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Agree Given what ethicists advise on assisted dying. My husband was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, which caused her to develop Parkinson’s disease, which gradually worsened as her symptoms progressed. We have had many conversations, some tearful, over the past 20 years about his illness, and we have learned that he has specific symptoms (inability to walk, talk, eat, move). I was making a list of things to do when I started experiencing it. He wanted to explore medical assistance in dying. We made a list of about 100 people he wanted to say goodbye to.One of his long-time friends was completely against it. — We had made it clear to her on our final visit that we could say goodbye but not share our personal beliefs. Her husband’s death in our home three years ago was deeply sacred and a blessing to his family and the entire community. — Milena
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Sorry, ethicist. I have to agree with you on this. Given the letter writer’s description of the father’s attitudes and beliefs, I believe that your suggestion would only increase the potential for conflict, either externally or internally. If this encounter goes well during one of the most stressful times, it will leave the father quite surprised and the couple breathless. Instead, if this were my father, I would just break the news that my wife is in her final weeks with a terminal illness. And if he wants to spend time with her, he should do it right away. Let them have a good time together without causing such potential conflicts. The woman’s father-in-law will be given a chance to say goodbye. He has no right to vote or consult himself, regardless of what he thinks, at the risk of potentially undermining her autonomy and quest for peace. He can think of whatever he wants later. I don’t think this is a scam. He manages a difficult situation in the best possible way, respecting her decision to the fullest. — joseph
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“My body, my choice” This is not just a slogan calling for women’s medical autonomy. That applies to other decisions as well. I have nothing but contempt for people who feel entitled to control other people’s lives. — Ken
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decision to die It is very personal and created between an individual and their physician. I’m so glad I live in a state where this decision can be made carefully, thoughtfully, and respectfully. Besides a very thoughtful suggestion by an ethicist, it might be helpful for him and the rest of the family to have someone who can support his father while he wrestles with his feelings and dilemmas. not. End-of-life doulas often fill this role. — art
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unless something else happens Now that I have a job, I’m going to somehow “check out” as I say, something I’ve wanted to do for years but have been putting off for the sake of my loved ones. I don’t have a specific age in mind, but I plan to do it before I’m 80. I feel a certain amount of resentment that people have to be diagnosed with a terminal illness or in unmanageable pain before that happens. approved Depression is not considered a sufficient reason to end a life. I think there are many reasons why this life is unbearable, but I don’t think it’s a matter of being psychologically or spiritually “defective.” In any case, I don’t think the state should decide who is going to die, when and under what circumstances, any more than the state should decide whether a person has children or not. At the beginning of life and at the end of life, there is a kind of dividing line between not living and being alive, and the law does not belong there. — January
