Assisted dying bill

[c1973]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34208624


Defeated in the commons today.

Personally I think that it's the wrong decision, an individual should have the right to end their life if they so desire.

 

[Ethan]

That was voted down by a combination of religiosity and cowardice. Many MPs are afraid to talk to their constituents about these difficult issues, so they go for the safe option.

I heard an observation recently that doctors are much more likely to die at home than in hospital than the average member of the public. Most doctors know that a good long life is great, but a good death on your terms is much harder to achieve. Prolonging life is often prolonging death, and many people put on ventilators in ICUs or offered powerful chemo at a big age would be better let slip away peacefully.

If I ever end up with intractable pain or a degenerative neurological disorder, I don't want heroic measures to keep me alive. I want my doctors and family to judge when my quality of life is lower than I could tolerate and soon thereafter let me go.

 

[Blue in Munich]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34208624


Defeated in the commons today.

Personally I think that it's the wrong decision, an individual should have the right to end their life if they so desire.

Couldn't agree more, provided they have the mental capacity to make the decision,, and my understanding is that whilst there is a majority of the public in favour of it, the MP's have again decided to play God and ignore the wishes of those whom they represent, although that's hardly a surprise.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It is a very emotive subject that i think will always have opposition mainly due to vast array of religious views in the country

I personally believe everyone should have the choice but it must be under the strictest of conditions

 

[Blue in Munich]

That was voted down by a combination of religiosity and cowardice. Many MPs are afraid to talk to their constituents about these difficult issues, so they go for the safe option.

I heard an observation recently that doctors are much more likely to die at home than in hospital than the average member of the public. Most doctors know that a good long life is great, but a good death on your terms is much harder to achieve. Prolonging life is often prolonging death, and many people put on ventilators in ICUs or offered powerful chemo at a big age would be better let slip away peacefully.

If I ever end up with intractable pain or a degenerative neurological disorder, I don't want heroic measures to keep me alive. I want my doctors and family to judge when my quality of life is lower than I could tolerate and soon thereafter let me go.

Summed up very eloquently.

 

[c1973]

That was voted down by a combination of religiosity and cowardice. Many MPs are afraid to talk to their constituents about these difficult issues, so they go for the safe option.

I heard an observation recently that doctors are much more likely to die at home than in hospital than the average member of the public. Most doctors know that a good long life is great, but a good death on your terms is much harder to achieve. Prolonging life is often prolonging death, and many people put on ventilators in ICUs or offered powerful chemo at a big age would be better let slip away peacefully.

If I ever end up with intractable pain or a degenerative neurological disorder, I don't want heroic measures to keep me alive. I want my doctors and family to judge when my quality of life is lower than I could tolerate and soon thereafter let me go.

Those against could do worse than read this post. :thup:

 

[bluewolf]

A terrible cowardly decision. Once again, politicians decide to ignore the wishes of the general population.

 

[Three]

Couldn't agree more, provided they have the mental capacity to make the decision,, and my understanding is that whilst there is a majority of the public in favour of it, the MP's have again decided to play God and ignore the wishes of those whom they represent, although that's hardly a surprise.

Not "having the mental capacity" would additionally also be good enough reason for me .

Whenever I'm physically incapable, I'll be off,my choice.

If I'm a cabbage, I would hope whoever's responsible for looking after me would do us both a favour.
Life's for living.

 

[Hobbit]

For 5 years we watched an extremely bright, intelligent, funny and caring woman degenerate into an incontinent 2yr old who couldn't recognise her own son/daughter/family when they visited. Numerous lengthy stays in hospital whilst her body wouldn't make that final leap. We knew her thoughts on being like that as it had been discussed many times after her initial diagnosis, whilst she was still bright enough to understand the changes she was going through.

The thought of others having to endure that, especially if a rational decision had been arrived at, is deperately sad. It is also avoidable if men of courage do the right thing. They can make the decision to bomb the hell out of innocent people but haven't got the balls to help those closer to home who need a comfortable, dignified death.

 

[Wilson]

Having watched my Dad battle a terminal illness, I was really disappointed to see this get voted down today.

Dad said the worst part of his illness was losing his dignity, he would have much preferred to go on his own terms.

 

[Jacko_G]

I can chose to end the suffering my dog went through as it was best for it yet as a country we value the dignity and suffering of an animal higher than our fellow humans.

Terrible decision.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not a huge surprise it got defeated but good to see it being discussed for the first time in twenty years in the Lords. I think there's still a lot of suspicion, religious agendas and cowardice. Nursed my father and mother through terminal cancer and while I don't think for a second they'd have opted to take the option had it been available, their quality of life towards the end was shocking and lacked dignity. It's a poor decision

 

[SaintHacker]

That was voted down by a combination of religiosity and cowardice. Many MPs are afraid to talk to their constituents about these difficult issues, so they go for the safe option.

I heard an observation recently that doctors are much more likely to die at home than in hospital than the average member of the public. Most doctors know that a good long life is great, but a good death on your terms is much harder to achieve. Prolonging life is often prolonging death, and many people put on ventilators in ICUs or offered powerful chemo at a big age would be better let slip away peacefully.

If I ever end up with intractable pain or a degenerative neurological disorder, I don't want heroic measures to keep me alive. I want my doctors and family to judge when my quality of life is lower than I could tolerate and soon thereafter let me go.

Excellent post.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

On balance I am OK with it failing. Once you are gone you are gone - no second thoughts or regrets.

