comment: >
  
  I've been a Hospice Nurse, early in my career. I absolutely understand her. I completely empathize with both of them. The way the American health care system tries to suck every last penny out of suffering people, is abhorrent. Assisted suicide should be an option. This poor woman. My heart breaks for her. Her and her husband were nothing but a pawn in a huge megalomaniac system. Keep pushing the drugs, keep pushing the treatments that use certain supplies, keep pushing them to the brink. So the asshole pharma corps can make as much as they can, off of a living corpse. It's disgusting. And, as a nurse who actually became one to help humanity, it makes me fucking sick. 
  Edit: grammar and punctuation. I'm tired.
context: Damn, that does sound like it was a shit show. I feel worse now for the woman, she didn't want to do it, but they made a pact and he couldn't do his part. And then being in the same room with her dead husband for over 3 hours, trying to get the courage to shoot herself and then flashbanged. Damn she went through literal hell, I can't imagine her fear and emotions. Hospital staff went through hell, too. But that poor lady... >
  
  No winners here at all >
  
  The husband got his relief. >
  
  Unfortunately it seems like he passed the pain onto his wife >
  
  Nd that's why there should be a legal avenue to end things without a mess if health is deteriorating faster than we can control it >
  
  Jack Kevorkian had the right idea >
  
  My Grandpa recently passed using the MAiD program and honestly he would have done it the day it was offered if they would have let him. I can’t imagine him having to suffer the way he did near the end without that option as his quality of life was non-existent at that point. >
  
  Maid program is a new term to me >
  
  MAiD is the name of the program used in Canada.
  After seeing two Grandparents see their healthy slowly and painfully deteriorate - I'm glad MAiD is available in Canada.
  I still recall my Grandfather in his final weeks questioning why his body wouldn't just let go seeing how much he was suffering. >
  
  The international community is giving us a lot of grief over MAiD. But fuck it. We're trying to do the right thing with it. I'm proud of us for our progress on MAiD. >
  
  With the exception of those arguing in bad faith, the issue was with how it was being offered and handled, not that the program existed. I wish all the states in the US would offer it. >
  
  My understanding is that MAiD can't be offered, it can only be requested by the patient. Also the deadline for MAiD to be available to people who are only suffering mental illness did come up last month, but the government has pushed the deadline to at least March 2023. 
  In the news recently there have been some individuals working for government bodies that suggested MAiD to patients who were disabled, but those individuals were being negligent in their duties and were fired. >
  
  My father just passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s and dementia.
  If the requirement would have been that the request came from him, he lost most of his real cognitive abilities back in 2021. How does the law account for someone in his situation? He was alive and in pain, but in the eyes of US law he was not fit to make legal decisions (obviously, we are talking about Canada here, so the laws will be different).
  Just thinking through how the process works. >
  
  I'm so sorry for your loss, my grandfather had Parkinson's disease and it was horrible to watch his suffering and deterioration - it is the reason I am so thankful we have MAiD here now. 
  I am not a professional who works in the medical field, but my understanding is in order to receive MAiD you have to be able to consent, and part of that would include being able to process and retain new information. So you would have to request it very early on after being diagnosed with dementia - you don't have to take it early on, just that you have to make your wishes known to your doctors, get their approval, and set a timeline for when you would want to die before you lose all of your cognitive abilities. >
  
  We have more humane methods of death for our pets then we do our family, friends, and ourselves. >
  
  We have more humane methods of death for our prisoners. >
  
  but we instead use the shitty evil one where it feels like acid in your veins >
  
  But do you know why?  
  It because no company wants their products  associated with intentionally causing death, so its incredibly difficult to source any approved components, especially anything more high-tech than pool cleaner >
  
  No drug company wants to be associated with executions and death. I guarantee Smith and Wesson would proudly supply ammunition to the state for executions. They’d probably even advertise it on boxes of hollow points: “proud supplier of execution supplies to the state of Texas.” >
  
  That's actually an interesting thought experiment. Do you really think anti-establishment libertarians are going to buy the ammo of state execution? >
  
  True libertarians, probably not. The MAGA crowd would probably be down with it though. >
  
  People have the right to die with dignity and go quickly without pain when the only alternative is prolonged suffering... This probably isn't the way to do it, but if her version of events is accurate then she was a good partner >
  
  
  People have the right to die with dignity and go quickly without pain when the only alternative is prolonged suffering...
  
