Reply to If putting animals to sleep is considered the kind option why don't we do it for people?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For years, my father donated money to an organization that lobbies for the right to assisted suicide. It’s not legal in very many states, and he did not live in a state where it is legal. In his late 70s, he received a terminal cancer diagnosis. It was an uncommon, very aggressive cancer that is not usually diagnosed until it is late stage (there’s no screening test for it and no early symptoms). He died less than 7 weeks after the cancer was detected. The rapidity of his physical deterioration was astonishing and traumatizing for us to witness. The maximum dose of morphine plus fentanyl was not keeping him comfortable. He was in agony. A week before he died, he was placed in hospice care. Hospice confiscated his drugs and would only dole out a couple days’ worth at a time. I wouldn’t wish the final 4-5 days of my father’s life on anyone. They were filled with pointless suffering and were horrifying to watch. We no longer had any options because we no longer had a cache of morphine. I am filled with deep regret that I couldn’t spare my father at least those last 3 days, especially because of his personal views on assisted suicide. I feel that I let him down.

I now have a different terminal cancer diagnosis. I’m much younger and have more time left than my father did. I’m in treatment and plan to be an outlier and defy the odds. However, I have already had a talk with my family about decisions that need to be made before involving hospice and losing control of meds. I also do not live in a state where assisted suicide is legal. I want options at the end.

My father was very involved in his church and a faithful Christian, but the truth is that most states don’t allow people to terminate human life because of the common religious belief that life is sacred and we are commanded by God not to end life, even to spare suffering. Too bad for you if you don’t share that belief.[/quote]

My FIL died in a similar way and it has been very radicalizing for my spouse, who was present when he died in horrible pain. We've now talked about this quite a bit, how to deal with the restrictions on pain meds at end of life. I understand the ethical concerns but especially when you are talking about someone in their 70s or 80s who has explicitly said "I don't want to be in pain," it just seems obvious that you should be able to give them a higher dose until they are not in pain, even if it essentially kills them. When you're talking about a fatal diagnosis and when doctors have no other way to treat, this should be an option and I simply don't understand why it isn't. [/quote]

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