Assisted suicide not real answer

You know, I really doubt a doctor would ever recommend suicide to someone. Even if the state and medical establishment allowed physician assisted suicide, I’m sure there would be miles and miles of red tape and regulations to prevent exactly the kind of abuse you are talking about.

Yes, while it would be better if we could cure illnesses instead so people didn’t have to suffer from chronic, unbearably painful conditions, there are people suffering right NOW from those conditions, and the science/medical technology is nowhere near being able to alleviate their suffering.

Not all of us believe that longevity is defining factor of a good life.

1. You said, “I’m not sure if any one person should be granted that kind of power”. Actually two different doctors must agree the patient is terminal before allowing it. So you are wrong on that.

2. You said, “I believe that assisted suicide is taking the easy way out”. Tell that to your self when you are 90 years old, have a foley in, crapping your pants, and drifting in/out of conciousness while a large tube is down your throat in the ICU and you are just waiting for a heart attack to do you in.

3.

You are a moron Gabrielle. Until you have a mother or father dying painfully shut your mouth. You don’t know what you are talking about. Like most people at the state news.

1: See everyone else above
2: Why shouldn’t people be allowed to take the “easy way out”?
3: Well actually pretty much everything else I was going to say was already mentioned in some form.

The “Oregonian” did a great series about suicide, assisted or otherwise in the early 1990s.

Case 1: ALS victim. Those with brains the size of Fat Mike Moore — ALS weaken the muscles. So, in essence, the patients suffocates to death. Painful and ugly. In story, patient was surrounded at death by family, friends, and minister — sad and happy, at same time.

Case 2: young man who used a shotgun but failed. Permanently disfigured so badly, a new face would be needed. Grim.

Read “How We Die” by Sherwin Nuland, MD, a national best-seller. His brain much larger than Fat Mike’s. Death can be less painful.

I’ve read hundred of opinion pieces from the State news over the years. I have to say that this is the most inane, poorly-thought, and downright inhumane one I have ever read.

Your apathy is amazing, Gabrielle. Your lack of medical knowledge is astounding. You talk about the woman dying from pancreatic cancer as though she didn’t fight enough, and criticize her doctors for not trying to cure her – never mind that pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with a microscopic remission rate.

Hey lighten up guys, give the girl a break. There is no reason to call her a Moron, I hate that word, now be nice. I hate being mean. I was recently mean to someone and when I got home I cried. I guess I am a pretty nice person, how about you?

Honestly I can understand some of the arguments here, eventhough I am on the other side of the fence on this issue. Suprised? I didn’t think so. I think that we should be with the dying until their last breath. Giving our love and support and helping them in their transition to eternal life. I believe that it is a purification, a time to have our soul ready to meet the Lord. A time for forgiveness, a time for love, a time for the unsaid to finally be spoken, a time to help to begin to mourn, a time for healing, a time for confort, a time for the Lord and much much more.

While I understand her concerns that some doctors may abuse their power if given the ability to take a life, I feel that some of her comments were very insentive.
take for example when she says, “these solutions are not going to come quickly, and they will take time, but doctors and patients need the motication to fight medical problems without an easy button.” She speaks as if she know what it is like to suffer from a disease like Stage four pancreatic cancer, as if she knows what it is like to go through chemotherapy, or to live knowing that your body is “actively dying.” Choosing to end your life while your family is watching, knowing that your will cause them heartache is not at all like pushing an easy button.

How about helping them to live until they have been given their last breath. The Medical community can help control pain and help the person to ease their way into their fianl moments. I think that we are a disposable community. That we don’t want our life inconvienced.
What if you chose to treasure someone until their final breath and were with them as they die, and they saw you loving them, tell me what do you think. Rather than trying to find a way to rid them from your life, wouldn’t you suffer more to know that those that love you give up hope? I would much prefer to be loved onto my last dieing breath, than to feel I have become an inconvience.

shoot the editor who let her publish this thing. complete nonsense

Assited Suicide I mean, people are afraid to get medical care if they become seriously ill. They are afraid that their doctor may chose to end their life. I apologize for not backing this up, I forgot the country, but I read an article about it some time ago. Google it and compare it to what you really think.

