SUICIDE...
Physician-assisted
SUICIDE
DEATH....
with
LOVE, bravery, pride, wisdom, dignity, compassion, relief...
and freedom
The
author, who is a physician, has initiated these
personal notes and thoughts and comments about
"P.A.S."
Selected
from the on-going INTERNET BOOK, "The Doctor's
Terrific Tablets"
(
http://www.terrific-tabs.com
)
by John
N. Todd III, M. D.
(link)
The web-link to this
essay is: http://www.terrific-tabs.com/print_suicide.htm
To send a "live" link to a friend, copy and paste
this web-link in an email message.
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See related "tablet": EUTHANASIA
for HUMANS, turtles, horses, and
dogs
(link)
AND: MORTALNESS...
We're all born to die
(link)
AND: Author's
Death Note
"Doctored" -- 12/01; 3/02; 4/02; 5/02; 6/02; 9/02; 10/02;
11/02; 4/03; 6/03; 9/03; 11/03; 7/04; 10/04; 11/04; 1/05;
4/05; 5/05; 6/05; 10/05; 11/05; 2/27/07;
12/7/07
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This is a
personal commentary by the author of this website....
a physician who has diagnosed and treated and "managed" many
dying patients....
a physician who has observed and "interacted with" the
family and loved-ones of many absolutely miserable
and helpless terminally-ill patients....
a physician who has watched many fellow-humans, suffering
and lingering, then succumbing to the inevitable
result of an incurable, uncorrectable, ghastly
illness....
a physician who is very much
in favor of
"physician-assisted-suicide", in which a quick and
easy assisted-suicidal-departure from this
life is chosen and requested and controlled by a
cognizant patient.... in consultation with
trusted physicians.... and with the support of
loving family members.
But
FIRST..... It is extremely important to understand
the difference between
physician-assisted-suicide
and physician-induced-euthanasia,
(as "popularized" by Dr. Kevorkian).
Physician-induced-euthanasia ["euthanasia"
means, literally, "good death"] is a procedure in which
a patient, in cooperation with his physicians,
decides that he or she wants to end his existence in
this life, because of an unbearable and uncorrectable
medical ailment. With "euthanasia", the patient
requests and allows the
physician to inject a medication which
induces a painless and rapid demise. This "procedure"
of planned euthanasia.... a consorting of patient and
physician.... was "utilized" by Dr. Kevorkian;
and has been widely discussed, pro and con, in the news.
More will be said about "euthanasia", below.
Physician-assisted-suicide
differs from "euthanasia" in one primary way.
In physician-assisted-suicide, a medical
doctor prescribes for the patient an ordinary
"sleeping-pill" (such as a barbiturate). The doctor
prescribes a large number of these "sleeping-pills" -- a
number which would be lethal if taken all at one time.
Instructions are given on the prescription bottle, that if
the sleeping-pills are taken in excessive amounts, serious
side-effects would result.... even death. All of this is
explained in detail, to a cognizant patient, and to his
loving family. If the patient decides that he
(or she) has suffered enough, and that there is no logical
and realistic hope for return to a functional
existence, the patient may decide that he will ingest a
"cocktail" solution of all the "sleeping-pills".... thereby
leading to a fast and gentle and painless departure from
this world.
(In my opinion, this method of self-induced
demise constitutes a brave and loving and intelligent
and honorable way to escape intense and
hopeless agony.)
Everyone
should remember.... SUICIDE
CANNOT BE PREVENTED by any LAW,
or by any GOVERNMENTAL MANDATE. The primary
"benefit" of physician-asssisted-suicide is that the
means of suicide becomes simple,
humane, and painless. Physician-assisted-suicide is a
civilized method of allowing an
understanding patient to end his own earthly
existence -- without his having to consider
blowing-out-his-brains with a
pistol-shot, or executing himself with a shotgun
poked into his abdomen.
Statement
by the author: "This commentary expresses an opinion
reflecting only my personal thoughts
and feelings. I have no interest in
attempting to convince anyone to consider or utilize
physician-assisted-suicide."
I am a
physician.
I am a human-being.
I am a Protestant Christian.
I have never "played God" (as is sometimes said of
"doctors").
