Would you kill youself...

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

See...that's the problem

nobody wants to be the bad guy and pull the plug.

Yeah, it's a tough thing to wrap your brain around.

I have the right on two of my older brothers and we've talked about exactly what they want.

I imagine it's going to be one of the hardest things I'll ever do in my life and hopefully the decision will never be placed in front of me.

[Strike]

If I had a terminal illness with a slow, painful death, I'd probably do it. I don't believe that "every day above ground is a good day" if your last days are bedridden, in constant pain and not having the ability to care for yourself. Not to mention the knowledge that you're loved ones have to helplessly watch you suffer and die. And what happens if you've decided you're ready to go but no longer have the ability to punch your own ticket? I couldn't ask my mother, my father or my best friend to help me die. I don't think I could ask a loved one to carry that burden or attempt to live with it on their conscience.

If I'm ever faced with that decision, it's nice to know that the state in which I live allows doctor assisted suicide.

[Fpoonsie]

Wow. I'm really sorry to hear that, CC.

If it were me, I'd rather go out on my own terms. When my father passed, I didn't get to say goodbye to him and I STILL struggle with that to this day (it happened about 5 years ago). I have no idea what I would've said, but I hate the fact I didn't get the chance.

[Bugs]

First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your sister CC. My thoughts are with you and yours.

I understand your viewpoint though. A few years ago I came home from work and found my wife lying on the floor. She had suffered a bleeding stroke and was essentially comotose. Over the next 40 odd hours, I had to decide whether or not to remove the respirator on her. She couldn't breath on her own and left hooked up, she would not have ever regained consciousness, and probably pass away within a week regardless.

We had talked about this situation on and off over the course of our marriage and I knew exactly what she wanted me to do. And I didn't want to do it. Long story, short. In the end I followed her wishes, but not a day goes by that I don't wonder "what if?"

It sucks and I'd rather eat a bullet than have to make that call again. And yeah, I'd probably push the button to prevent anyone else from having to go through that.

[SnakeBoy]

As much as I love and miss her, the funeral was nowhere near as painful as the weeks spent listening to her struggle for breath.

That's one of the main reasons I would never kill myself. As painful as it is for family members to witness it does help people come to terms with the persons death and say their good byes. I would much rather the people who love me have the time to let go rather than just get a phone call saying he shot himself in the head and then always have questions or regret not getting to say good bye.


On the pain issue I just wanted to say that that really shouldn't be a major concern if you make you have a doctor that is good with end of life care. Alot of them aren't. When my grandmother inlaw went to ho e the doc was still giving her antibiotics for a lung infection and was only giving her codeine+tylenol for pain. My wife saw that and fired the doctor and took over her care. She pulled the antibiotics and put her on high dose morphine. This was a wednesday and she told everyone to be ready to have the funeral that weekend. She spent the rest of the time pretty much unconscious from the morphine and passed friday morning. Anyway, the moral of the story is don't trust that every doctor is the same when it comes to end of life care. Some will let you suffer alot more than you have to.

High-Dose Morphine Is Safe Pain Control at End of Life

Pain is one of the most feared symptoms for patients who are facing end-of-life issues. Management of this pain often requires high doses of morphine. Unfortunately, physicians are reluctant to prescribe these high doses because of concerns about side effects and causing premature deaths. Bercovitch and associates studied the characteristics of patients requiring high-dose morphine for pain control, the incidence of side effects and the impact on survival for patients at the end of life.

For two years, the charts of all patients admitted to a ho e program were reviewed. All patients and their families were interviewed on admission, and a drug history and complete pain assessment were obtained. Data collected included demographics, site of tumor and metastatic spread, characteristics of pain in association with morphine dose, need for breakthrough pain medications, adjuvant pain therapies and survival time. High-dose morphine was defined as the need for 300 mg or more of morphine per day. This group was divided further into patients receiving 300 to 599 mg per day and those receiving more than 599 mg per day. The morphine dosage was established by the medical director and rated according to routine pain management parameters.

There were 453 patients who required around-the-clock morphine for pain control. Fifty-five of these patients required dosages that placed them in the range of the high-dose morphine group. The types of tumors that were more likely to require high-dose morphine were breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and head and neck tumors. There were no withdrawals of pain medications secondary to side effects in the high-dose group. The most common side effects recorded were constipation and nausea/vomiting. None of the patients receiving the high dose was ever observed by a health care provider to have respiratory depression related to the high-dose morphine. In addition, there were no differences in survival times when high-dose morphine groups were compared with the standard-dose group.

The authors conclude that high-dose morphine is sometimes necessary in the management of patients with advanced cancer pain and is appropriate in ho e patients who do not respond to standard therapy. These high doses of morphine can be used without concern for significant side effects, including respiratory depression. In addition, these high doses can be used when indicated without the fear of hastening the deaths of patients who are at the end of their lives.

KARL MILLER, M.D.

[Winehole23]

Rough stuff, CC. Best to you and your family.

It's not for me (personal beliefs), but I wouldn't presume to judge anyone else for doing it. If continuing to live insults a person's dignity overmuch, I can understand suicide. I don't like it, but I understand, and I think people are en led to decide for themselves when they've had enough.

Doing it to spare others the pain, hassle and expense is more problematic IMO, because how can you really know what's in other people's minds, or decide for them what they oughtn't to put up with?



