No Dave,I missed the programe last night but I agree with your sentiments.To die should be our decision to make as long as we are the full quid at the time and have little hope for a decent and meaningful life.To have an incurable illness especially if you are in pain and knowing that by your own choice you can"end it" and with dignity would surely be a comforting thought..Cheers.Ibbo.
I too agree implicitly. After watching my late husband go through terminal cancer and him begging for release only to be denied his choice I agree that it should be your own choice provided as Ibbo says you are the full quid and that you have made an informed and justified decision.
Ma
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
The stoopid thing is if we have an animal in the same pain & suffering through age or illness and we don't have it 'put down' we can be in serious doo-doo with the authorities.
Neil
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Neil & Lynne
Pinjarra
Western Australia
MY23.5 Ford Wildtrak V6 Dual Cab / 21' Silverline 21-65.3
Good idea I think. I'm waiting for some doo good wowser politician like Fred Nile or Steve Fielding to legislate against it. " Australian Citizens shall not be allowed to leave the country if they are going overseas to end their suffering, it will be however acceptable to leave Australia to become involved in terrorist incidents beyong their control"
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Don't take life too seriously.... No one gets out alive
KIA Sorento CRDi EX ( Ebony black) with 5 hex chrome plated tire air valve covers, Coramal Sunsheild, Elcheapo GPS, First Aid Kit, full KIA toolkit & Yellow lenses on the Foglights......
When one faces what eventually happens to us all we deserve to go with dignity and if given a choice I am sure that we would all want to die with dignity.I was with my dear sister when she passed away with terminal cancer,She had little dignity left and given the choice I know what she would have taken.(she was only 50).We have a 13 1/2 year old lab and when the time comes for her I will not let her suffer,I hope one day we will all be allowed to choose if nothing can be done for us by the Doctors. Chris and Robbie
Who the hell are these people to tell us that we can't do what we want with our lives anyway?? I would have thought it should only have concerned you, your immediate family and your God!
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Daisy and Disco Duck
Adelaide South Australia
Gotta Think Outside the Square!
Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.
If at First You Don't Succeed.......Redefine Success !!
As I have just found out to my cost, the medical people think they are God and can control our lives as they see fit. Think the pollies have much the same attitude
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
The quadraplegic man in Perth was granted his wish to be "starved" to death. He is being fed by a tube directly to his stomach. He believed his life had no meaning or purpose as he had to be cared intensively for absolutely everything, except opening his eyes and speaking. He took his plea to court and was granted his wish to die. His family supported his decision. Dr. Nitschke has been working on this cause for years and everyone says he's a nut except those who are suffering and want to end it on medical grounds with their family's support. If it's done in a dignified way, it's up to the patient if they are able to make a rational decision about their life. Cheers Chris
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
the man in perth was recently granted an option of "refusing food" what a ridiculous thing to grant, this method would take weeks, surely, to die and is in no way dignified
far better is the way shown on the program described above, the first glass apparently "strengthens" the stomach, one has the option to forego the second glass
it is then up to the individual as to whether he/she continues with the second glass which contains the goop that does the deed
off to sleep listening to mozart in the arms of his/her loved one, thats for me when the time comes
philip nitschke is up against the goody two shoes brigade that have very little idea of what is involved, there will come a day when it is "our" decision but it seems with this we are once again lagging behind other less developed countrys
apparently doctor nitschke had his "medication ingrediants" on the net for a while and it can still be accessed if one knows the right way to get to it, not sure on that anymore
As I have just found out to my cost, the medical people think they are God and can control our lives as they see fit. Think the pollies have much the same attitude
I'm in full agreement with you on that point. Our parents generation put Medicos on pedestals and worshipped them, we tend to do the same. Just the other day I had a doctors receptionist telling me that an appointment I had had to be moved because the Dr had to go to a conference, I nearly fell for it. I had the presence of mind to say no cancel it, I'll see another Dr. 30 mins later she was back on the phone telling me it was OK the conference had been rescheduled, "what for my benifit" I asked.... "Sorry I have a trip planned now so I can't see the Dr till late September"...
Politicians of course have avested interest in keeping you alive, if you die you don't pay tax (GST) and GST is the only yhing keeping us going...
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Don't take life too seriously.... No one gets out alive
KIA Sorento CRDi EX ( Ebony black) with 5 hex chrome plated tire air valve covers, Coramal Sunsheild, Elcheapo GPS, First Aid Kit, full KIA toolkit & Yellow lenses on the Foglights......
I watched the program also and was impressed by the Swiss system. My mother died a protracted, painful death and I have vowed I will not submit myself or my family to the same thing if my life takes the same turn. We are a supposedly civilised society, but we cannot agree on basic human rights. It is my life, and when my quality of life is so diminished by illness, I would like to have some say in how I experience it.
On the other hand, I did not feel the other couple in the tv show had cause to consider suicide. I was glad they were not assisted. she was in excellent health. This kind of reasoning, "cant live without him" does not help the cause for people who really do need to access services such as Dignitas.
I didn't see the show either but agree with Kantiki. It's my life I should be able to be the judge of when I can no longer tolerate the pain.
And I agree with the "can't live without him" isssue as well. I too have watched a loved one go down the same track as Kantiki's Mum.
This assisted suicide should only be for those with a terminal illness, where there is ABSOLUTELY no hope of a cure and only an increasing pain level and loss of dignity to look forward.
Real must way up quantity -v- quality.
Assisted suicide should be the final resort and then only after all due consideration and consultation with specialits family and if it is you desire your religious person, however that in itself could raise a whole different issue.
Ma
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
What's the difference between this method and ending the last, painful lives of the sufferers of a terminal illness. Increasing doses of morphine are administered by intravenous drip until they don't wake up again. That is the way suffering is ended. It should be about responsible freedom of choice considering all other nearest and dearest involved. Cheers Chris
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Chris, increasing doses of morphine don't always work............I KNOW.
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
It certainly is Chris and probably moreso for those that have to sit and watch it.
Certainly not something I ever want to go through again.
-- Edited by Ma on Saturday 29th of August 2009 05:05:47 PM
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
Ma, not "increasing" doses of morphine. Just one will do it. When my father died in 1988 from Motor Neurone Disease he was 75 yrs old. Little was known about it then but he never went into remission. I found out afterwards that he had refused food for five days (deliberately) before his death. He had all his marbles and couldn't stand the indignity. Pain is not a sympton of this hideous thing. He had apparently arranged with his sympathetic specialist to have ONE dose put in his drip to help him along when required. It did. For which I am extremely grateful There are many in the medical profession who agree with all the sentiments expressed here. Hopefully, one day, euthanasia will be legal for humans as a chocie; as well as animals..
Ma, not "increasing" doses of morphine. Just one will do it.
That was how it was supposed to work only it didn't. 10 days later with morphine increasing four hourly during those days is how long it took and then only by the addition of another drug.
Largest doses of morphine ever administered at this particular hospital.
One for the record books I suppose. Not a good thing to be remembered for is it.
Yes Chris/Robbie the sooner these laws are changed the better.
Ma
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Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
Ma, that's awful. Dad wasn't on morphine so it was quick. But it was a nursing home not a hospital. Staff called the doc but they wouldn't have had a clue what he was doing. It needs to be done properly..Sue