  Scenarios like this make me think of Robin Williams. He knew his illness would be a long, painful, drawn-out process that would put him and his family through hell. People in those circumstances should have a choice to die with dignity. >
  
  My grandpa stole liquid morphine from the hospice nurse’s cart and killed himself. He’d been suffering endless vertigo for two years and wanted it to end.
  My family was really messed up about it, and now they just say he “passed away from old age” and get angry if you bring it up and they deny that he killed himself (like they’re editing the past or something, it’s weird).
  But my little sister and I were just relieved and kind of peaceful about it. If he wanted to go, then he should have been allowed to. Why would I be sad about him getting what he wanted? Morphine doesn’t seem like a terrible way to go.
  Edit: I was flippant about my family above, but I’ll just point out that their behavior is in many ways a trauma response. 
  I’ve seen similar in people with untreated ptsd, etc, they can’t handle or process future stressful or traumatic events and the brain can do weird things to protect itself. 
  My grandpa I grew up with wasn’t my bio-grandpa, he was my step-grandpa. My grandma’s previous husband beat her and her kids daily, hence the untreated ptsd. And that was often considered normal or ignored at the time, and the family never went to therapy. He died in a car accident and that was that. >
  
  From what I've read, a morphine death is falling asleep and never waking up again. We should all be so lucky.
  Nitrogen asphyxiation is apparently similar. You suffocate but peacefully as there's no buildup of CO2 since you're not holding your breath. You pass out and your brain dies with you unawares due to lack of oxygen -- or something to that effect. >
  
  Yeah this reminds me of the how some animal centres will use N2O to "humanely" kill a bunch of unneeded baby chicks for example. Put them in a room, gas them and they pass out and die without realising.
  Whereas others will use CO2 which is much worse because they suffer before they die, like choking to death >
  
  CO2 is terrifying - if anyone is curious about the mental effect this has, read about Carbogen. meanwhile N2O is intensely euphoric and psychedelic. 
  I know which I'd prefer. >
  
  Somehow this reminds me of the book Brave New World. >
  
  I always thought that Brave New World was closer to the dystopia we’re left with. So focused on pleasure, or at least attaining a moment of respite from the existential horror, how can we deny that 2+2=5? (Ik thats the 1984 reference, but any discussion with one of the books often necessitates the comparison of the other). 
  But yes, comparing forms of assisted suicide is in form with Brave New World, and honestly probably the least problematic with modern audiences as compared to all the eugenics. >
  
  These are both based of the russian novel We. If you like both of those you ought to give it a shot. >
  
  
  After shooting her husband at about 11:30 a.m., she refused to come out until about 3:30 p.m. after negotiating with police, McCallister said. Ellen Gilland did not harm herself and no one else was wounded. Part of the hospital was evacuated and some doctors, nurses and others took cover in locked closets and rooms.
  McCallister said no charges were immediately announced.
  
  Assuming this was a mutually agreed upon assisted suicide…heart-wrenching to imagine pulling the trigger to put the love of your life out of his misery. I feel awful for both of them. I hope she can find peace. 
  End of life decisions are so hard. We should all have the right to end our lives as we see fit, with medical assistance, in a humane way. >
  
  100%, we had my FIL in hospice care with us at home, the last couple days were horrible.(this was years ago, sorry for my poor phrasing) They allow him enough medicine to not be lucid, but not enough to actually put him out of his misery. I learned a new term from that experience, active dying. It’s painful and depressing to see a loved one go through that. >
  
  Same for my grandfather, he was dying but completely lucid, kept asking why nobody could give him something to end it. It wasn’t a long terminal Illness, he was just old and active - fell once and never recovered. 
  For info this was the U.K. so thankfully cost us nothing, but that shouldn’t be a consideration yet unfortunately is for so many. 
  A nurse came once a day but he couldn’t be admitted to hospice as they need a sort of ‘death date’ which nobody could really tell. To see an old but proud man with all of his mental capacity be reliant on us for changing himself when he shat himself, to watch him cry in embarrassment as he needed his family for all basic functions - asking why it’s taking so long to die…. 
  Personally and fortunately we had access to psychedelics and other non prescription things to ease the passing, but watching someone ask to die as they’re literally done, was quite difficult. 
  The thing that bugged me with him was that it wasn’t dementia or cancer, it was just a normal death. Took two weeks. Scares me if that could be the ‘best’ option for myself. 
  The best part was the funeral. Happiest one I’ve been to. We all got to say our proper goodbyes and were pleased it was finally over. We celebrated his life at the wake remembering who he was. 
  I totally feel for the woman in this article and in her position, I’d like to think I’d have the courage to do the same for my partner. >
  
