Terminal brain cancer patient fulfills bucket list before her "scheduled death"

[Omega]

Do you brush your teeth?  Why not let nature take its course?  Obviously, a littly silly, but life is precious, and we should as individuals protect it to the best of our ability!

I don't espouse to not brush your teeth, but to give you the choice of pulling your tooth or getting a root canal.

[runco]

"I" wasn't criticizing you. I respect your opinion and your right to have it.

I think, I could be wrong....but I think you may be confusing personal choice with euthanasia. The line must be CLEARLY drawn at 'personal choice' and anything more is beyond contestation. Sans a living will or power of attorney, NO ONE should EVER have the authority to make the decision for you. Not EVER. It's why I am a firm beleiver in having a last will and testament and where applicable, living wills and DNR's.

I didn't take it that way, but taking ones life because of health issue to me is the same slippery slope as euthanasia. 

[Smith]

Cherish life. Protect life. Fight for life. Celebrating weakness and even calling it courage, I believe is the result of a society who has their priorities out of order.
I understand the girls decision and don't have much issue with it. I have an issue with the celebration and "courage" publicity this women has generated to celebrate what leans to the coward and selfish side of life.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Cherish life. Protect life. Fight for life. Celebrating weakness and even calling it courage, I believe is the result of a society who has their priorities out of order.
I understand the girls decision and don't have much issue with it. I have an issue with the celebration and "courage" publicity this women has generated to celebrate what leans to the coward and selfish side of life.

What is selfish  and  cowardly about a person wanting to spare her family and loved ones the plight of having to care for her while she lingers on in pain ?  

[bersaguy]

Do you brush your teeth?  Why not let nature take its course?  Obviously, a littly silly, but life is precious, and we should as individuals protect it to the best of our ability!

No. I don't brush my teeth!!!!  :panic:  But I do take them out each night and put them in a glass with a cleaner in it beside my bed............... :whistle:

[Smith]

What is selfish  and  cowardly about a person wanting to spare her family and loved ones the plight of having to care for her while she lingers on in pain ?  

You didn't read my post in context.

 

Life is hard and taking the easy way out is not always what is best for those around us. Often times it is in the struggles we go through that not only shape us but those around us. This argument is not a new one. By your logic the Germans and the eugenist were right and many of the people of the world should have been eradicated for their own benefit. The struggles of the poor could be cured by encouraging them to end their suffering.   :down:  

 

The struggle this women and whatever she encounters, is so far less that what many children in third world countries live with every day. Do we encourage them to take their lives because it's just too hard? What about all the teenagers struggling to deal with life as all teenagers do. Do we lift this banner up and say suffering is too much. It is better to not live with suffering than to see what the future holds? Now, her situation is a bit different in details but it is the same principle and what I addressed in my first post.

 

Again, I have no problem with her decision. I have a problem with the celebration of a cowardly selfish choice and then publicising it to find acceptance for what she knows to be such. If it were not selfish then she would have asked her family what they wanted and let them make a decision without her input. She made a decision for herself and there is little that can change that reality. Just because both choices are difficult doesn't make them courageous. The decision for a soldier to flee in battle is a difficult one, but I won't celebrate him just because it was a hard decision to abandon his fellow soldiers.  

[bersaguy]

I knew I would take a lot of criticism from my response, but I just believe that life is special and very precious.  As society looses this concept, and hides, yes hides behind I respect choices, and who am I to judge others, the precious human life becomes more distant and grows cold with value.  We already murder children before they are born by no fault of their own, we are already on the path to let terminally ill people kill themselves and we promote it as if that was honorable and respectful.  Oregon already allows medical help to help qualified terminally ill people end their life.  What is next?  Let people die because its too costly to treat the medical conditions, murder mentally ill people because their quality of life and society cannot be compared, people with certain religious affiliations, legalize all illegal drugs so people can do what they want, get rid of people with red hair, people who are fat, people who smoke, people who don't wear motorcycle helmets, and so on.  Once we take away the sanctity of life, where does it stop.  All life is precious and deserves protection.  

