Death with Dignity

[Luissa]

In my state this election we are voting on the Death with Dignity Act I 1000. This is physician assisted suicide and it is pretty much the same thing they have in Oregon. Working at a home for demensia and alzheimer's patients I think I am for this and watching my Grandmother slowly die from cancer at
84. I have not completly made up my mind and I am wondering how some of you feel about this. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008259886_oregonlaw13m0.html

 

[strollingbones]

we dont let our animals suffer needlessly...why make humans?

but with that said, my mother has a living will that wishes for me to starve her if she is in bad shape...i told her i would not do it.

 

[Luissa]

we dont let our animals suffer needlessly...why make humans?

but with that said, my mother has a living will that wishes for me to starve her if she is in bad shape...i told her i would not do it.

I did end of life care for over a year and you don't want to feed the people near the end or give them water. Having to digest food is very painful for them and dehyrdration is a natural way of pain managment. I get what you saying though, I wouldn't be able to do that which is why hospice is such a good program. I have witnessed many people dying slowly and it is the worst thing you could ever see in your life!

 

[mattskramer]

I fully support this measure. Making sure that he is of sound mind, let the person decide how and when he wants to die.

 

[Luissa]

I fully support this measure. Making sure that he is of sound mind, let the person decide how and when he wants to die.

I think I pretty much support it, I just don't want to vote for something I don't know everything about it especially when it comes to this sort of thing.

The funny part is Martin Sheen is doing commericials against it in the state!

 

[jillian]

we're kinder to our pets than to our people sometimes. i think, under controlled conditions and with safeguards it's a good thing.

 

[CA95380]

i think, under controlled conditions and with safeguards it's a good thing.

I agree with the above, plus this has to be something like the "living will". It would have to be preplanned, well in advance, when you are in sound mind, and body. Witnessed, in writing by others, long before it is needed.

IMO the most cruel thing to watch is a loved one dying of cancer, or whatever, knowing that it is only a matter of time - and they are only receiving a morphine drip to control pain, and IV solution only to keep the vain open to receive the pain medication, not even aware that anyone is there with them. To me that is very inhumane for both patient and family.

Here is something you might want to read on hospice.
Hospice Care for the Dying - Is It Humane?

 

[Luissa]

I agree with the above, plus this has to be something like the "living will". It would have to be preplanned, well in advance, when you are in sound mind, and body. Witnessed, in writing by others, long before it is needed.

IMO the most cruel thing to watch is a loved one dying of cancer, or whatever, knowing that it is only a matter of time - and they are only receiving a morphine drip to control pain, and IV solution only to keep the vain open to receive the pain medication, not even aware that anyone is there with them. To me that is very inhumane for both patient and family.

Here is something you might want to read on hospice.
Hospice Care for the Dying - Is It Humane?

Where I worked you could not have IV's so therefore they had to give them morphine by the mouth so therefore they didn't need to be hydrated which prolongs the death process. We worked with hospice but we did most of the care for the patient. We put lavender lotion on them every few hours and had peaceful music playing. Also besides recieving morphine they recieved such things as atavan to calm them also.
Of course where I used to work is rated number one in the country for memory care and high for end of life care!

 

[xsited1]

This is a State's rights issue. If the people say they want it, the Federal government should not intervene. Good luck with your decision.

 

[CA95380]

Luissa .... this stuck me personally, as you know. We, at our age have seen both, (my husband and myself), of our parents die as we sat at their bedside. There are different ways of dying ... watching a child die at a young age is very different, than watching an aged person that has led a full life, totally different, when we knew he would never get better.

If our son had a "choice" we know what his choice would have been, because he told us well in advance, but there was nothing that would allow his wishes to be carried out. What he received was the very minimum that California allows, by law. The steps that you mentioned were done, by hospital/hospice staff and family. I know that he did not want us to go though what we did, for several days.

When he took his very last breath, it was as if time stood still, the silence in the room, was something that I pray none of you have to face, (and if you have I sincerely understand what you went through). We summoned the nurse. After about fifteen minutes she told us his heart had stopped ... it still was very painful to witness.

 

[Luissa]

This is a State's rights issue. If the people say they want it, the Federal government should not intervene. Good luck with your decision.

I don't think so either that is why we are voting for it at a state level!

 

[Luissa]

Luissa .... this stuck me personally, as you know. We, at our age have seen both, (my husband and myself), of our parents die as we sat at their bedside. There are different ways of dying ... watching a child die at a young age is very different, than watching an aged person that has led a full life, totally different, when we knew he would never get better.

If our son had a "choice" we know what his choice would have been, because he told us well in advance, but there was nothing that would allow his wishes to be carried out. What he received was the very minimum that California allows, by law. The steps that you mentioned were done, by hospital/hospice staff and family. I know that he did not want us to go though what we did, for several days.

When he took his very last breath, it was as if time stood still, the silence in the room, was something that I pray none of you have to face, (and if you have I sincerely understand what you went through). We summoned the nurse. After about fifteen minutes she told us his heart had stopped ... it still was very painful to witness.

I can imagine it was! And it is different when the person is young and what you talked about is one of the reasons I think if they want it they should have assisted suicide. Many of the peope I took care of would talk about how they just wanted to die and get it over with. The worst part for me is watching their families go through it watching them slowly slip away. Plus I am glad you were there for your son because some of my patients their families would not even come in. When I was six months pregnant one of the nurses called me in at 1am just to sit with this lady who's family had not come at all because she knew I would do it. I always figured it didn't matter who it was as long as they had someone there with them.
It is up to the person if they want to die and they should never be made to go through with anything they don't want to.

 

[waltky]

Colorado voters to consider death with dignity measure...

Colorado voters to consider suicide drugs for terminally ill
August 16, 2016 — Colorado voters this fall will decide whether terminally ill people should be allowed to receive prescriptions for drugs to end their own lives.

The "Medical Aid in Dying" measure was certified Monday as having enough petition signatures to make ballots this fall. Five other states have some law allowing the terminally ill to end their lives. Oregon passed the first right-to-die law in 1998, followed by Washington, Vermont and, last year, California. Montana's state Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that doctors could use a patient's request for life-ending medication as a defense against any criminal charges.

Colorado's version would require two physicians to agree that a person is terminally ill and has six months or less to live, is at least 18, and is mentally competent. Similar measures have twice failed in the Colorado Legislature. Lawmakers from both parties said that the law could facilitate suicide in cases where a diagnosis may be wrong. The suicide measure becomes the third citizen petition to make Colorado ballots. Voters will also decide a universal health care measure and a higher minimum wage.

The secretary of state is reviewing petitions for several more ballot measures, including a higher tobacco tax, a plan to replace presidential caucuses with presidential preference primaries, and two measures to change regulations on oil and gas drilling. Another pending measure would make it harder to put a ballot measure to voters, requiring more geographic diversity in the 98,000 or so signatures to put a proposal before voters. Supporters of Colorado's suicide measure had raised about $4.4 million by Aug. 1, according to state filings. Opponents including the Colorado Catholic Conference had not reported any fundraising by Aug. 1.

Colorado voters to consider suicide drugs for terminally ill