Kevorkian documentary on HBO

[always2late]

I am a nurse...I watch people die of terminal illness on an almost daily basis. And its never been the dying that bothers me....its watching the agonizing pain that most of these patients endure before they die. Yes, we give them morphine and everything else we can to ease their pain...but why are they allowed to linger in a semi-comatose, drugged to the gills and yet still in pain state until their body eventually gives out?

We will put animals out of their misery...yet we let people go on for days, weeks, even months in agony I can't even imagine, when their death is inevitable anyway. I am all for mercifully helping these people end their lives. I know if I were terminal...I would want someone to give me the option of an early out. Anyone who thinks that assisted suicide is cruel....volunteer to work with hospice patients. I guarantee you will change your mind.

[MrSunshine]

Originally Posted by always2late

I am a nurse...I watch people die of terminal illness on an almost daily basis. And its never been the dying that bothers me....its watching the agonizing pain that most of these patients endure before they die. Yes, we give them morphine and everything else we can to ease their pain...but why are they allowed to linger in a semi-comatose, drugged to the gills and yet still in pain state until their body eventually gives out?

We will put animals out of their misery...yet we let people go on for days, weeks, even months in agony I can't even imagine, when their death is inevitable anyway. I am all for mercifully helping these people end their lives. I know if I were terminal...I would want someone to give me the option of an early out. Anyone who thinks that assisted suicide is cruel....volunteer to work with hospice patients. I guarantee you will change your mind.

and one is, you are a Damn Fine Nurse. I have been on the receiving end of eyes like yours.

[lipstixgal]

I definitely think we need to rediscover how to die in this country. Any nurse will tell you that. People suffer with all kinds of pain. Hell my mother was in a semi-comtose state on morphine and life support for 2 two weeks of sheer hell. I wanted to pull the plug to put her out of her misery. I was happy that she died in her sleep, peacefully and not in pain.

[Blade]

I have made the choice to put many animals to sleep. It's the kindest thing you can do for them. I also believe it is the kindest, most loving and unselfish thing you can do for a human also. Especially people who are terminal and in so much pain and have no quality of life. And if it is by their choice who are we(general we) or the government to say they can't end their misery?

In 2002, my Pa had a stroke, which threw him into Alzhiemers really bad and he didn't have any control over his right side. Then he started to aspirate on everything that went into his mouth. His flapper quit working and everything was going into his lungs. He's always said he didn't want to linger like his brothers did and not know he was even in the world for 20 yrs. They offered a feeding tube and we declined and we decided to pretty basically let him starve. Sounds cruel, but it was the only legal way to put him out of his misery.

I like many of you, have watched friends and family go down hill and the only comfort they had was morphine and hospice. Praise God for those folks, I don't think I could be around people day in and day out that I knew were terminal and keep my own sanity. So yes I believe in what Dr K does and no I have seen the documentary.

[Glenn]

The deal with this guy being in prison is that relatives of people were complaining that he was also "putting to sleep' folks who were mentally ill, suicidal, and depressed, and not only those who were physically ill.

[waxnrope]

I am overseas, visiting my sister who has cancer. The one thing that she is afraid of is pain. Having worked in HIV/AIDS as health care provider, then in both Methadone and Pain clinics, there is no reason to suffer pain, IMO. The arguments of addiction are stupid, and that argument still floats around. Who gives a shit if you have a terminal illness or not? And, yes, Andrew, we do treat animals better when it is time.
My sister has my promise that she will not suffer .... nor linger.

[Manul]

My body belongs to me.

[Kätzchen]

I excerpted part of your quote:

Originally Posted by lipstixgal

I definitely think we need to rediscover how to die

the profundity of this thought is timeless - to me.

I have so much to say about this but it would detract from the thread's purpose - discussion of Kervorkian ideas about death and dying.

Thanks for saying this.

[always2late]

I would like to share something that occurred this weekend...very relevant to the topic. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am a nurse. I watch people die quite often. We strive to offer them some modicum of dignity. And also try to manage their pain. As in all healthcare professions, one must cultivate a form of detachment...you couldn't do the job otherwise. But...every once in a while...there is a patient that gets in, that I feel a certain bond with. This weekend, one of those patients that I am particularly attached to was put on hospice. She is dying...and she is dying hard. She is on every painkiller we can offer...and even with doses that would take out an elephant...she still screams. Most of the time she is in so much pain she doesn't even respond, her eyes are unfocused, and she is just not there.

Today she focused through the pain for a moment and grabbed my hand and said "Help me, I don't know what to do." And there is nothing I can do for her except give her more pain medication that is not quite cutting it. I don't cry often...but I almost burst into tears then and there. When I got home this evening I bawled like a baby. It is so unfair and wrong. No one deserves this...to die this way...in agony, all dignity gone, hopeless and helpless. To help her die would not be murder....it would be mercy.