Assisted Suicide Poll.

[Aelia Jusa]

My sympathy to your cousin and your family Magik

I voted 1 on all three, however I do share the concerns of Mistral about the third question. I think definitely if the person in question who is now incapacitated and unable to make the decision themselves has previously expressed a wish to have assisted suicide, then the family should respect their wishes. If they have not specified anything then it's tougher, and I don't know what would be right in that situation. Obviously if they say they do not want to have assisted suicide then their wishes should be respected also.

[vesselle]

my only problem is the wording on your last question.

first off, doctor's take an oath to not kill so they are hand-tied with this option. and i would rather that some kind of statement from myself (if it were me) or the dying patient stating that such and such a family member was entrusted with this decision, be prepared long before the patient could be said to "not be in her right mind".

and for the grieving family, there's too much emotional distress for this decision to be made as someone is dying.

i have seen a dear friend of my tia's go this way. she was given morphine by the bushel and it never seemed to make any difference, except that she would fall asleep alot. but she was always in pain. it was the most horrible thing in the world to watch her and her family go through. they tried so hard to set something like this up and were rebuffed at every turn.

no one should have to fight so hard to die gracefully in this country.

V***V

[img]graemlins/chaos.gif[/img]

[mistral4543]

Originally posted by MagiK: Well when I made the poll, I was assuming that the family and doctors would know in advance what the wishes of the patient were before they became incapacitated and unable to decide for themselves. I also assumed that it would be close family and not just casual friends making the decision If this is not the case..thats a whole different can of worms.

Thanks for clarifying [img]smile.gif[/img] In terms of operationalising this, the legislation would definitely have to be worded very carefully [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Cloudbringer]

I am so very sorry about your cousin, MagiK! It's never easy on a family when tragedy like that hits.

I have to vote no. Same as with Wendy, it is against the tenets of my religous beliefs. It's not an easy choice, but it's the only one I can make in good conscience.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Deathcow: i think its just silly NOT to vote yes to all but the last one....if someone is dying and they know it, why does it have to be dragged out?

Because it puts greater importance and urgency in making pallative care better. Terminally ill patients should not be suffering in the way they do.

I wonder when the medical world is going to focus on preventative medicine in the same way they do reactive medicine.

Oh yes, when it make the same money.... silly me.

The danger in universally accepting or advocating euthenasia is that it will decrease the importance of making pallative care better, and could lead to situations where sick, old people consider suicide, so as not to burden their families.

But this is a sensative issue. We all hate seeing our loved ones suffer.

I'm so sorry to hear of your cousin MagiK. I hope he finds peace.

I've lost two relatives to cancer.

I've also had Morphine for extreme pain. I'd hate to be on that and not have it work...

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

I voted yes to all 3 because I am assuming that the paitent made their wishes known BEFORE they became incapacitated. I have told my wife and family that if I am in a permanent coma to NOT hook me up to any machines to keep me breathing or my heart beating. As for the other 2 , if someone wants to end their life it is no ones buisness but their own. With the second question , I think doctors already assist people in suicide , but do it unknowingly. With constant pain , most doctors I have gone to will write a perscription for something and put a certain number of refills on it. For my last surgery I had a prescription for 100 , 350mg percoset pain pils with 3 refills. If I wanted to die all I would have had to do is go fill all 3 refills and take all 300 pills. 300 Percoset would surely kill me , but would people blame me for takeing them or the doctor for perscribeing them??

For magik,I am definately NOT an expert on Catholicism but, unless I am mistaken the God in the bible is supposed to be all loveing and all forgiveing. If your family member truly cant live with the pain then an all loveing and forgiveing God would understand.

[ 06-02-2002, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: The Hunter of Jahanna ]

[Megabot]

I voted yes to all of them ! It must be a wery bad situatoin to be in and the life is no more greate so !!

[Scholarcs]

Originally posted by Yorick: The danger in universally accepting or advocating euthenasia is that it will decrease the importance of making pallative care better, and could lead to situations where sick, old people consider suicide, so as not to burden their families.

Indeed, it would be a shame if this became common occurance.

I know this will sound kind of callous, but this is a weird situation for me. I barely know this cousin (Tim) so I don't really feel a deep sense of ..loss over this, what is impacting me the most is that This disease..one of the most ugly ones I have seen much information on is happening to someone that I have met is making a bigger shock to me. I thank you all for your wishes and prayers for him. The issue of him being able to end his life in a quiet and dignified way is causing me to think in a lot of different directions. I still cannot understand it being illegal, especially in this kind of case.

[Davros]

Yes to the first two - the 3rd one with the wording of it, well I went with no in the end. Tough issue.