A little bit of sarcasm is kinda cute. You caught me eye. Lots here today, take a look around.

I know you, I really do. Does Farrand sound familar? I HOPE it does.I think that I have spoken with you recently if you know what I mean. Take Care, good to see you here.
Mandy Smith

“I believe that it is a purification, a time to have our soul ready to meet the Lord.”

If your Lord purifies people by slowly strangulating them as cancer spreads into their lungs, or by forcing intense pain into them as their ograns are consumed by cancer cells and pushed into unnatural places, then I want absolutely nothing to do with him.

“I would much prefer to be loved onto my last dieing breath, than to feel I have become an inconvience.”

You heartless lunatic.

Why such intense anger Zeke? Where does it come from? The answer to your question is yes, I saw my cousin die a slow painful death from ovarian cancer, I saw my father in law so the same, he also died from cancer. It isn’t easy, and no I am not a lunataic. I struggle with it too. But neither one of them wanted to die before their dieing breath. And it brought healing to my Father in law, because he was able to ask for forgiveness, for the pain he had cause his family and he died in peace.

I had to type fast!

“That woman in Washington was able to die at a time she chose, in a desirable situation, and avoid the suffering caused by her disease. However, I think that doctors’ efforts should have gone into finding a cure for her disease, or a way to ease the suffering without resorting to death.”

This is absolutely ignorant, ludicrous, and offensive. Ignorant, because it seems to be based on the assumption that a personal care doctor fills the same role as a researcher, which is completely incorrect.

You know how much I care about you. We are completely opposite in our moral values. It doesn’t mean that all the other good things I see in you don’t exist they do. I love your humor, your brillant mind, your creativeness of all kinds, you know exactly how to be the perfect gentleman when you chose to do so. I find you facinating, and I wish I didn’t caz it isn’t my place to feel this way…I look for you and never know if it is you. I am sorry for the anger I bring out in you, I think I know why. Hey you are a great guy that about sums you up in my eyes. I know I said hi to someone else, but I was trying to find you.

Gabrielle,

I think you’re right to fear that assisted suicide will be abused. While your arguments about medical ethics and apathetic doctors are specious for many reasons, and your suggestion that people need to try harder simply shows that you’ve never seen someone die, it’s quite possible to imagine a time in which there may be a social stigma to lingering past one’s prime, to live to an age where one would be in a nursing home and be dependent on the care of others. (This isn’t the issue here; assisted suicide laws only cover terminal illness, but it’s a step down that road, right?)

Suicide isn’t illegal. ASSISTED suicide is. Get it straight.

Beautifully argued you stated your arguments without calling anyone names. I truely repsect you for that. You truely are an awesome guy.
Thanks J.S.

Come one, relax a lttle all this stress isn’t good for you. Go take a laugh at your favorite place to laugh. I left a funny for you. I left alot of other things too. Now take a break cool off and then come back, and no I am not your mother or your brother or….just smile okay.

I must go my time here today is done, so sad. But know that I read even when I am not able to be here. I love the blogs and the stories. They mean so much to me. A time is coming soon when I won’t be able to be here the way I want to, but I will treasure the time I have. Life has lots of responsibiltites for me. My best to you my dear friend. PS. Thanks for always overlooking my spelling errors, even if that is how you first caught my eye.

To be completely honest I would be lieing if I didn’t say I myself struggle with this topic too. I myself understand much of what you say. But in the end I see the unseen, and I know you hate me for it, but it is my Faith. Bless you.

“Why such intense anger Zeke? Where does it come from?”

