zip106

I say Yes, definately. Poor woman.
BBC NEWS | Health | France rejects right-to-die plea

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

i say yes too. she is obviously in a lot of pain, and as the report says is loosing her "senses" ie sight, smell taste etc.

its not much of a life to lead when your scaring little children with something you cant help. i say let the lady die with dignity and respect.

Jamie

If she says she wants to die then so be it nice little needle sweet dreams game over.No need to suffer in pain

zip106

I just don't see what right it is of anybody else to determine if I/you want to die because of some terminal illness.
I mean, it's MY body. ME that's in pain with no hope of a cure.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

let her go.....

Its her choice, I would just walk in front of a bus and be done with it.

SiPie

Yes no doubt about it.

David Lock

Very sad. But you can't ask Doctors to deliberately kill people.

Withdrawing life support is slightly different. And I think in the "old days", whatever that means, Doctors would administer a heavier dose than needed of a drugs cocktail to ease suffering and patient would quietly slip away. I remember the name Brompton Cocktail being used. A very marginal call of course.

But this poor woman is not on life support but killing her because kids laugh at her is not reason enough to kill her. DL

mrtheedge2u2

It is a shame and I would never want to be in her position......

Assisted suicide is always a hard subject.....

johnnyroper

should definatly be allowed to die and end the suffering.

if it were me a speeding train would come in handy.

Shark Man

It's her life: Her choice.

However, asking a doctor to kill you? Tricky - goes against their basic ethics to save and prolong life.

I'm sure an alternative means could be arranged - such as it being allowed to be done in a country (such as Switzerland) where it is legal (as long as she is declared terminally ill), and those involved won't be prosecuted or investigated for allowing it to happen.

Leslie

I agree that it goes against the doctors' ethics. The Hippochratic oath should be maintained as far as I am concerned. I feel dreadfully sorry for that poor woman though.

Les

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Stepping in front of a bus/train etc isn't fair on the poor sod driving it. Would you want to kill someone and then head home for tea?

I don't think anyone should have the job of actually killing her although the condition is awful. That said, it isn't exactly difficult to do it yourself is it?

5t.

Hoppy

I am in favour of euthanasia, but the problems surounding it are monutmetal. And usually include inherited money, and therefore huge potental abuse. My mother in is just this predicament.

This is a major problem as people grow older due to medical advances, but require very costly medical treatement to maintain almost zero quality of life.

When my time comes (who decides?) let me go with dignity.

Richard.

Lee247

What an awful story. Poor woman
It's a tough call, but then again, would an animal be allowed to suffer like that?

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I don't understand your point of view. Its not you nor I who have to live with this. The lady is of sound mind and has made the decision she wants to die now.

I don't see what right anyone else has to decide she should have to suffer until the end ?

My mother suffered 5 years with Cancer .. as soon as it got too much the amount of morphine was enough (i really hope) to stop her feeling the end.

She died as all her organ shut down and the look of pain on her face will haunt me forever ! I would have gladly injected her with something to make her "sleep" !!

The case of my mother is a difficult one as she was not in a state to make the decision ! This women is and I think anyone who thinks they have the right to stop her ending her pain are just ... so short sighted !

I hope David that you never had to be in the situation this poor women is in but I have no doubt your "level, PC" opinion would soon change !

David Lock

I thought my point of view was clear. You can't ask Doctors to kill people. Quite why you think this is "PC" is beyond me.

In a mature society I am happy to accept that Doctors may sometimes slip a little extra into the drugs mix to make the end quicker and painfree. It might even be what happened to your poor mum from what you say.

Now back to this poor disfigured woman. She has the choice to kill herself or ask a friend or relative to help. Why should they pass the buck to a Doctor whose life training has been to save lives? The word pain is not actually mentioned in the link but, of course, one can imagine the depression and desire to put an end to it - the same, perhaps, for thousands with a terminal illness.

Now imagine this tumour was internal with no facial disfigurement. Would you still argue for the Doctors to come around and send her to meet the grim reaper? That's not what they are trained to do. Switzerland aside this, AFAIK, is true throughout the civilised world.

Of course I hope that this poor lady ends her days as painfree as possible and with as much dignity as possible in the circumstances. dl

Hoppy

Euthanasia is destined to become a major topic as people live longer, and can be kept 'alive' under almost any circumstances, regardless of quality of life, but at vast expense.