I have never "assisted" a patient in suicide.
I (like most physicians) have witnessed suffering and death
and dying, in my patients.... many, many times.... during my
32 years in the practice of Internal Medicine and
Cardiology.
I have seen and treated ghastly and agonizing
and painful illnesses in many of my treasured
patients -- who were doomed to inevitable and
impending death.
I have treated many post-stroke patients.... partially
paralyzed, usually unable to speak intelligibly....
frequently unable to stand and walk; sometimes drooling, and
unable to swallow.... ALL embarrassed by their
appearance and their functional impairment; and ALL
terribly chagrined because of being a "burden" and an
expense to their loved-ones.
I have seen many, many patients in dreadful pain.... lying
in misery -- reeking with the aroma of
fatal-illness and impending demise.... aggravated by gastric
tubes, bladder catheters, tracheostomies,
pump-ventilators.... and all the other torturous
human-inventions that simply prolong
suffering.
I have seen innumerable patients in a post-surgical
phase.... many times after a pointless and
fruitless and expensive surgical procedure....
patients and their families waiting and
waiting.... for the relief and peace that only
death can bring.
I have looked into the tomb, personally.... and have faced
imminent death (yes, with a treatable illness) -- and
I have felt the suffocating misery of severe oxygen-deficit,
and the gasping and labored respirations concomitant
with pulmonary embolism.... and I have personally
felt the profound weakness and helpless
incapacitation of severe blood-loss.
As a patient in the hospital, myself, I have personally
hand-written a death-note
(link) to my family, and to my physicians -- with specific
instructions not to "falsely" prolong my illness (my
life) -- if additional uncorrectable decline
supervened. I have eagerly hoped for, and awaited death....
rather than being frivolously "treated", and allowed to
suffer the indignities of "life" (existence) without
function, and without hope.
I was taught, early in my medical training, that "life is
qualitative, not
quantitative".... and I have explained that
philosophical "truth" to many patients and friends.... and
to my family.
I have guided the families of many dying patients, as these
loving families (themselves) suffered horribly -- while they
watched their dear-ones dwindle and waste-away, and suffer
in the throes and anguish of terminal illness.
I am aware of many caring physicians who (in
conjunction with, and encouragement
by loving families) have withheld or reduced
useless terminal therapies in their cherished
patients.... remembering that the function of a physician is
to "prolong life.... but not to prolong
suffering".
(I have heard the term "passive
euthanasia", in reference to this concept of
not prolonging the agony
of a terminally ill loved-one.... that is, when close
members of a family, along with the cooperation of an
understanding physician, refuse to authorize the use of
worthless therapeutic measures, which can only
extend pain and suffering for a few hours, or a few
days.)
Also, parenthetically, I have read recently (July 2003) in
an article in the New England Journal of Medicine.... of how
some patients, who are terminally-ill, decide for themselves
to utilize a method of "suicide", which has been labelled
"death by voluntary dehydration". The name of this
"procedure" adequately describes the process itself. A
patient voluntarily refuses tube-feedings, and
intravenous infusions.... and then refuses to ingest
food and liquids. Death usually supervenes within 10 to
14 days. The writers who described this "suicidal"
dying-process, in the article in the NEJM, state that the
terminal suffering due to progressive dehydration is not as
severe as some might have supposed. Indeed, it was stated in
the article, that after a few days, the process becomes
quite peaceful, as the patient fades in awareness and
consciousness.
(I allowed my own 82 year-old, cancer-infested father to
impose this "death by dehydration" upon himself. He refused
intravenous infusions, and naso-gastric feedings. He said to
me, "I want to get out of this [life] as quick and
easy as possible.")
Caring physicians
do not "play God".... nor do they attempt to decide
who should live -- and who should die. The
FACT is as follows (for those who haven't yet
"figured-it-out"): disease and injuries and degenerative
maladies -- and death -- are UNIVERSAL.
Our Creator-God has ordained that every living
creature will die.... at a time, I believe, that is
pre-determined and specified by God. To
me, as a very knowledgeable physician.... well-versed and
experienced in death-and-dying.... and well-schooled in
"religion" and spiritual matters.... it is absolutely
wrong for a loving-and-caring medical practitioner to
attempt to "PUMP" life into an obviously
suffering-and-dying fellow-human-being.
