RIGHT TO DIE

[HairOfTheDog]

The story of Brittany Maynard, who had terminal brain cancer and pushed for the legal right to have her life medically terminated, was discussed here at Mock last year.


Maynard (pictured above with her husband), 29, was from California where it's against the law for doctors to administer fatal doses of medication to terminally ill patients who have considered all options and choose to die at their own time, even if those patients have no chance of improvement and are suffering increasing pain as they wait to die.

Maynard moved to Oregon where laws allow terminally ill patients the choice of ending their lives under certain guidelines; laws that also protect doctors from manslaughter charges in such cases. She died - by choice, with grace and surrounded by loved ones - in an Oregon hospital in November 2014.

Brittany's parents and husband have since pushed for California to enact compassionate End of Life Option legislation, similar to the laws in Oregon, Montana, Vermont and Washington.

[HairOfTheDog]

In an emotionally-charged debate earlier this week, the California State Assembly voted 42-33 to back the bill.

All that remains for the bill - which would allow doctors to give fatal doses of medication to qualified patients with six months or less to live - is for it to be signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

The proposed law has been criticized by the Catholic Church and the governor, a Catholic himself, will have to make his decision just days before the Pope visits the US.



I believe that Governor Jerry Moonbeam Brown ^will sign the bill into law. I hope so anyway.

I respect the Catholic church's and the Pope's position, but I think the choice belongs to the able-minded but terminally-ill adults.

[Duchess]

I think the choice belongs to the able-minded but terminally-ill adults.

I support that, I always have.

[Clang McFly]

I think the choice belongs to the able-minded but terminally-ill adults.

I support that, I always have.

I can't support that. It's going to overcrowd the waiting room in Purgatory and/or Hell.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I think the choice belongs to the able-minded but terminally-ill adults.

I support that, I always have.

Yea I think folks should be empowered to make that decision without the church or the state interfering in it.

[Carsman]

When the time comes, it would be nice to just lay down and go to sleep. Forever.

Don't like to think about it!!!

[Maggot]

I think everyone should have the right to die. Its a right not a privilege. Actually I hope everyone dies. I really do.

[Clang McFly]

You die naturally, not before. Or else it's murder/suicide.

[Duchess]

You die naturally, not before. Or else it's murder/suicide.

I wonder what Pope Francis thinks about that. I'm actually kinda curious now that I've thought of it. He's not exactly opposed to birth control and said as much and I think he may view needless suffering in much the same way.

[aussiefriend]

It already happens! Come on! I have worked in Palliative Care and it is just not a big song and dance, that's all.

[HairOfTheDog]

It already happens! Come on! I have worked in Palliative Care and it is just not a big song and dance, that's all.

I'm not up on the laws and practices in Australia, aussie.

Does Palliative Care there actually include inducing death with the help of medical professionals?

It's not like that here. Here, it's a holistic approach to helping chronically-ill patients be comfortable and have as high a quality of life as possible until they die naturally.

[Clang McFly]

You die naturally, not before. Or else it's murder/suicide.

I wonder what Pope Francis thinks about that. I'm actually kinda curious now that I've thought of it. He's not exactly opposed to birth control and said as much and I think he may view needless suffering in much the same way.

suffering is never needless. Everyone needs to suffer, its part of the human condition. And if anything, it makes you more like Jesus.

[HairOfTheDog]

You die naturally, not before. Or else it's murder/suicide.

I wonder what Pope Francis thinks about that. I'm actually kinda curious now that I've thought of it. He's not exactly opposed to birth control and said as much and I think he may view needless suffering in much the same way.

The Pope is very strongly opposed to euthanasia and right-to-die laws.

“How great a lie,” he wrote, “lurks behind certain phrases which so insist on the importance of ‘quality of life’ that they make people think that lives affected by grave illness are not worth living.”

I understand his point. And, I agree that people should not view those who are suffering and chronically ill as having worthless lives.

I just think it should be the choice of the terminally ill person to decide if they want to die sooner than later.

But then, I don't believe it's a sin to choose one's own check-out date rather than waiting for one's body to completely shut down.

I'd oppose forced euthanasia or anything that took away rights from the sick and dying. But, I don't oppose laws that extend their rights over their own bodies.

Anyway, Catholics and very religious folks probably wouldn't exercise the right to die on one's own terms anyway. But terminally ill people who don't believe in God, or don't believe in a God who would consider suicide a sin, should be able to die compassionately under medical care rather than being forced to O.D., or shoot themselves, or hang themselves, etc...

That's my opinion. But, I understand the 'cons' as well.

[sally]

It already happens! Come on! I have worked in Palliative Care and it is just not a big song and dance, that's all.

I'm not up on the laws and practices in Australia, aussie.

Does Palliative Care there actually include inducing death with the help of medical professionals?

It's not like that here. Here, it's a holistic approach to helping chronically-ill patients be comfortable and have as high a quality of life as possible until they die naturally.

See I'm not so sure about that. My mom was able to function on her own before she signed up with hospice. Three days later they gave her a cocktail of morphine, methadone and Ativan and she never moved out of the bed again until they took her out a month later in a body bag.

[HairOfTheDog]

It always make me sad and a little mad to hear about your mom's experience with Hospice, sal.

My experience with Hospice providers here in California has always been great (with my dad and with my clients).

But, I've heard and read some other horror stories too. So, it would be more accurate to say that Palliative Care is supposed to help chronically-ill patients be comfortable and have as high a quality of life as possible until they die naturally.

(Palliative Care is often associated with Hospice. But Palliative Care, unlike most Hospice Care, can be sought at any stage of a chronic illness and doesn't require the patient to be at a point where he/she no longer wants life-prolonging treatment.)

[sally]

It would have been all fine and good had she said she didn't want to fight. The oncologist told both of us that her lung cancer will never be cured, but it hasn't spread and the chemo will prolong her life, for how long she couldn't say. My mom agreed. Vitas Hospice was not called by her doctor, they come to the office and solicit their services. My mom gave them my phone number and I swear they called from an 800 number three times a day trying to recruit her. They said they would help out with a medical bed if my mom moved to her sister's house. My mom wanted to move to her sister's house because I don't have enough room and she was using my son's room. We signed up with the lady ( who I felt at the time that I just invited the devil in my house) and my mom was dead a month later.

[Duchess]

I'm sorry to read the Pope's opinion. I've always viewed him as more compassionate than that.

[HairOfTheDog]

I've never had an experience with a Hospice provider literally chasing down business rather than being called in proactively by the doctor, the patient or the family, sally.

It's disturbing how the Vitas lady approached you and your mom. But, products and services targeting the elderly are huge biz in Florida, I know.

Anyway, sounds like the Vitas woman was a real vulture.

[sally]

The other thing with Hospice that I didn't know is when you sign that paper you sign away your rights to any life prolonging treatment. I should have known that, but I just thought they were helping out with a bed and coming over to give her a bath and stuff. Their job is to get rid of you quickly as possible, not make sure you get to your doctor appointment and take your blood pressure medication.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah, to qualify for hospice the patient has to be at a point where life-prolonging treatment is not desired. That's why so many people hesitate to sign up for services until their organs are already shutting down.

But, the Vitas Vulture should have made that very effin' clear from the get-go.

It's part of her Hospice coordinator's job to outline the terms and conditions and services.