  Dehydration takes 3 or 4 days. It's tough to get a miniscule amount to keep the tongue comfortable, but not enough to prolong it. >
  
  I have sat with 7 relatives and friends as they died this way.  
  Shoot me. >
  
  My biggest fear is to die the way I saw my uncle wither away in the corner of his living room where we once opened gifts on Christmas as a big happy family. I’d like to leave this place in the woods away from anyone who would have to remember me dying in front of them. I can’t say how I will feel when the day comes and I’m lucky enough to be an old man. I don’t romanticize suicide at all, but people should absolutely be able to choose assisted suicide. I don’t know how anyone could read all these examples in this thread and say they shouldn’t. >
  
  I want to be recycled. If I am young and healthy, use my organs and whatever you can. Then compost the remains. Hope my final view is me looking at nature. >
  
  I’ve gotten my dad on this train as well. When I die dump my body into the woods. Let me give my body back to nature to give nutrients to the surrounding ecosystem. Look at a serene big tree that used my body to grow instead of a granite slab with my name on it, surrounded by hundreds of others. Let it be a sanctuary for those that loved me to go and be at peace with my death. 
  I don’t know the legality of it, from what I’ve read there’s a few places “near” me that allow it. >
  
  If we could enter a forest of our ancestor’s tree graves instead of a grass field with headstones on it? I can’t imagine a better place to go to grieve. The idea of watching the tree your mother or father’s body was absorbed into grow through the years is making me almost cry right now because of how beautiful it would be. A tree that would give us oxygen, be a home to birds and squirrels, shade you on a hot day, and bloom flowers for the pollinators. >
  
  That’s exactly the thought. Humanity is so far behind on meaningful death. And not to be pedantic, but current day practices make the end of life process such a pain in the ass, emotionally and financially. The cost to be buried in a grave yard, coffin/urn and headstone with a funeral? Between $7,500-$25,000 depending on the state. Absolutely not. Give me enough LSD to shift me into a different reality then inject me with enough morphine to kill and lay me in the woods.
  I have the image in my head of a serene spot, where the sun shines through the leaves and the animals and plants are growing strong. Bring out a couple lawn chairs, smoke a blunt, take a shot, talk to my energy captured within nature, whatever you have to do to be at peace in my peace. >
  
  Two words: Jury Nullification. >
  
  I will always up-vote these words. More people need to know them and the power they hold. >
  
  What is jury nullification? 
  Jury nullification takes place when jurors acquit a defendant who is factually guilty because they disagree with the law as written. >
  
  I got thrown out of court for telling a judge I supported Jury Nullification during voir dire about ten years ago. I've never gotten a summons since. >
  
  I think that's probably more of a coincidence than you being blacklisted or it being put on your juror profile or anything. I served on a jury and I haven't gotten a summons in 14 years. >
  
  Jesus I’m 25 and Ive been summoned 3 times already >
  
  I’m late 30s and I’ve never not once received a summons. It’s weird. >
  
  I am around that age and I've never had a successful summons. I move around too much and they always get me when I'm in the wrong county. Perk of being too broke to afford rent increases on lease renewals for most of my adult life! >
  
  I worked in palliative care and hospice for six years. I am eternally grateful I did so in a state that legalized MAID. I’ve known dozens of patients that have utilized MAID and all of them and their families were absolutely grateful it was an option. Even a lot of the patients that didn’t use it were happy it was an option in case they needed it. No one should have to suffer through a terminal illness without the option for a compassionate ending. Go watch someone die from ALS or liver failure or any of the other awful deaths and tell me if that doesn’t change your stance if you’re against it. I was in the room with a patient once when she administered the MAID medications and that is the death I would choose if I were terminal. >
  
  We do it for our pets when it's clear they are suffering and have no hope of getting better. And that's for someone that we can't ask if they want help letting go. If a grown-ass adult is suffering with no hope of getting better and they say they want someone to help them let go, why shouldn't they have that option? >
  
  I’ve seen horses be put through a prolonged death and as much as it would hurt to finish it faster on my order god I am glad the option was available, if death is inevitable, reducing suffering is absolutely our duty. I hope one day my kids/grandkids can give me the same help should I need it >
  
