Looks likely a vote on assisted dying is imminent

[fragrantdog]

‘A vote to introduce assisted dying across the UK could be imminent after Downing Street reiterated that it would not obstruct a private member’s bill on the issue and indicated it would support an MP in drafting it.’

Oh, great. Not long until women in pain with treatable conditions unrelated to hormones or depression will be patted on the shoulder and told 'well, there is a way that we could stop it all' and handed a leaflet on suicide.

Much like the decisions that anybody disabled wouldn't be eligible for intensive treatment during covid. Not worth the bother.

This. My dad had advanced Parkinsons. He was in huge pain . If he had enough drugs to have no pain he was a zombie. Being vaguely sentient mean being in pain. The doctor gave him morphine at the end to put him into a coma. The doctor thought he would die within a day. He didn't. He lived( starved to death) for a further 21 days in a coma. The team dealing with his death ( at home) were very firm that he mustn't wake up again because he had gone so far down the route to death. We begged them to end it. It was horrific. He was a skeleton when he finally died . He could never have been allowed to wake up because he was in such a state but they wouldn't give him enough morphine to end it. It was horrific. He wanted to die. He'd planned his funeral, paid for it all. He had a DNR which he wore in a pouch on his belt in case a medical professional needed proof. Our beautiful dog died at the same time. His hips and bodily functions failed very suddenly. We'd discussed what was coming with our vet. We called her. She came to the house, sat with him and us and put him to sleep. It was gentle and kind and a dignified death. He was wrapped in his favourite rug and put on the back seat of her car. Dad and the dog died 8 years ago this coming Christmas. It makes me cry to type this. My dear old dog had a beautiful death. My dear old dad went purple and yellow and black as his organs failed on the last day after nearly a month in a coma. I hope that I never, ever have to see that again. My mother kept one of the bottles of morphine we had had for dad. She was so freaked out by my father's death she wanted to know she would never have to suffer that herself. I dare say it's long out of date now but it brought her some peace of mind. The hospice nurses said that some things are very hard to die from . If you have cancer you stop taking all the drugs apart from morphine and it will overwhelm you quickly. Other things,like Parkinsons, don't attack like that and don't destroy organs like the horror of cancer. Things fail slowly and painfully but you don't die . Withdrawing drugs just makes the symptoms worse and worse but doesnt hasten your death. The disease doesn't progress faster to death because you stop the drugs. You have to wait until your organs start to fail.Dad had had enough long,long before thst point. He was loved by us all. He wanted to go and we had accepted that. It was so unbelievably cruel .

Spot on.

I agree with some kind of assisted dying. But also know how vulnerable terminally ill people are, especially I think women, who are conditioned not to be a burden, and be carers rather than cared for.

I also think it should not be a choice of 'die in agony or die quickly'. End of life care can be peaceful, and there is no reason for people to be dying in pain when the process is properly managed with the right drug combinations.

My step father had a very traumatic death from cancer. His morphine driver just contained morphine which manages pain but wasn't enough in the final hours. We knew better for my darling aunt and when the morphine driver went in,after 24 hours we requested the sedative as well. It meant her final 24 hours were peaceful, she slept her way to her death. It was calm, dignified and peaceful.

The only reason we knew to request the sedative was because of our experience with step father and because I had a friend who works in end of life care. Aunt was showing signs of pain and discomfort despite the morphine, so we requested the sedative as well. I firmly believe it sped up the process but also made it more peaceful for everyone.

There are ways for end of life to be pain free and dignified. This should be openly discussed, while the patient is still well enough to be involved in the conversation.

Yes, well said.

there is no reason for people to be dying in pain when the process is properly managed with the right drug combinations.

Unfortunately, this isn’t true at all. Even with the very best of palliative care, a significant number of people will be in considerable pain as they die.

I really hope this is allowed.

This has always been my plan. I refuse to have my bottom wiped in old age.

