As a nation, I think we are afraid to address the issue and do something positively about it. Other nations seem to have a more open approach with regard to death - I don't wish to appear morbid but it is something which is inevitable, so why is the subject taboo?

Why should we not have the right to choose how and when we wish to die and for someone to assist.

I saw my mother suffer for years, ending her final weeks in hospital when she begged me to take in her tablets which she had stored. She described this time as a "living hell". Selflessly, I would have done this - despite the fact that I wanted her to be here forever, I knew her time had come and did not want her to suffer this way. But selfishly, I did not do this because of the consequences for myself - this will haunt me for the rest of my life. My memories are of my mum suffering needlessly and being unable to do anything about it.

Is it not about time that we were given the right to choose how and when to end our lives - in a dignified and painless way without needless unnecessary suffering.

I am a believer in the quality of life, not quantity. The problem is, like my mum, by the time you wish to end it, you are often too ill to do anything about it.

If you kept a dog alive that was in distress and had no hope of surviving and did not take it to a vets to be put down then you would commit a criminal offence of cruelty and neglet.

I would welcome "a living will" where I could stipulate my wishes.

Not sure.

The awful possibility exists in the case of so called persistent vegetative state, that you aren't vegetative at all, and desperately trying to signal that you don't want your life support withdrawn so that you starve to death silently, in front of your family.......

However that is an extreme example. But I do think that palliative care could be expanded to do much more for people living out there final weeks in extreme pain.

But at what stage should medical intervention be withdrawn? I think this decision can only be made between the doctor and the patient.

Not sure.

I am not talking about medical intervention being withdrawn - I'm talking about medical intevention to assist in a quick but painless death

This is a very difficult subject to legislate for. A living will is a good idea in theory - i am sat here now and would happily declare that i wouldn't want to have an assisted suicide should i ever *touch wood* be unfortuate enough to become terminally ill. However when the time comes how can i know that would be what i really want? maybe i would want to remain alive for those extra few days/weeks so i could spend it with children/granchildren etc etc. Until i'm actually in that situation how can i really ever know what i want.

Furthermore, there is the issue of the patient being able to make a lucid informed decison when they are on pain medication, extremely ill. There have been cases of a family memeber wanting to end their life for there own reasons rather than the patient.

i'm not saying we shouldn't have this option but it will have to be very carefully legislated for to prevent any ill doings by any family member or for any patient who changes their mind.

I realise you are not talking about medical intervention being with drawn but it can amount to the same thing. might be worth you checking out the Tony Bland case - the young lad who was crushed in the Hillsborough disaster and was in PVS but whilst he could breathe on his own that was pretty much all he could do so in order to let him die his food and care was stopped until he eventually passed away.

I'd be interested to hear how anyone suggests we can legislate for this ??

Originally posted by teeb
I am not talking about medical intervention being withdrawn - I'm talking about medical intevention to assist in a quick but painless death

But doesn't this already happen? Pain relief in the form of morphine is administered to the dosage necessary to control the pain. This is usually at the point where it ends life. Thsi is legal and happens all the time.

Are you talking about being able to administer a drug to end life in the earlier stages of the illness.

I can't honestly answer your question never having been in that situation. I would want what the loved one who was suffering wanted but whether I could help them to actually extinguish their life, I doubt.

This would not be the right thing for everyone, a living will, and you say you don't know how you would feel until the time came. The point is, some people have strong views about quality/quantity of life, and for those people this would be a human right.
.
I am not old and hopefully have a lot more years left but I am 100% sure I would not wish to linger if I was terminally ill.

By not giving people the choice there is a very real danger of people taking their life prematurely when diagnosed with a terminal illness - I for one would not want to wait until I was incapable of taking my own life and as things stand at the moment would probably take my life before it became necessary just so that I was not put in the position of "lingering" to the end.

Yes Mo, I am talking ending life in earlier stages of illness - not when there is some quality and enjoyment but when the illness takes away the quality and brings misery. I have seen many loved ones die - laying in an increasingly drugged up state over weeks, occasionally regaining consciousness, knowing they are dying - for what purpose? Why keep someone in a drugged up state for weeks that has no prospect of recovering or regaining a quality of life? I am aware that as the quantity of drugs is increased it shortens life - but why span it out if the patient has indicated he doesn't wish this. Furthermore, drugs make you semi or unconscious, maybe rendering you unable to communicate, hence too late to do anything about your wish to die.

I don't knock your view though, it is an emotive subject. I am not saying that a terminally ill person should receive a lethal injection - I am saying that a person should have the right to be given a lethal injection if this is what they have chosen.

I personally do not fear death ( I'm not looking forward to it either!) but I fear how I die.

Having made our own decisions in life why not in death and if the person is in no state to decide, a living will should be referred to.
Believe me I am a lot nearer to this than most of you are but it doesn't alter the way I think. I feel I would like to go with dignity.
Hazel

I totally agree with you Hazel, everyone should have the knowledge that they could end their days with dignity, I watched both my mum and dad die, and both had been totally reliant on drugs to keep them alive, had the medical profession found a cure for the illnesses at that time, it would have been too late as the disease was too far advanced. I have been and still am, the only carer of my son and my husband, my sons problems isn't the issue, but my husbands has a very nasty disease which is progressive, and it worries me for his sake, to watch a strong, hardworking man slowly getting worse and him knowing he is.

