Euthanasia: Do we love our pets more than people? - What morals do we have?

[Bummer]

This email was forwarded to me through a friend. It does make you wonder, no?.

A couple years ago my uncle was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. It spread to his stomach and a few other places and despite treatment, they told him there was little they could do. It eventually spread to his brain and he quickly went down hill. He went into the hospital last night and just passed away now. I didn't see him in his last moments, but speaking to other family members that did, he was in extreme pain and was suffering. They described it as something they have only seen in movies. They said it got so bad they were hoping for him to pass.

That brings me to euthanasia. In cases where the person clearly has no hope and they are suffering, it's ridiculous that we don't allow doctors to assist people with their own deaths. I know some of you will bring up the slippery slope argument, but the reality is that the only reason we don't currently allow it is morals, and that's wrong. There are ways such a system could be implemented so that only those who have no hope and are suffering are given assistance in a slightly premature death, but we don't implement such a system due to morals.

It's ridiculous that we love our pets enough to give provide them with a way out that avoids long term suffering, but we refuse to do that with people, instead we make them suffer until the body finally gives in. How selfish of a society are we that we don't allow someone to die with dignity before the suffering becomes unbearable, and the only reason we don't is due to some made up morals. We weren't born with these morals, there's nothing natural about our beliefs, along the way someone preached them to us.

So I guess this is just a quick rant about how stupid and selfish the human race is. Who cares if other people suffer for long periods of time, as long as your morals are kept intact you can sleep well at night.​

 

[muckin]

This email was forwarded to me through a friend. It does make you wonder, no?.

A couple years ago my uncle was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. It spread to his stomach and a few other places and despite treatment, they told him there was little they could do. It eventually spread to his brain and he quickly went down hill. He went into the hospital last night and just passed away now. I didn't see him in his last moments, but speaking to other family members that did, he was in extreme pain and was suffering. They described it as something they have only seen in movies. They said it got so bad they were hoping for him to pass.

That brings me to euthanasia. In cases where the person clearly has no hope and they are suffering, it's ridiculous that we don't allow doctors to assist people with their own deaths. I know some of you will bring up the slippery slope argument, but the reality is that the only reason we don't currently allow it is morals, and that's wrong. There are ways such a system could be implemented so that only those who have no hope and are suffering are given assistance in a slightly premature death, but we don't implement such a system due to morals.

It's ridiculous that we love our pets enough to give provide them with a way out that avoids long term suffering, but we refuse to do that with people, instead we make them suffer until the body finally gives in. How selfish of a society are we that we don't allow someone to die with dignity before the suffering becomes unbearable, and the only reason we don't is due to some made up morals. We weren't born with these morals, there's nothing natural about our beliefs, along the way someone preached them to us.

So I guess this is just a quick rant about how stupid and selfish the human race is. Who cares if other people suffer for long periods of time, as long as your morals are kept intact you can sleep well at night.​

I have witnessed the same thing with 2 family members, one very recent. This exact conversation was discussed at length amongst family members. I put both my dogs down when they got really ill, but I am forced to watch family suffer. Just another crazy thing about this fucked up world, of course cancer treatment pays for a lot of fancy cars and big mansions for the doctors. The recent family member went through over $300,000 worth of pointless treatments, just more pain and suffering, one operation alone came to over $230,000. All billed thru healthcare of course, one of the docs drives a Maserrati the other a Porche. When/If I ever get told i have cancer i think I will say leave me alone im going on vacation to enjoy what time i have left, im not spending my last months in and out of a dam hospital.

 

[TINY]

I've had family members die from cancer but was too young to remember the anguish they went through. If it does happen to me or family members and diagnosed as malignant non curable. I would also like to have the choice to choose what is best for me.

I will skip the "Morals" issues.

 

[DannyDeVito]

Who makes the rules and laws about having your choice to die if you are really sick. Isn't there a State in the US that does allow for it?.

 

[tboy]

well, i'll put this out there for all who are interested.....docs WILL do something about it if asked the right way. A gf of mine's father was dying of lou gehrig's disease and was at the point where he was in terrible pain and was praying to die.....he couldn't talk or anything, just yes or no blinks of his eyes......