 

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness was once just a dream.  I guess that should be changed to just Liberty and pursuit of happiness............... :2cents:

Just to clear up one thing here about this post. Except for the most heinous crimes of rape or incest that creates a pregnancy I am totally against abortions. I don't believe that just because a woman and a man engage in sex and a pregnancy occurs that is reason for an abortion. They both knew going in that there is a small chance-of it happening but they take that chance they should be willing to accept the responsibility of allowing the child to be born. They are not forced to keep the child. There are 1000's of really great people in this country on waiting lists to adopt a child that for some reason cannot have one of their own but willing to give one or more a wonderful home. The only problem with that is the stupid Federal Government RED TAPE AND HOOPS they want people to jump through to adopt a child has cause people to start going out of country to adopt because the rules in other nations are much easier to bring a child to the home of loving parents. If the Federal Government would get out of the adoption business and let it be handled at the state government level I think more children would be in loving homes a lot more and a lot sooner............JMHO 

[10-Ring]

Although I'm not totally in favor of abortions, the whole "there are tons of people that want children to adopt" thing doesn't hold water.  There are already too many children who don't have families, yet there are people who want to adopt but do not qualify.  A close friend of mine and his wife looked into adoption recently after they found out that they couldn't have children of their own.  Most of these adoption organizations are christian based.  My friend and his wife were denied for the sole reason that he has to work on Sundays and couldn't be in church every Sunday.  Never mind the fact that they would provide a loving family, a financially secure household, and a bright future for a child.  Seems to me that these organizations would be putting children in any home that wanted them unless there was a really good reason not to.  As much as I hate the idea of abortion as birth control we already have too many homeless children.  I think the deal should be that a woman can get an abortion as birth control but she should have to be sterialized afterwards. 

[toby1304]

. Edited November 1, 2014 by toby1304

[Omega]

I don't know her, and honestly don't care what her final decision turns out to be.  I don't even care if this whole thing turns out to be a complete hoax; I am just glad it has shown a spotlight on the issue.  We as a society need to have this discussion and discussions like this to move these issues into light.  We for far too long have made decisions as a society that belong to only the individual. And yes, that includes things like abortions.  Though I am against it unless its a case of incest or rape, I have no business pushing my beliefs on others.  And the more I interact with our broken society, the more I come to believe more should of been aborted before they became the menace that they have become.  

[runco]

Very thankful these men made it their business, to push their beliefs, push their ideas, and push their judgment onto society.  We need more men and women to do the same today, and not be scared or intimidated of what their neighbor or friend may think or voice about them. 

 

George Washington

James Madison

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Benjamin Franklin

Alexander Hamilton

George Mason

Gouverneur Morris

Roger Sherman

James Wilson

Edmund Randolph

many more

 

Source:

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-founding-fathers/about-the-founding-fathers/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States

[btq96r]

I don't know her, and honestly don't care what her final decision turns out to be.  I don't even care if this whole thing turns out to be a complete hoax; I am just glad it has shown a spotlight on the issue.  We as a society need to have this discussion and discussions like this to move these issues into light.  We for far too long have made decisions as a society that belong to only the individual. And yes, that includes things like abortions.  Though I am against it unless its a case of incest or rape, I have no business pushing my beliefs on others.  And the more I interact with our broken society, the more I come to believe more should of been aborted before they became the menace that they have become.  

 

Well said, Omega.

[Good_Steward]

This is an absolutely tragic story. I cannot even begin to imagine the emotions and heartbreak that she and her family us going through right now.

I also believe that this should be a personal choice. Given a life of nothing but pain and suffering with no hope of recovery versus a peaceful self-euthinazation, it's not hard to see why she made the choice. Edited November 2, 2014 by Good_Steward

[suspiciousmind]

You didn't read my post in context.
 
Life is hard and taking the easy way out is not always what is best for those around us. Often times it is in the struggles we go through that not only shape us but those around us. This argument is not a new one. By your logic the Germans and the eugenist were right and many of the people of the world should have been eradicated for their own benefit. The struggles of the poor could be cured by encouraging them to end their suffering.   :down:  
 
The struggle this women and whatever she encounters, is so far less that what many children in third world countries live with every day. Do we encourage them to take their lives because it's just too hard? What about all the teenagers struggling to deal with life as all teenagers do. Do we lift this banner up and say suffering is too much. It is better to not live with suffering than to see what the future holds? Now, her situation is a bit different in details but it is the same principle and what I addressed in my first post.
 
