Found this story on euthanasia a bit unsettling for some reason

[Monkeytrousers]

here

I am broadly in favour of euthanasia and assisted suicide when it will ease an otherwise terrible death - and though this woman fitted that bill, I got the feeling reading it that she wanted her family to fight for her - to argue with her - to at least try to talk her out of it, hence her barely hidden rage (I thought).

Would be interesting to hear others opinions of it.

[scanner]

I read it the other day and tbh, I didn't have the same reaction as you. I thought she was very clear on what she wanted, to the extent of isolating her family almost.

[AvenaLife]

I'm in favour of a patients right to choose. My dad was terminally ill (emphasema), it took him a long time to die, throughout this he couldn't breath, he couldn't go out and he had no quality of life. It was hard for him and us to watch him die that way. His end was peaceful though, he just went to sleep but there was no one with him in the hospital. If he could have been able to make a decision as to a time and a date then we could have all been with him and had a chance to tell him how much he had done for us and how much we all love him.

As far as a family is concerned, they want that person to last as long as possible and they sometimes forget about the pain and distress their loved one goes through. It is a very tough decision, you are aware of new drugs and procedures so you always have hope. I don't think she would have made this decision lightly though.

[Nigeela]

i think is is a very honest and brave record of the end of his mother's life. it would be easy to tint it rosy coloured and say they never had second thoughts and spent the last day cocooned in love and happy memories but from reading that it appears the mother spent her last day much how she had lived her life - in control. and that is how it shoud be.
i am very much in favour of peple being able to chose how they end their days, whether this is through assisted euthanasia or through good symprom control and palliative care.

[geekgirl]

that was very interesting to read. I am surprised she went through with it when her quality of life was still so good - it seems sad. But she was obviously someone who needed to feel in control.
I am not sure where I stand on euthanasia - I used to be in favour, but the way this society is moving - eradicating those who are not economically useful (just look at prenatal testing) - rather puts me off.
I think excellent palliative care should be the way to go, and thankfully the UK seems to be reasonably good at this.
My mum died from cancer last year. She was in Germany where palliative care is a bit of an exotic subject it seems. Her final weeks were needlessly appalling and her suffering still haunts me Two days before she finally died she threatened to throw herself out of her third floor hospital window because she was in such agony. Depending on which doctor was on duty, her morphine would be put up or down and she kept being disconnected (and then hooked up again by a different doctor) to the IV nutrition she said she didn't want.

[Monkeytrousers]

Just reaslied there are two of these threads - other one is here