Massachusetts May Soon Change How the Nation Dies

Yes and no. Most people are not medical experts and, shouldn't have to become so just to die with some dignity.

The thing is, what kills one person may not kill another and most things that you can eaisly get your hands on, and even most prescriptions, are within dosage ranges that are quite safe. Yes, you can kill yourself many ways, but, many of those ways are less effective than you might think.

I personally knew a guy who tried to off himself with barbituates. He failed, woke up several days later. This is actually fairly common with that route.

Also many terminally ill patients are in no condition to do that research and administer the drugs without help.

Which is why, I think we really need the second... Doctors able to help.

I plan to vote for this one. I have worked among the medical community (at MGH no less), I have been there when my family had to have stern words with doctors who somehow interpreted our grandfather's DNR order as "Recessitate and put on a ventilator".

This is such an important issue for so many reasons. So many people in ongoing pain that don't need to be, so many families that need to move on. I hate to bring it to money but.... 50% of health care costs are spent in the last 5 years of life.....and for what? The fact that so many doctors opt to not have chemo and opt to die rather than hang on like so many of their patients are made to should say something.

Don't get me wrong, if someone wants to fight to the biter end, and get as many waking moments as possible, regardless of their quality, more power to them. However, what compassion is there in forcing people to go on living who have nothing to look forward to except deterioration in a bed?

I honestly think Bill Hicks described the situation best in his comical suggestion that we use terminally ill people as stunt doubles in action films. "Do you want your grandmother to die in a sterile hospital bed, he translucent skin so thin you can see the last beat of her heart, or do you want her to meet Chuck Norris?.... wow Chuck just kicked her head clear off, my grandma is no longer in pain...this is the best movie ever!"

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/QcBbPW3c_pI/massachusetts-may-soon-change-how-the-nation-dies

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