She was talking to me about how bad he was and wished there was something that could be done to "help him go"......

I told her "ask the doc if there was anything to do to help him" not say ease his pain, not say put him out of his misery, nothing like that. Those words exactly. So she talked to her mother and her mother wrote a note saying "do you want to go"? he blinked yes, yes yes yes......are you sure, yes.....

So the gf called in his doctor and asked him......he said "a large dose of morphine would "make him comfortable"......he then asked her mother, she said, he said yes, he wanted to be "comfortable".....the doc gave the shot, he passed......

There was a special on how many docs refuse to give up no matter what the sufferring or what the cost....same as some patients. Even though they have zero chance of getting well let alone in less pain, they'll do anything to hang onto that slim sliver of life......even some families whose loved ones have had serious head trauma and there is zero brain activity, they want them on life support forever......at the cost of millions per year.

Anyhow, yes, there are ways to get around it.......but yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that we all should retain the right to end our sufferring if need be.

There was a movie with richard dreyfus where he was a pianist and got into an accident and fought not to have himself "put down" but to be taken off life support....the moral of the movie was that he wanted the right to die....or live unassisted......

 

[God]

well, i'll put this out there for all who are interested.....docs WILL do something about it if asked the right way. A gf of mine's father was dying of lou gehrig's disease and was at the point where he was in terrible pain and was praying to die.....he couldn't talk or anything, just yes or no blinks of his eyes......

She was talking to me about how bad he was and wished there was something that could be done to "help him go"......

I told her "ask the doc if there was anything to do to help him" not say ease his pain, not say put him out of his misery, nothing like that. Those words exactly. So she talked to her mother and her mother wrote a note saying "do you want to go"? he blinked yes, yes yes yes......are you sure, yes.....

So the gf called in his doctor and asked him......he said "a large dose of morphine would "make him comfortable"......he then asked her mother, she said, he said yes, he wanted to be "comfortable".....the doc gave the shot, he passed......

There was a special on how many docs refuse to give up no matter what the sufferring or what the cost....same as some patients. Even though they have zero chance of getting well let alone in less pain, they'll do anything to hang onto that slim sliver of life......even some families whose loved ones have had serious head trauma and there is zero brain activity, they want them on life support forever......at the cost of millions per year.

Anyhow, yes, there are ways to get around it.......but yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that we all should retain the right to end our sufferring if need be.

There was a movie with richard dreyfus where he was a pianist and got into an accident and fought not to have himself "put down" but to be taken off life support....the moral of the movie was that he wanted the right to die....or live unassisted......

Amen to that.

 

[Puzzlemaker]

I am surprised not many want to touch this subject.

 

[-b]

My fathers doctor help in my father passing away.....
My brother would not go to the Hospital and had a
long painful death......

I believe people can make their own choices.....
If we can make a decision about having an operation or not
then we should be able to make this.......

 

[LickingGravity]

I can speak to someone dying with cancer. Two years ago I watched my wife die. I don't which hospital your friend went to but they should never have let your friends uncle be in any significant pain unless it was his choice not to take the drugs which I'm sure were offered.

Every hospital has palliative care doctors whose sole job really is to ease the patient through their last days. Sometimes the only way that can be done is by an induced coma which is what happened to my wife. There is no way I would be here right now if I had had to watch her in significant pain at the end of her life . The desease had already robbed her of so much.

The doctors at Southlake were great and as far as I could tell she was in no pain for the last few days. She did not die after a massive injection but she did die in a coma with enough drugs so that she was peaceful. We don't recognize the work of palliative care enough but let tell you it is a necessity.

I'm not sure what the protocol is for each desease but with cancer leaving instructions that the patient is to be comfortable works. With ALS it may be more difficult but it sounds like a horrible way to die without some help. So I applaud the BC judge for her ruling.

https://www.theinterim.com/soconviv...-euthanasiaassisted-suicide-unconstitutional/

 

[Maurice Boscorelli]

I can speak to someone dying with cancer. Two years ago I watched my wife die. I don't which hospital your friend went to but they should never have let your friends uncle be in any significant pain unless it was his choice not to take the drugs which I'm sure were offered.