In my opinion, it is really-and-truly "playing God".... when
a physician orders tube-feeding, pump-ventilators, urinary
catheters, devasting and ineffective chemotherapy, rectal
tubes, tracheostomies, constant intravenous infusions,
useless surgical procedures, etc....
all in a clearly futile effort to
re-create "functional existence" in a patient who
obviously is in the throes of DEATH.... a
patient who has expressed his desire to accelerate
his "departure" from this world.... a patient
who knows that he obviously will not return to any kind of
acceptable human activity and existence.
My experience indicates that most informed adult
individuals fear and dread the "dying process"
much more than death itself. Since suicide is
not an event that can be controlled or prevented by
laws and regulations, why is not logical and
compassionate to allow a fatally-ill patient to
employ a simple and fast mode of suicide.... rather than
leaving the patient to perform a self-inflicted gun-blast,
or to dangle himself at the end of a home-made
noose.... or to take a one-way
suicidal-trip to the bottom of a
lake.
Advice for the reader of this
document: Until you yourself have
experienced a dreadful and protracted
killing-ailment.... or until you have
witnessed, managed, and treated your
dear family and friends, who are suffering with a dreadful
and painful and uncorrectable illness -- DO NOT
allow yourself to become preachy or
judgmental or "holy" -- in your
notions about death.... and about this
subject of P.A.S.
When you truly LOVE someone, you
cannot bear seeing your loved-one suffering
with the agony of uncorrectable terminal disease, and
useless existence. I say that the
greatest love for your dear-one.... is
to hope and pray for that person's
early journey to the "life-to-come".
Personal thoughts and
comments concerning P.A.S. :
Physician-assisted suicide (P.A.S.) is back in the
news.... thanks to a recent (2001) decision by U.S.
Attorney-General John Ashcroft, who has ruled that Oregon's
voter-approved "physician-assisted-suicide" law violates
Federal law concerning the prescribing of medications in
amounts that could be fatal.... if a patient should choose
to ingest such a dose in order to terminate his life,
because of unbearable misery related to an incurable
disease.
As for me -- a physician with more that 30 years of practice
in Internal Medicine, and Cardiology -- I totally
disagree with, and deeply resent, this ruling by our
Attorney-General. Once again, in a matter concerning
medical treatment and public health, here is a
politician making decisions and "rulings"....
and imposing restrictions, which drastically affect the
health and physical well-being of U. S. citizens.
Once again, here is a politician.... never
trained in medical diagnosis. and never
schooled in treating sick human-beings.... a
politician who has never made a bedside
medical decision, and who has never prescribed
a medication.... a politician who never
evaluated a patient in a hospital's emergency department; a
politician who never performed a
surgical procedure; a politician who has
never dealt professionally with the family of
a sick-and-dying dear loved-one; a politician who
never witnessed a suffering and dying,
miserable human being.... lying in his own excretions,
painfully enduring bedsores, dreadful odors, gastric-tubes,
indwelling catheters (a "tube in every orifice", as we
physicians have sometimes bemoaned).... and other
indignities. Here is a politician who probably
never perceived the anguish and
heartache of loving kinfolks, who hope and sincerely
pray that Almighty God will shorten the travail of a loved
one who has no HOPE of cure -- and
no hope of resuming a functional existence.
Here is a politician who probably never
suffered, himself, with a potentially fatal
illness.... who never personally looked into
the face of impending death. Here is a
politician who never witnessed a
comatose patient, or a patient paralyzed with a severe
stroke.... unable to speak intelligibly, and unable to move
voluntarily.
Why must politicians persistently
meddle in so many areas in which they have no
significant knowledge, and no useful
personal experience?? In the area of
"physician-assisted suicide", is politician-Ashcroft making
a "political" vote-seeking decision....
or is Ashcroft attempting to impose a personal "religious"
notion upon the citizens of our country? Either way,
Ashcroft and his advisers are "way-off-base".... and
wrong!!
