A Moral Question. Would you want to linger on before death?

[Trassk]

I've put up a post weeks ago telling this, but after a conversation with my mother, I thought of certain moral belief on a current situation my family is in.

My dad, who was struck with terminal cancer recently, has been given around 3-4 weeks left to live. He was a raging alcoholic before this which is what brought on the cancer, and now in his weakened state, he is slowly dying, laying in his bad at home, with nurses coming every day to check on him and my mum having to look after him, change him, feed him and make his final days comfortable.

The conversation I had, which came from a nurse we had, said to me 'you wouldn't let an animal suffer like this', implied her belief, and something I find myself agreeing with. Well my father isn't even conscious enough to be aware of those around him, he is on constant mediation, painkillers, sleeping tablets, morphine and whatever else, also the state of his condition means peices of decaying liver have flushed into his brain and caused him to forget so much already.

I can honestly say, well I haven't had any love for my father in all the years I've known him, I do not feel right seeing him suffer the way he is, and honestly hoping for him to go to rest sooner rather then later. Also the stress it puts on my mum effects her these days too.

So to ask it, if there was such a choice to allow someone to be given a lethal injection to put them to sleep, like we would to a beloved pet with the same condition as a person, would you want this to happen? In my own belief I say yes, nobody deserves to linger on for so long in constant pain and discomfort when you know they will die.

[kittysox]

My family put my 92 year old great grandfather in a nursing home and watching him waste away in that place for 5 years was among the most painful things I've ever been through. My answer is no, I would never want to live like that, it's not living it's simply waiting to die and being kept alive for financial gain.

[Tokru]

I'm sick of this "keeping relatives alive at all costs as long as possible". So a definitely YES to your question.

[Cephilia]

This is actually something I've had to think a lot lately. I'm currently in training as part of my education in a hospital, and many of the people I'm taking care of are in terminal stage of some disease, usually cancer or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It's heartbreaking to see them suffer so, but most of them have their good days too. It's really rewarding to speak with these people and see that your mere presence can make them feel better. Then there are those who have no good days. are unable to speak and clearly suffer from insane pains regardless of the medication they're currently on. All we can do is to ask for the doses to be increased and hope it'll help. Most pf the patients there have DNR (do not resuscitate), but for example one lady had hers removed by a doctor for no good reason.

As for myself, I don't know. I guess I would be fine living as long as I have no great pains, meaning, if the amounts of morphine they'd have to give me to remove my pains were potentially lethal, I'd take them, but I wouldn't want active euthanasia. I'd be willing to participate on euthanasia as long as I could be sure that is the patient's final will and nothing else could be done to ease their being anymore. I also know most of the health care staff has at least DNR or a medical will in which they state they do not want their life to be artificially prolonged if they have an illness that cannot be cured and will eventually kill them. I also know these wills are sometimes ignored due to relatives demanding treatment for their loved ones and refusing to let them go.

[Deleted]

Yes, if the person and the relatives want it. In some cases people might suffer and live for several years with expensive medicines as with the medicines you can keep people nowadays surprisingly long alive. Imo it's so pointless to keep someone suffering for a long time who won't recover anyway and besides, it's freaking expensive for the state to keep these people alive.

[smelltheglove]

im of the opinion that pointless suffering is pointless. i have no issue with someone feeling differently for themselves, but it gets obnoxious when they try to force their view on others. imo it should be entirely up to the person in the position, not religious groups or "angels of mercy"

[Terahertz]

I'd say it would depend on the choice of the person dying. If you want to be kept alive by medication, even if you know you'll die within 2 weeks, then it's up to them.
But my own choice would be to put them/myself to rest if I were to be in that state.

[Santti]

Hell yes. If I was ever in a state like your father is, I would want to be killed ASAP. It's just selfish to keep the person alive at any cost at that point, no matter how much he is suffering. It's hard to let go, but think of the person suffering before you think of yourself.

[Deadvolcanoes]

There is nothing more disgusting than removing a feeding tube and waiting for someone to die of "natural causes."

This happened with my grandmother after she lost all capacities from a fall and broken rib, and with my grandfather after a similar instance.

Medicare pays out 50 billion a year towards end of life care.

Let the individual die whatever way they see fit.

