“How to Die In Oregon”

I just finished watching a program called “How to Die in Oregon“.  I am in total awe of the terminally ill people who make the decision to die with dignity.  People often say that it is a coward who commits suicide.  I don’t agree.  I think people must be so brave to do it!!

There is however a huge difference between suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. “Assistance” may mean providing one with the means (drugs or equipment) to end one’s own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends the life. The current waves of global public debate have been ongoing for decades, centering on legal, religious, and moral conceptions of “suicide” and a personal “right to death“. Legally speaking, the practice may be legal, illegal, or undecided depending on the culture or jurisdiction

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation).

Suicide (Latin suicidium, from sui caedere, “to kill oneself”) is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair, the cause of which can be attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder,schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, alcoholism, or drug abuse.^[1] Stress factors such as financial difficulties or troubles with interpersonal often play a significant role.^[2]

The TV documentary,  “How to Die in Oregon” is the tender and poignant story of Cody Curtis, a 54 year old, dignified, lady, who is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.  Cody, early in her final journey decides that pain strips one from the ability to make rational decisions.  She decides that she will not suffer the indignity of living with loss of control of  her bodily functions.  She desires a “tidy death”.  Her journey takes her way past her “expiry date” and she muses  “People are waiting for me to die.  I do not understand why I am feeling so good”.

Her decline into intolerable pain and discomfort is sudden.  “Compassion and Choices” sends in volunteers to counsel and assist with the final act of assisted suicide.  Cody’s final journey is gentle, beautiful and “easy”.

Every time I say those terrible words “Vic is better” it is as if I place a curse on my poor child.  Poor Vic did not have a good day today.  Isn’t it amazing that 400mg of Morphine does not help for a headache!  It actually takes something like Grandpa’s or a Migraine Kit to help….

Vic and I sat chatting tonight.  She too had watched “How to Die in Oregon” and wanted to know how I would feel if she ever took a similar decision.  She cried and said that she is so sad and lonely.  She feels that the boys no longer trust her to “mother” them.

It is not the case.  What the boys have however started doing is setting her free….

How would I feel?  I would be devastated if Vic ever passed before I do.  I would miss her every second of my remaining life.  I would respect her wishes.   I would honor her memory and heart wrenching decision.

Nobody can begin to comprehend the pain that Vic suffers.  Nobody can comprehend that she drifts from one pain filled day to the next.  If she lived an extra month or two months it would be another month or two months of pain.  That is a lot of pain.

I know that this post will elicit a lot of condemnation and criticism.  When you have walked just ONE mile in our moccasins you may speak….

Wanting

A place to rest

Seeking

A hand to hold

Needing

Quiet inside my head

Longing

For friendly smiles

Dreaming

Of peacefulness

Thinking

Of futures untold

Wanting

A place to rest

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