Additional
NOTES by the author of this website:
Dr. Kevorkian, of course, is now in jail for the
"murder" of a patient who could barely move, and who
could not swallow or breathe. The patient suffered with a
progressive and incurable neuromuscular disorder. The
helpless patient, who had not even the strength to
pull-a-trigger, requested the "services" of Dr.
Kevorkian..... who arranged the intravenous infusion of a
solution that would quickly and painlessly end the patient's
so-called "life". That procedure was performed, and the
patient died.... Dr. Kevorkian was arrested.... Dr.
Kevorkian was tried, and found guilty of "murder", by a
non-medical jury (none of whom, I dare say, suffered with
any significant or crippling medical ailment -- and none of
whom was skilled in the evaluation and diagnosis and
management of critically-ill patients). As I understand it,
Dr. Kevorkian is now, unfortunately, in prison....
Physician-assisted-suicide
has been considered in a number of states in the United
States. Oregon.... alone.... has
approved the procedure, in two separate statewide referenda.
So far, more than 90 individuals have been
"assisted" with "suicide" -- by their personal physician.
Each patient has been found to have a terminal illness, with
a life expectancy of less than 6 months. The consultation of
two other physicians is required, before the procedure can
be considered, and consummated.
4/25/03
(Parenthetically, it needs to be mentioned.... here in this
essay.... that some "hungry" hospitals
literally "love" those patients that are
slowly dying in the hospital....
patients with no hope of returning to a functional
existence; patients who have been categorized as
requiring "intensive care".... especially
those dying patients who must have
naso-gastric "tube-feeding" for nourishment; and
endo-tracheal intubation for "pump-ventilation" -- in order
to sustain so-called "life". Obviously, the hospitals cannot
be "blamed" for needless prolongation of a patient's care,
since all medical decisions are made by the physicians
[highly-paid intensive-care "specialists"] who are
in charge of the patient's agonal treatment. But....
just consider and remember the financial
"rewards" ["reimbursement"] to a hospital, for
extensive-expensive-intensive-care of terminal
patients.)
10/19/04
And, yes, I am aware that there are many
hungry lawyers, who
stand-available to encourage certain
treacherous family-survivors, who greedily
seek a "malpractice" suit ($$$) against a physician who does
not continue to "pump" life into a lingering and helpless
dying patient. There is no apparent remedy,
now, in our United States, for this "disease" of countless
inappropriate medical-malpractice suits.... a
"disease" that is rapidly "killing" the practice of
medicine.
10/23/05
Just a thought.... we hear, nowadays, so much about "a
woman's right to choose", in regard to
childbirth versus abortion....
"abortion", in which a helpless baby, in
utero, is slain because a woman demands the
"right to choose", in order to "control her body", and to
control the life or death of her unborn child.
Now, compare: isn't it interesting that a
terminally-ill patient (male or female).... infested with a
ghastly illness, is not now allowed, by law,
to "control his body".... and that he-or-she has no "right
to choose" the means and method of alleviating
the misery and duration of his own impending
and unavoidable death-process.
Compare also, the circumstance of prisoners
who have been condemned to death by "juries of
their peers" -- other human-beings. Isn't it interesting
that timid society now requires that these
murderous criminals be allowed to avoid "cruel and
unusual punishment", at execution.... and so
we legislate that despicable evil-doers on death-row be
given intravenous infusions.... just like
those "prescribed" by Dr. Kevorkian.... so
that imposition of the death-sentence will be
quick-and-easy, painless, and peaceful.
What a pitiful shame.... that our
sanctimonious national and state "leaders"
will not introduce and support consideration
of "physician-assisted suicide".... and thus encourage
humane "leniency" for those guiltless
humans that are now being heartlessly
condemned to endure the "cruel and unusual
punishment" of a slow and torturous
death-sentence..... imposed by an
undeserved and agonizing and dehumanizing illness. What a
pitiful shame.... simply because a few vocal
politicians, and certain holier-than-thou
churchy individuals, hope to aggrandize
themselves.... or beatify
themselves.
Gee whiz.... consider again.... "man's inhumanity to
man".
Lord, help us.
The proper function of a physician is to prolong
life (functional existence). The proper function of a
physician is NOT to prolong suffering and
agony.
2/27/07
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