Tag: suffering

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“Framing” the right-to-die for the United States

Recently, Derek Humphry wrote about the words we use to discuss end-of-life concerns in the US, focusing on the appropriateness of the term "suicide."  He did so, in part, to stimulate a discussion about the words we use.  Like Humphry, I have no personal problem with the use of the term suicide–it accurately describes death by our own hand–but I resist it for several reasons. (Continue reading ...)
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Hastening death is not always an easy path: What should Jane do?

Many people with debilitating and irreversible health conditions do not have supportive family and friends. They include include people with metastatic cancer, irreversible neurological conditions, and multiple medical problems that have taken away any enjoyment and quality of life as determined by them.  They no longer want to continue living because they know that their condition will only worsen, and for them it is already beyond bad.  There is no realistic hope that their lives will improve.  Most of the time, family members and friends are able to see the suffering in their loved one's life and understand a desire to end the suffering.  But this is not always the case, as illustrated in this post. (Continue reading ...)
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Opposition to medical-assistance-in-dying–Part 1

With this post, I begin a multi-part series about the views of those who oppose medical-assistance-in-dying (MAID) or have written critically about MAID laws.  I think there are some good ideas that we can learn from these critics to help us improve MAID laws, though that is not their intent.  They will oppose MAID under any law, no matter how carefully written. (Continue reading ...)
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One man’s experience using Washington’s PAD law

A Washington state man, Aaron McQ, described his illness (a rare form of ALS) as "terrifying . . . like waking up every morning in quicksand."  He agreed to discuss his experience with Kaiser News to help provide more understanding about how users feel after qualifying for PAD.  Over 3,000 terminally ill residents in the US have used PAD laws since Oregon's first took effect twenty years ago. This is one man's experience. (Continue reading ...)
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