Fandango’s Provocative Question #11 is:
Do you believe that terminally ill people should be allowed or encouraged to end their lives via physician-assisted suicide? If so, under any circumstances or should there be restrictions? If not, why not?
I’ll try to keep it brief, but no guarantees. First, terminally ill covers a wide range of conditions, and an assumption that a physician is a God and has all of the answers. Even life is a terminal condition. Doctors are wrong ALL of the time, that’s why what they do is called practice. To put the very life of a loved one in the hands of a person who is often wrong is concerning. They are only human beings just like anyone; they simply have specific training to deal with medical conditions, but they don’t have omniscience to know if you will or won’t die because of a condition.
That said, individuals find themselves in extremely painful, debilitating, maybe even long-term comatose conditions often enough where the patient or the loved ones of the patient may feel that ending the suffering is the better choice than continuing it.
In the case of a long-term coma, it would be a reasonable decision for loved ones to say remove the machines and see what happens.
In a case where a person is conscious, if they have reached a point where they see no relief in the suffering, it may be an option they go through a number of weeks of mental health assessment and have a professional determine if they are in a rational state of mind to make such a decision for physician-assisted suicide. Not meaning to minimize anything, but I remember having toothaches and earaches that went on for such a long time that I would have done whatever it took to make it stop; however begging for a shot to take my life away would not have been a prudent decision. I knew the pain would eventually stop when the remedies were given. For a person who has no sight of relief and is in agony their every waking moment, the option should be available. Currently I believe it is illegal and one is not able to be assisted by a physician. This means presently it would have to be done by the patient in ways available, or the person could beg a loved one to do it, but it could be horribly messy or leave the loved one with lifelong guilt.
In case it hasn’t become clear by what’s been said so far, no, “terminally ill” people should not be encouraged – that is barbaric, I’m sorry – to end their lives via PAS; and yes, it should be extremely restricted, as outlined above.
Tao Talk 
As of January 2019, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have “death with dignity” statutes. In Montana, physician-assisted dying has been legal by State Supreme Court ruling since 2009. The ultimate choice belongs to the patient, not the doctor, and yes, the patient must be deemed mentally competent to make an informed decision.
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Good to know. Hoping Joffrey doesn’t try to mess with it.
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Interesting points to ponder.
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Good point about doctors being human and never encouraging the end of someone else’s life.. I think about this question some times and have talked to my husband about my wishes. I’ve told him that If I”m in a lot of pain and in my 80s and I’m not going to get any better, then withholding treatment is okay with me. Of course I might change my mind when I’m in my 80s. That’s different from suicide. In theory, I don’t think it’s up to us to decide. In practice, I can understand.
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yes
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I have an Advanced Care Directive – if I’m unable to make decisions, and/or in a vegetative state, I want no machines, no assistance to keep the body going without me (except where it keeps the organs alive until harvest). I have always felt strongly about this. I do not want a long, drawn-out death, or to be kept confined to a hospice-type bed. If I’m alive, I want to make my own choices, and if I’m incapable, I don’t want to be prolonged for reasons that would be incomprehensible to me. Let the bits be used for others who need the bits, let me go.
I’ll make the most of my life while I’m in it … and look forward to what may be over the other side – but only when the time comes.
What I really object to is getting a friend to help with suicide. The torment they live with after the event (and/or the consequences of the legal ramifications double the cost) are too much. A reasonable and sane person wouldn’t ask it of another, because they would know how it would burn the soul.
And that’s my opinion.
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Cage, I feel as you do, don’t keep me hooked up to machines to waste away as a vegetable, let me go. Hoping things are cooler for you today? Snow steadily falling here and the snowblower won’t turn over. Looked for the snow shovel and it’s gone. I used a flat shovel out by the road where the plows went by but am 90% sure snowed in.
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Today we’ll have 47C. I’m as stuck in the house by that as I would be by snow – but I like the thought of snow! Makes me feel cooler just thinking about it.
Hope you don’t get cabin-fever … I do, but at least I can look outside, go out onto the veranda and put extra water out for the birds and lizards
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Good I hope the thought of snow makes you cooler. I was out shoveling the end of the driveway when my next door neighbor walked by with snow shoes on. She made it look easy and wasn’t letting a little thing like snow stop her :) I bet the birds and lizards are very thankful. Had to go get woodpecker suet cakes yesterday — just in time. I also heard the mournful call of a pheasant today when I went out to the garage to try and start the snowblower. Poor little critters aren’t meant for this kind of cold.
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p.s. I’m to the part in your book where Chella is coming out for the weekend with Hella. Good story! (Question: are you 6’6″ with pure white hair???)
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No. I’m average everything! Hella isn’t me (but she may bear some similarity to … a person who understands what those things represent).
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got it.
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I agree with that.
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In agreement, should be an option within strictly legislated conditions
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