Doctors can't help you to kill yourself, it's against their oath, perhaps some other proffesion should exist to help you, but not doctors.

which begs the question - what is the difference between an animal and a human being? - a vet has the compassion and duty to put down an animal that is suffering and has no quality of life.

Don't get me wrong, I am not critiscising doctors - they do an excellent job and I do not think that doctors should be made to end life if it against their beliefs but isn't it about time we had a look at the "save life at all costs" and "life is sacred"? In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, life is for living and life is sacred when you are living it with a reasonable quality.

In answer to Lee1979, I am talking about decisions being made by persons who feel strongly about this, and make the decision, not particularly when they are ill, but make an informative decision when they are lucid - everything else is planned for your future, insurance etc etc, why not the way you choose to live or die? I am not saying that relatives should be able to make the decision to end life just because they want to get their hands on the readies sooner or because they consider them a burden.

God help me if I'm ever laid there unable to do anything, in pain and being spoon/drip fed, and if God can't, then please somebody else!

Originally posted by teeb
I am not talking about medical intervention being withdrawn - I'm talking about medical intevention to assist in a quick but painless death

Totally agree, we should all be given the chance to go with our dignity,if its possible.Also it can be really traumatic for the families of terminally ill people to have to watch someone they love suufer and struggle.And having to stand by and watch knowing you can,t do anything to help or ease them is soul destroying.It,ll never happen though,as usual some low life will come along and abuse it for their own ends and all the namby pamby fence sitters will smile and say "told you so).

All the implications that come with it make it virtually impossible to legally do(just my own opinion).And dont forget once the various churches get involved there will be no chance.

Originally posted by tattoo

All the implications that come with it make it virtually impossible to legally do(just my own opinion).And dont forget once the various churches get involved there will be no chance. [/B]

Other coutnries have legalised it - hence some that are desperate to carry out their loved ones wishes have travelled to these countries in order to do so. If it works for one country and why can't it work here? I think one should be allowed to make their own informed decisions, die in their own country, in their own surroundings without the trauma of having to travel abroad and put their loved ones at risk by illegally assisting them.

Originally posted by teeb
Other coutnries have legalised it - hence some that are desperate to carry out their loved ones wishes have travelled to these countries in order to do so. If it works for one country and why can't it work here? I think one should be allowed to make their own informed decisions, die in their own country, in their own surroundings without the trauma of having to travel abroad and put their loved ones at risk by illegally assisting them.

Agree with you 100%, but i just cant see it happening in this country. it seems to cocern itself(or the government does) with being politically correct, instead of what normal Joe Blogs like us wants.

I've had to disagree with you, for my own bizarre reasons.

Mental illness. stress and depression have had me on the brink of committing suicide several times and I would have done it. However, my darling hubby has always sought help for me and made sure I knew that I had someone who loves me, who values me, who needs me.

Mental illness can be extremely debilitating, affecting your quality of life, destroying your hopes, your dreams and your abilities to care for your loved ones, leaving you hopeless, incapable and constantly misunderstood.

Terminal illness is another matter - but even then miracles exist. My mum had suffered for months before the end came, but the day before she died, she was as fit as a fiddle. Laughing and joking with her family - who were all round her - and back to her normal self. We hoped that she had turned the corner - but maybe she realised that she was dying and she wanted her family to remember her as the happy, caring, loving woman she was.

My mum was a constant source of help and comfort to me, in spite of the pain she was in, and I was her constant companion for four years, so I knew her better than anyone. She wanted to die and our "old family friend" told us to get her some cannabis to ease her pain. She wouldn't touch it because she wanted the rest of the family to remember her strength and her courage of convictions.

We've all lost people we love, and it's a sad fact, but we all have to meet that day as and when it arrives. I just hope that I can soldier on as bravely as my mum when my time comes.

I respect your views. However, the question is should you have the right to choose?
Some people will wish to live as long as possible no matter what, and that is indeed their choice and their right. But for the people that have strong views as to the point they would no longer wish to live, should they not be able to have their wishes carried out?

I think most people fear death but many fear most how they die. As the law stands, I think many will end their life prematurely because they fear becoming too ill to be able to do anything about it.

Originally posted by teeb
I am not talking about medical intervention being withdrawn - I'm talking about medical intevention to assist in a quick but painless death

OK

Not sure.

The awful possibility exists in the case of so called persistent vegetative state, that you aren't vegetative at all, and desperately trying to signal to your surrounding and mournful family that you don't want to have a fatal dose of barbiturates or opiates (or indeed both) injected into your arm whilst you lie there silently screaming no no no no no.......

Not sure.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
OK

Not sure.

The awful possibility exists in the case of so called persistent vegetative state, that you aren't vegetative at all, and desperately trying to signal to your surrounding and mournful family that you don't want to have a fatal dose of barbiturates or opiates (or indeed both) injected into your arm whilst you lie there silently screaming no no no no no.......

Not sure.

Equally so, you could be laying there in this state silently screaming inwardly, yes, yes, yes, hence with a living will you are making an informed decision. Everyone will have their own views and some will wish to live to the end no matter what - their views should be respected and everything done to sustain their life - others that have very strong views and make these views known to others as to the point in which their life should be sustained and I think it is in these circumstances that it is humane to allow their wishes to be carried out.