[Diary/Dairy]

Poor lady!!!

[rn/writer]

I didn't see anything in the article about her death. Did she take her own life?

[Diary/Dairy]

I was wondering that too!

[presuppose]

"Yet they want a HCW to do it for them. And this I have a problem with."

This is also a conflict for me, although this case seemed more extreme to me than other cases I've dealt with.
You are correct. Health care does NOT need to go down the slippery slope called euthanasia.

Thanks for your input on this difficult subject!

[fellybabe]

poor woman

[gizelda]

This case is all about Death with Dignity. Death and dying and peoples right to chose how and when they go out. We as nurses are our pt advocates ,regardless how we feel on the subject. If they are bearing insufferable pain and with no way to end it ,other than death , so be it. There is just such a taboo on suicide in general. Social and personal morals get in the way. Some one else said it we treat animals with more dignity than humans. and it just isn't right. I think people need to understand what kind of "pain" these people endure day in and day out. We have got to do something about pain and suffering . "Euthanasia " happens everyday in this world. It needs to be brought into the light. We need to start talking about this . Coming up with solutions, Passing laws. I was so hoping that Dr. Jack would have brought this to light. Instead he went to jail and this subject has again become taboo and has gone under ground. People have got to have the right to chose . MDs, RNs, and family shouldn't have to make these choices and be afraid of going to jail for murder. Imagine your mother dieing in pain and just screaming and begging "just let me die" every day, just begging . She is total care by now . cant do anything for herself other than just lie there in pain and you finally give in and give her a fatal dose of some narcotic and next thing you know your on trail for murder. On her death certificate It states homicide, instead of cancer. It just isn't right. We need laws to protect this choice.
Poor women. I am sorry she had to suffer so much though the end of her life. She should have been allowed with the assistance of her MD, to die with dignity.

[gizelda]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/condi...umor/#soundoff
here is a link to the CNN article. The police are investigating her death.
Lots of interesting comments .

[Joy69]

Sometimes there are worse things than death.

[HM2Viking]

So very sad. I can only imagins the extreme emotional and physical pain that she went through over the end of her life.

I also think that the laws need to protect our right as patients to self determination about our care and that does include death with dignity.

[Dental Hygienist]

I wonder what the legal considerations are if a person has a DNR and then "mysteriously" gets a fatal dose of narcotics? Would there likely be an investigation? I'm not sure I agree with full-blown, hospital sanctioned euthenasia perse...but I think there should be some sort of legal shelter for a loved one who carries out the person's final wish.