It’s time that we revise and refine our cultural lexicon around this emergent end-of-life practice. A medically assisted death definitively warrants a linguistic and conceptual category of its own.
Decisions are often made unilaterally without necessarily considering what the one dying wants or needs. A respectful death involves truly listening to the dying and being open and honest with them and the family.
When sickness and death strike, sometimes guidance from the past offers the clearest path forward.
“The rest is up to you,” he finally said, ending the conversation for good. He didn’t have any more guidance, and certainly no more patience to talk about it. I was surprised. To me, it felt slightly irresponsible to leave all these decisions to other people.
She wanted to go out on a high note, and from her point of view, she did. But for her many friends, that note was exceedingly sour. Should we blame her? Maybe.
There are so many ways do die with dignity – we can’t let the word “dignity” be hijacked to the service of just one way of dying.
The more "Final Exit" was condemned, the more people bought it who were not afraid to think about death.
VSED might not be for everyone, but it is the only chance for some to experience an end to unbearable suffering. Done with careful preparation, medical support, and compassionate caregiving, VSED offers a natural end to life.
“We reached the goal for patients like me, who aren’t terminal but degenerative, to win this battle, a battle that opens the doors for the other patients who come after me."
“Last words—it doesn’t happen like the movies. That’s not how patients die.” -- Bob Parker
