Assisted Dying. For or against?

I am definitely in favour and if l was suffering l would be happy to go to Dignitas and drink the concoction.

janeainsworth

Can I ask those of you who are in favour of assisted dying, would you be willing to inject someone with a drug in the sure knowledge that it would kill them?

Making a distinction here between that situation, and giving someone pain relief sufficient to keep them out of pain but which may hasten their demise?

I would not be able to do it to a stranger but to someone I loved who wanted to go because they were in pain or had a quality of life they found unbearable I would not hesitate.

Absolutely yes. We have more compassion for animals which is a disgraceful situation.

MAID ( Medical Assistance In Dying) was legalized nearly 5 years ago in Canada. It was a long time coming. The history is very interesting as is the criteria for eligibility, which has been already been extended and will be again in 2023. MAID can be given at hospice, hospital or at home with family and friends present. It is administered by a Dr. or Nurse Practitioner or it can be self- administered.
If you would like detailed info., statistics etc just Google MAID.

Had to have my beloved cat put to sleep - she slipped away so peacefully, head on my husband's hand and with me gently stroking her. Quietly and with care, her loving people with her at the end.

I watched my dad die of cancer, my mum of dementia and if I could have helped them on their way I would have done so.

Now having to see two dear friends, one with MND and one with Parkinson's, facing fearful deaths.

So yes, definitely in favour of assisted dying and dignity in death.

janeainsworth

Can I ask those of you who are in favour of assisted dying, would you be willing to inject someone with a drug in the sure knowledge that it would kill them?

Making a distinction here between that situation, and giving someone pain relief sufficient to keep them out of pain but which may hasten their demise?

But it probably wouldn’t work like that. In Canada the person who wants to die has to make a formal application and their application will be considered by a medical professional. If the application is approved the person can choose the time and place of death so that they can make necessary arrangements and say goodbye to loved ones. The final procedure is carried out by a medical professional and the applicant can have loved ones with them if they choose to.

I nursed both of my parents and witnessed the pain, anguish and trauma they both suffered at the end of their lives.
What I saw will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Everyone should have the right to pass with peace and dignity.

But saying all that I would really hope that before my time comes euthanasia would be legal in this country...

I have a stash of sleeping pills ready for the occasion if it should arise. I watched my brother die of cancer at the age of 49 and it was horrendous the last few weeks. I work in a care home and see the devastating handiwork of dementia and I would not want my children to see me in that state so yes I would take my own life because either cancer or dementia would kill me and I would just be saving myself and my family a lot of pain and anguish .Obviously my children do not want to talk about my demise but I am intending to book into a hotel, have a pull up pad on and leave a note for the people who own the hotel apologising but explaining that I could not do it when my family could find me...

My mother died of cancer. She said 'They shoot horses, don't they?' I would gladly - and kindly - have helped her.

janeainsworth

Can I ask those of you who are in favour of assisted dying, would you be willing to inject someone with a drug in the sure knowledge that it would kill them?

Making a distinction here between that situation, and giving someone pain relief sufficient to keep them out of pain but which may hasten their demise?

Yes to this and Yes to the OP.

Yes. I’d want doctors and nurses free to refuse to be part of euthanasia. Just because we can prolong life doesn’t mean we should. I don’t want to be kept alive, unable to do anything for myself. I wouldn’t want my children dealing with that

It's a yes from me too

Definitely.
We don’t see animals suffer. We are expected to though. A little extra morphine to give a nudge into death? Gets my vote, every time.

As he lay comatose on his deathbed in 1936, King George V was injected with fatal doses of morphine and cocaine to assure him a painless death in time, according to his physician's notes, for the announcement to be carried ''in the morning papers rather than the less appropriate evening journals.''

The fact that the death of a reigning monarch had been medically hastened remained a secret for half a century until the publication today of the notes made at the time by Lord Dawson, the royal physician who recorded that he administered the two injections at about 11 o'clock on the night of Jan. 20, 1936. That was scarcely an hour and a half after Lord Dawson had written a classically brief medical bulletin that declared, ''The King's life is moving peacefully toward its close.''

That ''close'' came in less than an hour after the injections. Lord Dawson, according to his notes, had already taken the precaution of phoning his wife in London to ask that she ''advise The Times to hold back publication.''

In Windsor Castle Archives

''A Peaceful Ending at Midnight,'' said the headline the next morning in the newspaper that was deemed to be the most appropriate vehicle for major announcements to the nation.

One rule for them, another for us?

I should have said no relative has been successfully prosecuted.

Some relatives have been charged but no one in the UK has ever been prosecuted

Actually they have, Smileless. This woman was tried for murder after a failed suicide pact with her husband.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-49743727

If there was to be a vote we would not only be voting for ourselves and our families.

To an extent, end of life care takes into account what the patient is hoping for, and goes with it, as much as they can.

Huge uber maxi YES

Some relatives have been charged but no one in the UK has ever been prosecuted.

I think so, but the further I get on the downward path, the less sure I am. Would I ask someone to give me the final dose or the final injection? Would I do it for someone I loved to relieve them from unmentionable pain? Yes, I think I would, though under the present legislation, I would be prosecuted.

Henry Marsh is a wonderful man and won't be supporting this lightly. We were very lucky that DH died very peacefully thanks mainly to the way his consultant oversaw his treatment. Without that personal connection I'm sure some people will have a much grimmer outcome. I found while dealing with DH's illness that there's a lot more to pain control than just topping up the morphine and in some cases real pain relief is very difficult. No one should have to suffer because "There's nothing more we can do"

Yes, definitely.
I know my lovely 90 year old aunt has a stash of medication stored away for when the time comes. I wonder how many people do this? They shouldn't have to!

janeainsworth

Can I ask those of you who are in favour of assisted dying, would you be willing to inject someone with a drug in the sure knowledge that it would kill them?

Making a distinction here between that situation, and giving someone pain relief sufficient to keep them out of pain but which may hasten their demise?

I hope I would be brave enough to put their needs first.

I have had to say yes to switching off the life support. Honestly, it wasn’t hard to make that decision for the personI loved. I hope I could go that one step more.

Yes. Sorry to be crude but if I couldn’t wipe my own bottom I wouldn’t want to be here.