Again, I have no problem with her decision. I have a problem with the celebration of a cowardly selfish choice and then publicising it to find acceptance for what she knows to be such. If it were not selfish then she would have asked her family what they wanted and let them make a decision without her input. She made a decision for herself and there is little that can change that reality. Just because both choices are difficult doesn't make them courageous. The decision for a soldier to flee in battle is a difficult one, but I won't celebrate him just because it was a hard decision to abandon his fellow soldiers.

What is there left to shape or mold for this girl? She's dying. She chose to die peacefully instead of the otherwise inevitable excruciating physical and emotional pain.

As for suicide, I think it is unfair to call it cowardly or selfish. It takes a hell of a lot of courage to pull that off.

Abortion is a separate topic for me. Defenseless life is different.

[Omega]

It looks like she has passed; Rest in Peace :http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/03/terminally-ill-woman-follows-through-on-decision-to-end-her-life-dies-in-Oregon/

[dats82]

Death is very much a part of every life.  To cherish life, we must also embrace death.  Death is not defeat, and much can be gleaned from death, nearly as much as from life.  I have witnessed many people's last moments and death, and because of my line of work, I will witness many more to come.  I personally feel that we often torture people through their last days, because all too often, the family has not accepted death as the individual has.  If there is anything that is selfish with death and terminal illness, in may experience, it would be just that; the family does not allow death.  To criticize a person and call them selfish for controlling their own death in the face of a terminal illness and not allowing their family to be burdened with those decisions is ridiculous.

 

Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, euthanasia is a common path out of life for many terminal patients.  The amount of narcotics required to control the pain eventually knocks out the respiratory drive enough that the patient essentially dies from hypoxia.  Unfortunately, this peaceful end usually comes after prolonged pain and suffering.  Why should we force people to suffer and prolong the inevitable? 

 

I will not criticize a person's choice in death, and I absolutely cherish life as much as anyone else on this Earth. I do not consider these cases in equal with suicide of an otherwise healthy person. However, I would consider both examples of suicide to be death due to a disease process. 

 

With all this debate about this topic, let it serve as a reminder to us all.  Document your wishes, have a living will, and appoint a power of attorney. 

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

You didn't read my post in context.

 

Life is hard and taking the easy way out is not always what is best for those around us. Often times it is in the struggles we go through that not only shape us but those around us. This argument is not a new one. By your logic the Germans and the eugenist were right and many of the people of the world should have been eradicated for their own benefit. The struggles of the poor could be cured by encouraging them to end their suffering.   :down:

 

The struggle this women and whatever she encounters, is so far less that what many children in third world countries live with every day. Do we encourage them to take their lives because it's just too hard? What about all the teenagers struggling to deal with life as all teenagers do. Do we lift this banner up and say suffering is too much. It is better to not live with suffering than to see what the future holds? Now, her situation is a bit different in details but it is the same principle and what I addressed in my first post.

 

Again, I have no problem with her decision. I have a problem with the celebration of a cowardly selfish choice and then publicising it to find acceptance for what she knows to be such. If it were not selfish then she would have asked her family what they wanted and let them make a decision without her input. She made a decision for herself and there is little that can change that reality. Just because both choices are difficult doesn't make them courageous. The decision for a soldier to flee in battle is a difficult one, but I won't celebrate him just because it was a hard decision to abandon his fellow soldiers.  

I read your post ... nothing is getting celebrated ...its HER decision to end her own life.. seems that all her family was Ok with it and came to terms with it..thats what makes it easier.. planned vs  a sudden death is very different..I hope I can plan my own death when I see fit..I am hoping my loved ones understand and are not seflish enough to keep me with them when I am in so much pain and cant bear it any longer..Sometimes loving someone very much means having to let go.