  If you find yourself in a situation where you are dying of a terminal illness or know someone who is dying of a terminal illness and don’t want yourself or them to suffer, anyone can travel to Oregon for a lethal prescription for physician assisted suicide. >
  
  unless you die of dysentery along the way >
  
  Or drown trying to cross the river. Also snake bites. >
  
  Instructions unclear, have 617 lbs of buffalo and 6 lbs of squirrel meat... >
  
  You were only able to carry 150 lbs >
  
  So looking back, Dr Jack Kevorkian (?) - really got worked over by the news media… I didn’t follow the story that much but sure is relevant in this context. >
  
  Spent time with him while he was interviewed for hours by a German tv crew after his first public assisted suicide and became a huge believer. His heart was in the right place always. His book Medicide is a good read about a cruel medical system. >
  
  My wife did a high school project on his work. Still has a signed letter from him. >
  
  Assisted suicide should be legal. My grandmother tried to kill herself by taking too much phenobarbitol. She relized my grandfather should have been put in a nursing home long ago (he had parkinsons). She realised it was too late and decided too end it. Too bad my grandfather in a lucid moment called 911. They were able to get her levels down but her heart gave out.
  Really bad way to die. >
  
  Hold on, what? Your grandmother tried to commit suicide because your grandfather had Parkinson’s and it was too late to what? Put him in a home? >
  
  Yeah . My grandfather had parkinsons. With Parkinsons it slowly eats away at you, and you get Parkinsons dementia. We told my grandmother to put him in a nursing home because she won't be able to handle him when he gets worse. She said no she can. It got to the point he didn't know who he was, and she was, and he would get violent (happens a lot to people with Parkinsons dementia). She also had signs of dementia as well. She was taking phenobarbital for seizures her whole life. She had a big moment of clarity and decided to try to kill herself noticing that it is was way too late to really do what is best for her husband and that she was going downhill as well.  My grandfather told the phycologist a couple of days later that she tried to poison him as well, but he said no. 
  He ended up dying a couple of months later alone at a nursing home. This was during covid and we couldn't visit them and the nursing home in queens NY didn't have ipads for us to talk to him.
  It was a big mess. Husband with Parkinsons and a Wife with dementia. >
  
  Oh Lord, I’m so sorry. That’s an awful situation. I didn’t realize she had dementia and I just kept wondering why she would kill herself and leave her husband alone to potentially die due to no food or water. I’m so sorry your family went through all that. >
  
  At the hospital I work a man came and shot his terminally I’ll wife and then shot himself. >
  
  Dr Kevorkian had it right. People with terminal diseases and pain should not suffer and should choose to end their lives in a graceful way. Not in agony and debt. >
  
  You know it's funny he'd become a bit of a household name and one day I realized I didn't really know exactly what he'd done so I looked him up. By the end of his Wikipedia article I was just kinda like, "I dunno. That doesn't seem that crazy to me."
  Side note - he wrote a jazz album. It's not bad. Hard to find a copy of though. >
  
  He’s buried about 5 miles from my place. His grave is also a Pokéstop. >
  
  I need to go visit for the poke stop spin >
  
  I'm completely on board with this except for the method chosen. It's heart wrenching but understandable to end your partner's life if they are suffering and desire you to do so. It's a shame that assisted dying isn't available in more places. Shooting a gun in a hospital though... that's idiotic. >
  
  Thats the reason I want my suicide to be "helium or nitrogen gas"
  Edit: I wish I had bottle right now. >
  
  Isn't that what that suicide pod in Switzerland uses? >
  
  Yes but the pod also has a CO2 scrubber/removal system, so there’s no carbon acidosis (which leads to fear). >
  
  Yes, you are correct. I knew there was something else that makes it so they literally go to sleep without much worries. >
  
  It's just the hypoxia that causes them to sleep/die. The body doesn't know it's running out of oxygen, it just stops to function properly without the oxygen. The only reason you get a suffocating experience is due to CO2 receptors or if the air pressure is wrong (as in no air, too much air, or in water). So if they replace the air with nitrogen and remove CO2, you won't be able to tell you're dying. Obviously, patients using the booth know they are going to die, but their brain looses function quickly giving them a loopy/sedative feeling until they pass out. >
  
  This is why Death with Dignity should be allowed by every state and every major healthcare provider.