Disclosure: one of my oldest friends in the world killed himself a few years back. It wasn't health related. One thing I'd like to relate about it is that suicide is very painful to the survivors. It's hard to be stoic when someone you love kills himself.

[tlongII]

It's legal here, how bout there?

[Winehole23]

According to this source, no.

Suicide is defined as taking one's own life. Suicide and attempted suicide no longer are crimes in Texas. However, it is a crime to intentionally aid or attempt to aid another person to commit suicide. If the assisted suicide is successful, or if it causes serious bodily injury, the crime is a state jail felony; otherwise it is a Class C misdemeanor.

[leo_d]

"However, it is a crime to intentionally aid or attempt to aid another person to commit suicide."

Does this include trying to convince the sick person that his life is no longer worth to be lived?

[Winehole23]

Maybe a lawyer can chime in on that. I'd just be guessing.

[CharlieMac]

I wanna say yes. But I'm a bit of a pussy.

[Duff McCartney]

Yes I would. LIfe is a very small and insignificant part of the universe and existence.

If every human on earth died tomorrow on the other side of the galaxy it would mean nothing. And it means nothing in the totality of existence.

I can't imagine an insignificant life such as my own would matter either. There may be 15 people crying when I decide to do it....but there'll be almost 6 billion that it means nothing to.

[SnakeBoy]

Here ya go Duff...

[florige]

Sorry about your sister.

[baseline bum]

Yes I would. LIfe is a very small and insignificant part of the universe and existence.

And it's also the only thing you'll ever know. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'd rather be alive even if it meant passing a kidney stone each hour for the rest of my life (yes, I have passed one and know how extremely painful it is; I don't know if it's any comparison to cancer, but it's the closest I can relate to firsthand).

If every human on earth died tomorrow on the other side of the galaxy it would mean nothing. And it means nothing in the totality of existence.

I can't imagine an insignificant life such as my own would matter either. There may be 15 people crying when I decide to do it....but there'll be almost 6 billion that it means nothing to.

Who cares about the totality of existence? The universe (multiverse?) is too large for anyone to concern himself with anything but local observations. Why should it matter to you that you're meaningless to a guy in India or a bunch of space dust in another galaxy?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'd probably fight it, because I know no other way.


Sorry about your sis, CC.

[spurster]

I wouldn't kill myself because, first and foremost, I want to be here on earth with my family as long as there is breath in my body.

Also, I do not believe there is any reason that justifies me killing myself.
I will not put my family and friends through that.

Maybe you would prefer to leave them with $100K in medical bills?

Ok, that was unfair, but if you give the instructions to keep you alive at all costs, that is what is going to happen.

[Sportcamper]

Cosmic- I picked up a copy of “Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong” by Dr. John MacArthur….The book addresses controversial subjects such as these…I will be happy to mail it to you if you PM me an address…My condolences on your sisters condition…

[manufan10]

I'm sorry about your sister as well. My prayers go out to you and your family.

To the question being asked, I'm not sure. I don't think I would want to kill myself thinking about it now. However, I don't know about all the pain and suffering. I would like to see myself as a fighter and believe that a miracle could happen, so I don't honestly see myself pulling the plug. I'm not scared of dying, so it's not like I'm trying to prolong it. I'm ready to go whenever that may happen.

[TDMVPDPOY]

if i have months remaining? live the life i want and do the things i want....

pull the plug or overdose on some drugs in a sleep......

i cant see myself live like a vegetable and become a burden to the family and financially. They also have their lives to live also.

[tp2021]

I'm sorry about your sister, CC.

I'm sorry about your father, Fpoonsie.

I'm sorry about your wife, Bugs.

[Summers]

I don't know why I just got around to reading this. So sorry to hear about your sister. My own experience with this type of thing is working for a home health ho e and watching people take months to die; and then feeling grateful that my grandparents each died rather quickly after their diagnoses. We got to say goodbye and they didn't have to suffer very long. On the other hand, I have 2 little kids, so I don't know if I'd hold on until the bitter end hoping I'd get better so that I could see them grow another year.

[Spurtacus]

If you knew you were dying of cancer and the last month or so would be particularly nasty and/or you would turn into a veg before you died?

I have had several serious conversations about this recently because I have a sister in that exact situation...a breast cancer relapse that went triple negative and there is 0 chance of survival.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would off myself before I lost control and have been surprised at the number of other people that feel the same way....I see no point in fighting the "heroic" struggle just to end up brain ed and ting on yourself.

So what would you do?

I'm sorry to hear about your sister.

I wouldn't want to put my family and friends through the misery of watching me in misery. Some fights you cannot win and if its not winnable for me there is no way I'm going to spend time and money fighting. I say I would kill myself now...but would I have the guts to do it if my life was on the line?

[jack sommerset]

I wouldn't kill myself because, first and foremost, I want to be here on earth with my family as long as there is breath in my body.

Also, I do not believe there is any reason that justifies me killing myself.
I will not put my family and friends through that.

But you would put ur family through living like a veg and them forced to take care of you? That to me is selfish.

[jack sommerset]

I understand what you are saying.

I always want to hold out for miracles in my life. A turn around in my health when medicine had done all it could to help me is unlikely, but it is not impossible either.
I would hold on to hope and I hope my family would do so also.

I am not at all afraid to die. I know that when I do I am going to Heaven. But I am a fight to the end sort of person and so am in no rush to leave this earth.

And I am very sorry about your sister. My prayers are with you and your family.

You are not holding on for a miracle, the question is "you know u are dying"