I am sure I have brought this up before, but I couldn't find it, hence:

If you are in a position of sound mind ( remember guys this is meant to be the serious forum ) shouldn't you have the Right of choice for your future?

This does obviously have further impact regarding, in present law assisted suicide, it also leads on to the question of whether we should allow a form of supervised suicide.

Many questions and responses are welcome on all the above, but in particular the vote is regarding the topic title.

Link to Article in IoS

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

Saved me the trouble of typing it.

There is a well publicised case in Perth at the moment.

A 49yo guy is completely paralysed and unable do even the smallest function unassisted. He is fed through a tube in his neck. There is no hope of recovery. His life is shit with only tv to entertain him. ()

He is able to communicate and just wants assistance to end his life. His wish is to get transported to Switzerland where euthanasia is legal. Local law in WA states it is murder to assist anyone to die.

He could refuse sustenance and starve himself to death, but that's something he's unable to do.

He's one who is unable to kill himself, what's the option?

The point in question is not whether a person generally requires a helping hand.

The real point is, of course they can take their own life, but it means having to do so before they are ready to leave the Mortal Coil, if they leave it too long and then are too incapacitated to do the job, they are left in limbo, to either live in abject misery, or to trust to somebody very close to them to either assist in the deed, or help them on to a plane for somebody else to do it and risk the penalties inextricably linked to assisted suicide of the UK Suicide Act.

If you had a choice, you were terminally ill, it was going to get progressively worse and your quality of life is slowly but surely degenerating, would you prefer to live it out to the last breath, take your life prematurely, hop on a plane near the end and have a complete strange and clinical service provided, or draw your last breath surrounded by family and friends, with a qualified medical profession administering the final act in your own home.

I know which solution I would choose

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

Yes, "most" can. It's the ones who fall out of that bracket that want/need the assistance.

As for me. I would certainly like to have the choice to live my last breath with some form of dignity.

I am sorry, I can't go into details but suffice it to say, that I have a personal experience with this and would always vote for the person being able to determine their own destiny in as peaceful and dignified way as possible.

Anyone who has been in that situation with a loved one would make that choice as well.

If you had a choice, you were terminally ill, it was going to get progressively worse and your quality of life is slowly but surely degenerating, would you prefer to live it out to the last breath, take your life prematurely, hop on a plane near the end and have a complete strange and clinical service provided, or draw your last breath surrounded by family and friends, with a qualified medical profession administering the final act in your own home.

You say that now, but as far as I know you do not have a terminal illness. Once you do, you might find you think differently. I know my Dad did, he said many times before he got cancer that he would never want to live in pain, and went on about how he would want to pull the plug or have somebody else do it for him - but when the time came that his life became very, very painful, he still held on until his last breath.

So I won't answer the question because I think it is something we won't be able to do until we know for a fact that our death is near.

If you had a choice, you were terminally ill, it was going to get progressively worse and your quality of life is slowly but surely degenerating, would you prefer to live it out to the last breath, take your life prematurely, hop on a plane near the end and have a complete strange and clinical service provided, or draw your last breath surrounded by family and friends, with a qualified medical profession administering the final act in your own home.

You say that now, but as far as I know you do not have a terminal illness. Once you do, you might find you think differently. I know my Dad did, he said many times before he got cancer that he would never want to live in pain, and went on about how he would want to pull the plug or have somebody else do it for him - but when the time came that his life became very, very painful, he still held on until his last breath.

So I won't answer the question because I think it is something we won't be able to do until we know for a fact that our death is near.

The point is not what your Dad decided to do but whether he had the choice.

What I think is bizarre is that it's legal to commit suicide in the UK but illegal to help someone commit suicide. You break the law by assisting someone who isn't breaking the law.

As for the answer to the question - yes I would like the choice and I'd rather die at home than in Switzerland but If I had to go there I would.

You say that now, but as far as I know you do not have a terminal illness. Once you do, you might find you think differently. I know my Dad did, he said many times before he got cancer that he would never want to live in pain, and went on about how he would want to pull the plug or have somebody else do it for him - but when the time came that his life became very, very painful, he still held on until his last breath.

So I won't answer the question because I think it is something we won't be able to do until we know for a fact that our death is near.

Well yes I do say that now, because we all act on the information that is known to us at any particular time, of course my views may change in the future, but I doubt it.

However there are limits I willing to put up with and others I am not.

Pain is something wholly different to the ravages of M.S or dementia, I know quite a bit about pain, I also take an immuno-suppressant that quite often makes me nauseous ( and not just on this forum ) I will no longer run a marathon due to damage to the lungs, but none of these make me wish sever the Mortal Coil.

But if I ever have a degenerative disease, I would prefer to hang on until the last moments and then make a choice surrounded by friends & family in my own home.

That would be my decision with the information that is known to me at this time.

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

Yes, "most" can. It's the ones who fall out of that bracket that want/need the assistance.

As for me. I would certainly like to have the choice to live my last breath with some form of dignity.

And who would you ask to kill you? Would you want them to think about that act for the rest of their days until their own life possibly became unbearable? Always wondering if you could have had a viable life with the right assistance?

Or is everybody "sure" here? The reason I'm opposed to assisted suicide is that I've never been that "sure" about anything and I'm not sure I envy those people that have.

And yes, I've seen people I care about die in appalling circumstances.

If a person decides ahead of time that they wish to shorten the suffering in a terminal illness then I think they are within their rights to do so. When they bring someone into the picture and place that person into a situation where they face a possible murder charge is quite another thing though.

Years ago I worked for a major charity. The amount of calls I got from adult children angry that their parent had donated "their" money has always made me leery of next of kin pulling the plug. That's why I'd prefer to see the laws state that such wishes be put down on paper way ahead of time.