We don't seem to have this problem with pets. We had our family cat put down only last week. But she didn't have any financial assets to squabble over. That's the difference, at the end of the day. (NOT that my family is into squabbling, but many are.)

And I do not have any answers that make me feel comfortable.

Richard.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Yes I would. IMO Doctors are there to make life as painless and as easy medically as possible, not to keep you alive.

In the same way you can choice to not have treatments, you should be able (if its the doctor thing thats the issue) be able to purchase a tablet that will allow you to die, quickly and painlessly.

Some people might get depressed and use it ? Well.. thats life.. the same people will jump in front of a train !

David Lock

I think that's a great idea PImmo. In fact that could really catch on

I'll let any teenage kids know that if they fail their exams or fall out big time with a g/f or b/f and their world collapses then they can nip down to Boots and buy a Vapo tablet. Do you think they should fill in a form first?

PS. Do you live in the real world btw? dl

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Poor women, It's her life let her have some dignity, other than that hop over the boader to Switzaland I beleive they do it there!!!!!
Cheers
Colin

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I believe Switzerland has overcome the problem of doctors administering 'treatment' that will kill the patient painlessly with a machine that administers a lethal cocktail of chemicals via an IV at the patients request, so, in effect they are committing suicide.

I don't think any human should be forced to suffer a painful and undignified death when there is no prospect of avoiding this outcome with medical treatment.

However, a blanket yes to euthanesia would not be acceptable as these cases need to be scrutinised on a case by case basis to avoid potential abuse.

I feel so sorry for anyone who finds themselves in this position and their friends and relatives

Ns04

Hoppy

The point is, we are all terminally ill. We are all going to die sometime. We all have to face up to that fact.

Not long ago, if a frail person got a bad illness, they would die quite quickly. As nature intended.

Now, medical science can keep almost anybody 'alive' indefinately, but with zero quality of life, unbearable stress on relatives and friends. And of course huge medical and care costs. For all sorts of reasons, I don't find this an acceptable or sustainable practise.

For many (most?) old people, they are not in a position to decide their own fate. Somebody else has the unthinkable task of deciding for them, and actually doing the deed. Sometime soon, this will be the norm.

Personally, as I have said above, I hope that when I've had enough of this world there will be loving and trustrowrthy people and systems in place to let me go quickly, painlessly, and before I become a dribbling vegitable.

Richard.

PS I believe euthanasia is already more widely practised than we know. What's the difference between turning off a life-support machine and administering a lethal injection? Anybody care to comment on this?

David Lock

I don't think it's such a problem with old people as I think it would be unusual for a Doctor to keep an old person on a machine just for the sake of it.

But it is an awful dilemma for say parents whose child has been severely brain damaged by trauma for example. In a Persistent Vegetative State so turn off the machine/s? Yes I'd agree but then you read this and wonder?

For first time, doctors communicate with patient in persistent vegetative state | Science | The Guardian

Leslie

I dont support euthanasia especially since I think it would set a dangerous precedent in the future. As I said before, I feel terribly sorry for that poor lady however. I do believe that it would be wrong to tell a doctor to kill someone.

Les

pwhittle

I think there's a huge and crutial difference between actively killing someone, and opting not to artificially keep them alive. If you switch off a machine and someone dies as a result, they weren't capable of living. In this case, sad as it is, a doctor would be killing someone (albeit with their consent) who is, for the time being at least, capable of living.

In Switzerland, according to Casaulty ( ) they give you the facility to end your own life. that's not really very different to killing yourself other ways, though if this woman is Catholic, as many French are, that would be a sin.

It's incredibly sad that she thinks she has nothing to live for.

tmo

we dont let animals suffer, enough said

David Lock

I agree with that. The very fine line of judgment comes when a Doctor just gives that little extra dose of pain relief, Morphine for example, that will speed things up as it were. I would support the Doctor that does that but is a difficult call. And there is often a greedy relative with his/her own agenda in the background........ dl

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Less teenagers

Hoppy

"Dangerous preciedent" of course. You're right Les (as usual It is a dilemma of momumental proportions. But with medical science as it is, and progressing, this is going to be an increasing problem which our present society cannot support. What's the answer?

Regards,

Richard.

Hoppy

They are be going to pay your pension