I will have a better view on how I think on this some months down the line as my dear mum has just been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumor - so months rather than years. Even just five weeks post-diagnosis and now in a palliative care unit, she feels she is a huge burden on us - and she shouldn't feel that way. But is she had her way and the bill had been passed...

I may have changed my mind some months hence. But at the moment - yes - I'm OK with the outcome today.

 

[Blue in Munich]

On balance I am OK with it failing. Once you are gone you are gone - no second thoughts or regrets.

I will have a better view on how I think on this some months down the line as my dear mum has just been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumor - so months rather than years. Even just five weeks post-diagnosis and now in a palliative care unit, she feels she is a huge burden on us - and she shouldn't feel that way. But is she had her way and the bill had been passed...

I may have changed my mind some months hence. But at the moment - yes - I'm OK with the outcome today.

That sounds pretty much like the diagnosis my mother received; unfortunately unlike your mum feeling, thinking and quite a few other things weren't an option to her during her last months after the diagnosis. Had we kept an animal alive in the same circumstances I have no doubt we would have been prosecuted for cruelty, and that experience forms no small part of why I hold the opposite view.

I sincerely hope, for your mother's sake in particular, that she and her family do not suffer through this like mine did, but I suspect that I may be disappointed and that your viewpoint may change.

 

[bluewolf]

On balance I am OK with it failing. Once you are gone you are gone - no second thoughts or regrets.

I will have a better view on how I think on this some months down the line as my dear mum has just been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumor - so months rather than years. Even just five weeks post-diagnosis and now in a palliative care unit, she feels she is a huge burden on us - and she shouldn't feel that way. But is she had her way and the bill had been passed...

I may have changed my mind some months hence. But at the moment - yes - I'm OK with the outcome today.

Forgive me for using your situation to make a point. But, you are a religious person are you not? Do you think that your Religious beliefs are what is influencing your opinion on this matter?

It must be so much easier to form an opinion on this when you are not religious. It's such a Black/White issue to me.

 

[Hobbit]

I think there's are a number of facets to this. But, ultimately, without wishing to dissect things to the nth degree like protection of the terminally ill, are they in a fit state to make a decision etc, I feel there should be one overriding factor. That it should be the choice of the individual that is terminally ill. Someone may be virtually taking their last breath but want to live, whilst another might appear reasonably fit but have a diagnosis/prognosis that isn't good. If "we" take that choice from them and terminate them, "we" are murdering them. Equally, if "we" keep them alive, leaving them in horrendous pain, suffering and taking away their dignity "we" are subjecting them to the ultimate cruelty.

The choice to terminate life should never, ever reside with a clinician, judge nor anyone other than the person choosing death. Yes, the clinician will and should inform the individual on how the disease/condition with progress and how the body will deteriorate but they should never tell that person they should terminate their life. Nor should the right to have that wish changed reside with a family member. We all wish our relatives will live forever but sometimes we have to put our wishes to one side and respect those made by the terminally ill relative.

All of the above is just my opinion.

Whatever choice one person feels is right, another might want the opposite. There's no wrong opinion in this, and the ultimate decision, either way, should be the choice of the person that is suffering.

 

[DCB]

Interesting reading through the various posts on here. We've all had family and relatives who have had a terminal illness and watched in despair as their condition worsened and awaited the end game and welcomed it with relief. I wonder how we would feel if it was our own self who was in the position of the patient ?

Eighteen months ago I had a fairly innocuous fall which over a period of 36 hours caused almost total paralysis from the neck down. Emergency surgery was required to "try to give me some beneficial use of my hands". Had the damage been one vertebrae higher, I'd most likely have stopped breathing by myself, it was really that serious. Anyway, a successful operation actually gave me a far better chance of recovery than was initially expected. At no time did I give up and want to chuck it all in, either before the op or after it. From my point of view, the fact I survived the surgery meant I'd be okay in the long term. And, to cut a long story short, that is what has happened after lots of hard work by the medical professionals and by myself.

Until we are in a position where we are actually facing down a situation that has life changing consequences for our own selves, we really don't know just how we will think and react. I've been there and based on my own experiences I'm happy with the outcome of the vote this week.

 

[Jacko_G]

Interesting reading through the various posts on here. We've all had family and relatives who have had a terminal illness and watched in despair as their condition worsened and awaited the end game and welcomed it with relief. I wonder how we would feel if it was our own self who was in the position of the patient ?

Eighteen months ago I had a fairly innocuous fall which over a period of 36 hours caused almost total paralysis from the neck down. Emergency surgery was required to "try to give me some beneficial use of my hands". Had the damage been one vertebrae higher, I'd most likely have stopped breathing by myself, it was really that serious. Anyway, a successful operation actually gave me a far better chance of recovery than was initially expected. At no time did I give up and want to chuck it all in, either before the op or after it. From my point of view, the fact I survived the surgery meant I'd be okay in the long term. And, to cut a long story short, that is what has happened after lots of hard work by the medical professionals and by myself.

Until we are in a position where we are actually facing down a situation that has life changing consequences for our own selves, we really don't know just how we will think and react. I've been there and based on my own experiences I'm happy with the outcome of the vote this week.

Again with all due respect your talking with hindsight, try watching someone who has not made a successful recovery deteriorate to such an extent that they do not even recognise you, can't go to the toilet, brush their own teeth, decide what they like or don't like, know where they are, get bed sores, become skin and bone.

There is no quality of life for some terminally ill people. Keeping people alive in certain situations is cruel on both the person and the immediate family and friends.

 

[ger147]

Personally I would want all options to be available to me so the sooner the law is changed the better.