heard the playing God argument before as well, but we play God everyday by prolonging life that likely would have ended if we had no treatment available. I admit, I am not really religious so God does not play a part in it for me. If you don't believe in euthanasia ("good death") that is fine but do not prevent me from choosing this for myself. I tried to put a clause in my will to euthanize me if I got into an accident and I was not going to be able to be a full functioning adult again but, unfortunately, my lawyer said it would do me no good and that legally I have to be provided with some medical treatment-so I chose pain meds and IV fluids only-I think it is sad that I would have to starve to death (which would take 1-2 weeks) to die.
The gentleman next to my father was dying of some type of neuromusclar disease. It was horrible seeing him waste away. He finally came down with penumonia-I would visit my father for hours and hear this poor man struggle to breath-and yes he was conscious during the process-he could not sleep because he was coughing so much and drowning in his own fluids-it broke my heart. This lasted about 3 days-how friggin awful.