A proper way to go would be so much better than the alternative.

This is definitely something that be legally passed.
Obviously it's not without its issues for competency but everybody should have the choice and dignity to call their own time of death should they want to. It's not a decision that people take lightly so they must be absolutely desperate once they hit that point and are usually unable to action it themselves.

Let's hope so, long overdue.

What about those who would rather their family inherit their property/ wealth than it all go in care fees if they have no quality of life? I would.

I very much hope it gets passed. Dementia, Alzheimer's, chronic bad health to name a few are not most people's choice of how to live.

This 100%!

Too often people come on to emotive threads and essentially say that if you’ve never experienced something you have no right to an opinion. It’s used to shut down discussion and is not ok.

as awful as it is for anyone to have to watch a loved one die, if you’ve had to do that then you’re not able to be objective.
Both arguments are valid and should be considered. Making this a one-sided discussion just opens up avenues for it to be abused.

Only by discussing and anticipating the pitfalls can you start from the point of considering how to avoid them.

Here’s an example of why “assisted dying” is dangerous.

What this woman wants is to live with humane care not to be pushed towards assisted death.

www.ctvnews.ca/video/c2952690-disabled-woman-shocked-to-be-offered-maid?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

I always get confused with this because I've seen a few cancer deaths and they are always offered the end of life drugs whenever they want it, so I don't get why that's already available but for others it isn't?

Good.

The proposal is about people who already have a life threatening/debilitating condition with no hope of getting better, face having no quality of life or independence and want to be able to choose to avoid further pain and suffering.

I don't see anything wrong with that.

It is a choice anyway. No one will be forced to do it.

I have really had enough of the religious or the 'what about the risks' brigades shutting down the debate and the right to choose.

We would not put a loved pet through pain and suffering to keep it alive at all cost so I never understand why a person capable of making the decision that they want to end their suffering is not allowed the same option...

It is perfectly possible to have safeguards in place and to behave like mature adults when it comes to assisted dying.

I have no interest in carrying on living if I get to a stage where I am dependent on other people for everything and have no enjoyment of life left. I don't want to be medicated and stuck in a room waiting to die...I would rather have a dignified exit of my choice.

She isn't being pushed
She was offered.
She lives in constant pain and is confined to a chair
Many people wouldn't want that, myself included.

The game her options
Everyone should be aware of all their legal options

"It's being "rushed through" for a reason."
@YellowComb it's not being rushed through at all. It even proposed. They've simply said that if a member wanted to enter it as a private members bill they wouldn't object. It's not a government bill. They aren't introducing it. No members have said they are considering a private members bill.
Stop scaremongering and being ridiculous just because you don't like Labour.

Me too. I’ve worked in a care home and am under no illusions about what your £1k a week buys you. I also grew up in a council flat so not from inter generational wealth. I currently have about £300k of equity in my house. I’d honestly be so disappointed to spend that money on care home fees when it could give my children a leg up on the housing ladder. I don’t want the government to have to pay for care. I just want the right to say I don’t want to live this way and for that to be respected. Quality of life rather than quantity.

In the app so no edit function - or even proposed. Not if.

Do you have a reference for your last paragraph?

I hope it gets passed

I think the drugs are available but they are not always effective. Not everyone reacts the same way to morphine. I had a relative with lung cancer and the nurse said she’d never given anyone that much morphine before. I think because they were struggling to breathe adrenaline would kick in and they’d struggle back to consciousness then they’d be in pain so morphine would be administered. Eventually they got a sedative administered alongside the morphine and he never woke up but really it would of been much kinder for that to have been given a month earlier.

Good

Having watched someone physically dying in the last few months I agree. Four weeks after telling us she was dying she was still struggling it was quite honestly grotesque. It was certainly not peaceful and was hugely distressing for both me and her. Struggling to breathe and still screaming in pain when the morphine wore off. Fuck that. No one deserves that type of death.