Every hospital has palliative care doctors whose sole job really is to ease the patient through their last days. Sometimes the only way that can be done is by an induced coma which is what happened to my wife. There is no way I would be here right now if I had had to watch her in significant pain at the end of her life . The desease had already robbed her of so much.

The doctors at Southlake were great and as far as I could tell she was in no pain for the last few days. She did not die after a massive injection but she did die in a coma with enough drugs so that she was peaceful. We don't recognize the work of palliative care enough but let tell you it is a necessity.

I'm not sure what the protocol is for each desease but with cancer leaving instructions that the patient is to be comfortable works. With ALS it may be more difficult but it sounds like a horrible way to die without some help. So I applaud the BC judge for her ruling.

https://www.theinterim.com/soconviv...-euthanasiaassisted-suicide-unconstitutional/

As always a very informative post.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

We don't recognize the work of palliative care enough but let tell you it is a necessity.

You're absolutely right about that. I watched my grandfather die and it was agony to me. The people around him in the palliative care unit were fantastic and did everything to make him comfortable. I don't know how those people in palliative care do what they do. It would depress me to no end to have to come to work day after day and see suffering like that.

It's a gutsy ruling by the judge in B.C. and I'm in agreement. If we all agree we should be able to live our lives in dignity then that should extend to death.

 

[Kyra.Graves]

I can speak to someone dying with cancer. Two years ago I watched my wife die. I don't which hospital your friend went to but they should never have let your friends uncle be in any significant pain unless it was his choice not to take the drugs which I'm sure were offered.

Every hospital has palliative care doctors whose sole job really is to ease the patient through their last days. Sometimes the only way that can be done is by an induced coma which is what happened to my wife. There is no way I would be here right now if I had had to watch her in significant pain at the end of her life . The desease had already robbed her of so much.

The doctors at Southlake were great and as far as I could tell she was in no pain for the last few days. She did not die after a massive injection but she did die in a coma with enough drugs so that she was peaceful. We don't recognize the work of palliative care enough but let tell you it is a necessity.

I'm not sure what the protocol is for each desease but with cancer leaving instructions that the patient is to be comfortable works. With ALS it may be more difficult but it sounds like a horrible way to die without some help. So I applaud the BC judge for her ruling.

https://www.theinterim.com/soconviv...-euthanasiaassisted-suicide-unconstitutional/

Thank you for sharing that.

I am in favour of euthanasia but I know that if it were my own life I would be hesitant to wish that upon someone else. When an animal has a terminal disease I have a very difficult time coming to the decision as to which day they should be euthanised. The idea that I may choose the wrong day, that they may have a few more good days, something left they want to do persists and the decision is a very heavy burden. I would be comfortable making the decision for myself but even having watched loved ones with a terminal illness I would have a very hard time making the decision for someone else. Palliative care can and is wonderful, keeping someone out of pain and reducing the suffering but asking someone to end their loved ones life, to make that choice for them especially when the person is comfortable on medications is tough, still I think it's an issue that needs to be addressed.
I do wish it could be made a medical decision rather than a moral or religious one, I would prefer to see a standard in place to help others feel comfortable with the very difficult choices they would be facing.

 

[LickingGravity]

Palliative care can and is wonderful, keeping someone out of pain and reducing the suffering but asking someone to end their loved ones life, to make that choice for them especially when the person is comfortable on medications is tough, still I think it's an issue that needs to be addressed.
.

Ideally it will only be the patients decision which it will be I believe in the BC woman's case. With cancer, usually as the desease progresses you have to keep adding more and more painkillers until finally they are in a coma. The cancer is then the killer as it eventually shuts down the organs.

I agree with you, the concern is when someone else makes a decision that goes beyond making sure she/he isn't in any pain. There no doubt is potential for abuse. That shouldn't prevent someone from choosing to die with dignity if that truly is their wish.