1. I’m a cancer survivor. I was sliced open clear to my spine to remove a cancerous organ.
2. My grandfather died in agony from Castleman’s disease. They infused massive amounts of blood into him and his body destroyed it. He got to know the Lord really well (as he had his entire life) over a 5 month span where he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t eat, and couldn’t move without pain.
3.

“I’ve read hundred of opinion pieces from the State news over the years.” Get a life.

Hello,

I am here to say that I think it’s funny how some people say that “God” only has the power to give and take lives, but yet these same people do not hesistate to put their loved ones on life support for months or even years. Now, tell me… Is life support God? Of course not…

so if we were to follow the anti-assisted suicide people (Who say only God should decide), then life support would be illegal because it is not God’s will.

Think about it!

Meanwhile, Gabrielle should know that I have a relative in a nursing home.

I think most of the posters would agree that those of us on the outside looking in should not attempt to decide what is best for a given family or invidual. Having lost my father to ALS, I know the pain felt by all those involved in the situation. That said, I’m glad he didn’t entertain thoughts of assisted suicide. I cherished every moment I had with him.

There is no doubt that this is an emotional issue and I think that we need to agree to disagree. Voice your side. Respect the other person’s point of view and go with what you believe, because bottom line, that is what each person is going to do anyways.

Peace, sorry to hear what you have been through. I googled Castleman’s disease when I got home and I am in the process of studing it. I never heard of it before. I do understand how you see what I believe and how crazy you think it is. I believe that I can see the heart of a person, it is often a gift and often very difficult too. I do have great compassion for you and for all who suffer, and I hate pain, it kills me to see people hurt, I can barely watch the news.

From the perspective of someone in medicine, let me share why I think this girl is way off on this topic.

1. More than likely you have no concept of what someone with a terminal cancer, infection, etc. looks like. When you are unable to eat on your own and have to be fed through a tube, you are heavily sedated all day just to control the pain, you pee through a tube up your urethra and shit yourself on a daily basis having to have some stranger some wipe your ass for you, then you can talk about whether you want to live or die.

2.

Thank you Steve for the wonderful PB, I came back to thank you, unfortunately it is gone, but I left something for you. Your blog was well put too. You thoughts are well said, without being mean I think that says alot about you.

Lots and Lots of emotions can be found here. Amazing stuff, it really makes a person think. I guess that we should stop and take a moment to think about all those we love and all those in need and how we can better this world and those that are suffering. One kind word, one kind deed will help most certaintly. Now I am off to spread good cheer to a hurting world that I hold dear. God Bless.

Perhaps this is another “satire” piece from the Snews.

I’m off to the nursing home to visit my grandma before she goes to bed. Some nursing home aide is going to change her diaper, move her from the wheelchair to the bed, and then go on to the next patient…

Yep, the rate is about 200 dollars A DAY to stay at the nursing home, where they take care of you because you cannot take care of yourself.

200 × 7= 1400 a week
1400 × 4= 5600 a month
5600 × 12= 67,200 a YEAR to live in a nursing home.

and I use the term “Live” loosely, because most people there do not want to be alive, and would rather their living relatives take the money.

And when the money runs out, she will have to move because this home does not accept Medicaid… Which means she will have to go to one of those places that smells like piss and has even WORSE staff than the current one.

But the right wing of America Spectrum would rather let the old people live because (and someone actually said this to me, a clergyman) “Where there is life, there is hope.”

Yeah.. tell that to my grandma who sits all day in her own shit and cannot move her legs to get out of the bed.

Thanks for your opinion, Gabi.

Tom,

Thank you for your post. Please don’t blame those who are on the “right” as you believe. Someone who is truly conservative agrees that individual liberty supersedes the states desire to control you. If I want to kill myself because I have a terminal illness or have nothing left to live for than that is between me and no one else. The centrists that pervert the “right” are the ones who feel that everyone should be protected from themselves. Liberals also feel that the state should have control over all of your decisions. Gabrielle Moore is an example of such a liberal — too optimistic about what the future may hold to stop trying to tell people how to live.