[MphsTiger1981]

My first wife died of cancer when she was 38 years old. She had melanoma which eventually metastasized to her lungs, liver, then her brain. We fought it as hard and as long as we were able. We saw doctors in Santa Monica and tried new chemo protocols but in the end, we all knew she was terminal. I found out when we got the results of the MRI of her brain, but I never chose to tell her exactly how long the doctors had given her to live. My fear was if she heard how short her time was thought to be, she might give up and quit believing, quit fighting. I simply didn't want her to stop fighting. I needed her to live, our 10 year old daughter needed her to live, as did all of her family. It was not easy. In the end she was unable to do anything for herself and she relied upon me for the simplest and most personal things. I loved her greatly and would have done anything possible to extend her life just a few more hours, or to make her the slightest bit more comfortable. Was I selfish? Perhaps. I know it's hard to believe, but through twenty one years together both dating, and in marriage, my wife and I were never closer as a couple than in her final months and days, battling her disease together. Watching the strength and grace with which she lived her life was and has been an inspiration to me to this day. While it was tough seeing her slowly losing her ability to fight, the closeness we shared during those days will never be forgotten. I do not regret a single moment, or a single decision, and I rest easy knowing my wife died after fighting the good fight, and running the good race. My own personal experience tells me this young lady may have chosen the day and the hour of her death, but in so doing she may have missed out some very special moments with her family, moments they may someday wish they had to remember. Sometimes the simplest joys of life truly come from being in the midst of the storm with those we love the most. May God rest her soul.

[R_Bert]

^^^^profound.

 

verbalizes what I did not know how to say. Thank you for sharing such a personal and touching experience.

Edited November 4, 2014 by R_Bert

[runco]

My first wife died of cancer when she was 38 years old. She had melanoma which eventually metastasized to her lungs, liver, then her brain. We fought it as hard and as long as we were able. We saw doctors in Santa Monica and tried new chemo protocols but in the end, we all knew she was terminal. I found out when we got the results of the MRI of her brain, but I never chose to tell her exactly how long the doctors had given her to live. My fear was if she heard how short her time was thought to be, she might give up and quit believing, quit fighting. I simply didn't want her to stop fighting. I needed her to live, our 10 year old daughter needed her to live, as did all of her family. It was not easy. In the end she was unable to do anything for herself and she relied upon me for the simplest and most personal things. I loved her greatly and would have done anything possible to extend her life just a few more hours, or to make her the slightest bit more comfortable. Was I selfish? Perhaps. I know it's hard to believe, but through twenty one years together both dating, and in marriage, my wife and I were never closer as a couple than in her final months and days, battling her disease together. Watching the strength and grace with which she lived her life was and has been an inspiration to me to this day. While it was tough seeing her slowly losing her ability to fight, the closeness we shared during those days will never be forgotten. I do not regret a single moment, or a single decision, and I rest easy knowing my wife died after fighting the good fight, and running the good race. My own personal experience tells me this young lady may have chosen the day and the hour of her death, but in so doing she may have missed out some very special moments with her family, moments they may someday wish they had to remember. Sometimes the simplest joys of life truly come from being in the midst of the storm with those we love the most. May God rest her soul.

That was simply beautiful.   Thank you for sharing.  What and honor and testament to your loved one.  

[btq96r]

Read this on another site where we are discussing the same topic.

 

Think about this.....
We often put down dogs, cats and other pets when they become too sick as it is "inhumane" to let them suffer any longer. Yet in most states, we can't do this on our own accord.

 

Now, to head off the inevitable question...no, I'm not trying to compare human life to animal life.  But it does show us that we are clouded in judgement when it comes to human life.  That's fine, it means we're human.  There is selfishness in any decision with this topic.  I also think that there are those who are scared of death and want to put it off as long as they can.  Nothing wrong with that.

 

But to me, this is an individual decision.  If someone wants to fight on until the end, enduring the pain to have those last moments with loved ones, I support that and wish them well.  If someone wants to spare themselves the pain and spare their loved ones the hurt of the long goodbye, I support that and wish them well.

 

It's not for me to condemn anybody's life or death decisions actions if they aren't harmful to me or society at large.

Edited November 4, 2014 by btq96r