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

Yes, "most" can. It's the ones who fall out of that bracket that want/need the assistance.

As for me. I would certainly like to have the choice to live my last breath with some form of dignity.

And who would you ask to kill you?

No-one. We'd just like them to afford us the opportunity to kill ourselves rather than have to travel to Switzerland and ask someone else to do it for us.

My mother has wanted to die for some time. Her lungs had stopped working, her quality of life on permanent oxygen was poor. If she had had the means she would have ended things a number of weeks ago. I had wondered what I could do.

She passed in her sleep this morning. I, guiltily, feel mainly relief.

Sorry to hear that Old Croc. I know it was probably a relief to see the suffering end but at the same time it's never easy to say goodbye to a parent. All the best to your family.

Best wishes OC, my Mum's in hospital at the moment, they're always a worry at that age.

Endure, I oppose the taking of someone elses life under any circumstances, I realise that there are exceptions where death is strongly desired or richly deserved, I just say that no other person is qualified to make that decision.

I think that anyone has the right to commit suicide but few would with the proper care or counselling.

Affording someone the opportunity to kill themselves is the same as doing it for them regardless of how you say it.

Sorry OC, my mum's been in a hospice for years, in fact 4-5 years ago they called in the whole family thinking she was going to die. She's still here and still the same, has not recognised any of the family for more than ten years, she's basicallly a veg. If there was a plug to pull I'd pull it!

The point in question is not whether a person generally requires a helping hand.

The real point is, of course they can take their own life, but it means having to do so before they are ready to leave the Mortal Coil, if they leave it too long and then are too incapacitated to do the job, they are left in limbo, to either live in abject misery, or to trust to somebody very close to them to either assist in the deed, or help them on to a plane for somebody else to do it and risk the penalties inextricably linked to assisted suicide of the UK Suicide Act.

If you had a choice, you were terminally ill, it was going to get progressively worse and your quality of life is slowly but surely degenerating, would you prefer to live it out to the last breath, take your life prematurely, hop on a plane near the end and have a complete strange and clinical service provided, or draw your last breath surrounded by family and friends, with a qualified medical profession administering the final act in your own home.

I know which solution I would choose

With you 100% mate.

She passed in her sleep this morning. I, guiltily, feel mainly relief.

Sorry to hear that OC, but to feel relief of the passing of a loved one who actually wished for this outcome, is in my opinion quite understandable.

So sorry to you Old Croc & peace & good journey to your mum. Free of her physical burden.

I am a full supporter in allowing people to chose their end. The state/law should have no place in dictating what we, as individuals, can or can't do with our bodies.

So sorry to you Old Croc & peace & good journey to your mum. Free of her physical burden.

I am a full supporter in allowing people to chose their end. The state/law should have no place in dictating what we, as individuals, can or can't do with our bodies.

I'd like to echo Boo's sentiment.

My father died 10 years ago, this December in a hospital in Dublin. Multiple organ failure.

"Would we sign a "no revival" paper, in the event of heart failure?"..."It will assist in his passing"

"Would we agree to with-holding food (he was in an induced coma) and just to maintain a saline drip to administer the morphine to keep him comfortable".

Assisted death/suicide.....What's in a word.

Not meaning to demean Croc's sad news, but you'd think in todays climate, the Government would be eager to get rid of us old feckers wholesale. Oh no.......be seen to be caring......two faced cnuts. Please excuse the rant.

Regards.

Not a rant TT!

So sorry to you Old Croc & peace & good journey to your mum. Free of her physical burden.

I am a full supporter in allowing people to chose their end. The state/law should have no place in dictating what we, as individuals, can or can't do with our bodies.

Agreed absolutely.... what WE choose to do with our bodies, not what we get someone else to do with our bodies. It has to be our choice, not someone else's. Assisted suicide is homicide.

My mother died from a malignant tumour in the brain (it was the 3rd cancer she had - the previous 2 were cancer of the breast - they chopped her tits off - and cancer of the lung which spread to her brain). She spent nearly a year as a cripple. Looking into her eyes was like looking into the eyes of an animal trapped in a cage. There wasn't a human being in there. I spent a lot of my time lifting her onto and off of a pot so she could shit or piss. It was the most humiliating thing she ever did. I know this because she told me so. She spent the last 4 weeks of her life in a hospital bed pumped full of morphine, unable to shit (morphine does that to you) and complaining about how weary she was of living.

My dog died from a lethal injection of barbiturates. He had a malignant tumour in his brain. He exhibited much the same symptoms as my mother. He didn't spend a year suffering. He left this world in a moment - at peace.

Please accept my condolences for your loss OC. there is no need to feel guilt at a loved one being relieved of suffering and pain. None whatsoever.

No, most people are able kill themselves if they really want to, they've no right to involve others in the process.

Even though loved ones might be involved?

Thanks for the kind thoughts and well wishes from the members here.

I was actually reading here when the telephone call came telling me my mother had passed away. (for some reason I had woken up very early on that day)

Sorry to have hijacked the thread with my personal life, but the situation seemed to be very appropriate to the theme of the discussion.

That's okay OC, I think it brought a touch of reality to the thread.

So sorry to you Old Croc & peace & good journey to your mum. Free of her physical burden.

I am a full supporter in allowing people to chose their end. The state/law should have no place in dictating what we, as individuals, can or can't do with our bodies.

Agreed absolutely.... what WE choose to do with our bodies, not what we get someone else to do with our bodies. It has to be our choice, not someone else's. Assisted suicide is homicide.

I agree. No problem with people taking their own lives, especially when close to the natural end. But I think its also quite selfish to ask someone to help end your life. Placing that burden on a loved one, who may hold different views to your own, I think is quite unfair.