[Tokru]

Yes, if the person and the relatives want it. In some cases people might suffer and live for several years with expensive medicines as with the medicines you can keep people nowadays surprisingly long alive. Imo it's so pointless to keep someone suffering for a long time who won't recover anyway and besides, it's freaking expensive for the state to keep these people alive.

The relatives should have nothing to say at all as long as the person is not in a coma or similar condition. Ending your life when you want it is the ultimate freedom anyone can ever have and people should respect that decision more.

[Tekkommo]

No one should want to die, I certainly don't.

I will fight on till my very last second.

[vindicatorx]

So to ask it, if there was such a choice to allow someone to be given a lethal injection to put them to sleep, like we would to a beloved pet with the same condition as a person, would you want this to happen? In my own belief I say yes, nobody deserves to linger on for so long in constant pain and discomfort when you know they will die.

Some states have the Death With Dignity act that allows you to end your live with assistance if you have a terminal illness.

[Blueobelisk]

Kill me. Even if it's just a life changing injury like paralysis I might want to die..

[Deadvolcanoes]

No one should want to die, I certainly don't.

I will fight on till my very last second.

Scientists recently did this study. They found that 100% of people that have ever lived eventually died.

Fight or not, you're going to die. If you have terminal cancer, and are at the final stages of life where you can't communicate, think, move, etc...why drag it out two more weeks?

[zorkuus]

I'm sick of this "keeping relatives alive at all costs as long as possible". So a definitely YES to your question.

Many people are basically selfish. They might not be aware that what's best for them isn't necassarily best for their terminally ill loved ones.

I've had to make this decision in regards to my cat recently. I loved him like a person, a best friend or a family member so I would propably treat a human the same way if doctors told me they can't do anything else than slightly prolong the inevitable.

[Deleted]

In my opinion I would also want a friend/relative to take the "lethal" injection if they would ever be the same way as your father. I don't see anything wrong with ending the suffering of the person, still if he is truly unconscious of his surroundings a.ka.a. a vegetable I sure wouldn't oppose any of those injections/cut off the person's air/etc, but, since you aren't exactly suffering from this, and your mom is, I think, if the injection would be a viable option, you would need to talk to it to the people that are suffering from your father's "condition". He's dying so the people that really like him wouldn't want to see him part away sooner than expected.

Tbh, it all comes to, if a person is prepared to see a loved one die, and I think no one can ever prepare themselves for such a thing.

[zorkuus]

Tbh, it all comes to, if a person is prepared to see a loved one die, and I think no one can ever prepare themselves for such a thing.

I wasn't prepared for my cat to become terminally ill all of a sudden, but it was a decision I made out of selflessness. I was very emotional but when it came down to it I was still able to make a rational decision. To me that's the only decision one should make in a situation like that (be it a human or a pet) even from a selfish pov. If "you" pull the plug then you only have to deal with the grief of losing a loved one. But if you keep them alive you have to deal with grief on two fronts, first to see your loved one suffer/not being themselves under heavy medication, and ofcourse the inevitable death.

[Deleted]

I wasn't prepared for my cat to become terminally ill all of a sudden, but it was a decision I made out of selflessness. I was very emotional but when it came down to it I was still able to make a rational decision.

Well, I'm not saying a person gets un-rational(not right word?) when someone is about do die, but yes it can happen to some people. I personally wouldn't go unrational because someone is going to die, even my mom(......), specially if it's a cat I highly doubt, even thought I love my kitty of 12 years old. But yeah I understand what you mean, it's only natural that things die/disappear overtime...

Just keep hanging and stay strong. :b

[Deleted]

Yes without a doubt. I've said to everyone I love to make sure they'll pull the plug/euthanize if possible if I'm unable to make the decision myself. My motto is love life, but I don't consider being supported by machinery/living in agony with death around the corner life at all.

[Trassk]

Yes without a doubt. I've said to everyone I love to make sure they'll pull the plug/euthanize if possible if I'm unable to make the decision myself. My motto is love life, but I don't consider being supported by machinery/living in agony with death around the corner life at all.

This is it. Well 100 years ago there would have been nothing like this support for those dying of such a disease and it would have been agony for them, but in the same school of thought, the same technology and medicine that makes such final moments in life easier also keeps it dragging on for longer, and I'm just torn on what the better thing is.

If I knew of a kind way to put my father out of his misery right now I'd go for it, getting his consent, rather then letting it drag out.