Curious about your thoughts on Dr Kevorkian?

[Kybluedude]

Watched my mom suffer for years with Alzheimer’s with no hope for her and miserable in a nursing home and prior my dad for years with what turned out to be incurable lung cancer. Treatment bringing him to his knees.

I remember back in the day the criticism Dr Kevorkian got plus the legal hassles.

Do you think he was a criminal? Should the decision be up to the individual or family members in the hopeless cases?
As I get older I don’t want that for myself or my kids.

Dr "Jack" Kevorkian was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is not a crime". Kevorkian said that he assisted at least 130 patients to that end.

 

[American Dragon]

I agree with him.

 

[novalsi]

Let people die when they want

Making them stay alive only serves insurers and tax collectors

 

[Ron Mehico]

I think he did great work personally. If I get a Huntingtons disease diagnosis or Alzheimer’s or whatever I’d prefer that then blowing my brains out in the garage for my family to find me.

 

[bigsmoothie]

I don’t know. Something about him made me very uneasy. It was like he was a serial killer that got the permission of his victim. I know he only “assisted” them but that’s a weird area for me. I know in my heart if I got to a certain point of no return I wouldn’t want to live. And I would never judge anyone that took that final step.

 

[numberonedad]

He was a blessing at a time when he wasn't allowed to be. Watched my dad, a strong strapping man waste away to bone cancer. All he wanted to do was die to be out of pain.

 

[bigsmoothie]

I think he did great work personally. If I get a Huntingtons disease diagnosis or Alzheimer’s or whatever I’d prefer that then blowing my brains out in the garage for my family to find me.

Good point. I have always hoped to outlive my mother, and if I do die unexpectedly not to be found by my kids.

 

[bigsmoothie]

He was a blessing at a time when he wasn't allowed to be. Watched my dad, a strong strapping man waste away to bone cancer. All he wanted to do was die to be out of pain.

Heartbreaking. My grandpa had lung cancer and tumor cut out of his heart. He spent 5 years basically in bed using oxygen for 22-23 hours a day. Got up to eat maybe once a day and use the bathroom.

 

[Mdnerd]

I think it’s inhumane to make people suffer and die in agony and awful condition vs letting them go out on their own terms. We don’t even treat our pets in such an awful way.

He was ahead of his time, and he was 100% correct. It’s awful to make people live in pain out of self righteousness.

 

[maneal4]

My mother begs me to not let her rot in assisted living for 10 plus years with dementia like her mother did. How do you make that decision for a loved one at that point, idk I'm terrified.

But I know for a fact that I'd rather make that decision myself than let some appointed government lawmaker tell me they know better than me what to in that situation.

 

[Lexie's Dad]

 

[lex cath]

I told my daughters if I had those neurological diseases to take me out on a shrimp boat about 40 miles offshore and kiss my goodbye and push me off and report me missing. IRS can’t do **** and they get get it all in the will

 

[Anon1634865921]

My parents each made their wishes known to me a long time ago. My mother had the long term Alzheimer's and didn't know who I was for the last 10 years of her life. I knew positively that if she had the choice and the sentience, she would have killed herself. Early on when she still had probably 10% of her brain, she hid in the bedroom for over 2 years. She knew something was wrong and told me about it several years before it got bad.

The day that I was able to tell the doctor not to allow her to wake up again was a major relief for me. I was always worried that there was a place in her mind that she was aware of what was going on and being said, but she couldn't vocalize it. I had promised her she wouldn't have to live just because someone could keep her alive. She agreed with me that mere existence is not living.

Same with my father. I made the call to let him die. I had gone against his wishes a couple of times and even had his leg amputated while he was unable to make the call. Each time he recovered and laughed again. The last time though, the news was too bad and I couldn't justify having him live through the consequences. It was over.

Pretty sure I just wrote that to myself.

 

[hmt5000]

I agree with end of life choice but Kevorkian was weird as hell. He clearly had some mental issues going for being in that business that didn't have to do with saving suffering.

 

[Deeeefense]

Euthanasia should be legal, I think it's unconstitutional for the government to require people to stay alive against their will, especially when people are in constant pain.

I've never understood why some people think euthanizing domestic animals is humane, but not people.

 

[Anon1634865921]

I agree with end of life choice but Kevorkian was weird as hell. He clearly had some mental issues going for being in that business that didn't have to do with saving suffering.

What does his motivation have to do with the morality of the subject matter?

 

[hmt5000]

What does his motivation have to do with the morality of the subject matter?

the question was about Kevorkian. How do you not see a difference between the subject and the man?

 

[Anon1634865921]

the question was about Kevorkian. How do you not see a difference between the subject and the man?

You said you agreed with end of life choice, but expressed a deep knowledge of his motivation.

I commented on that.

 

[hmt5000]

You said you agreed with end of life choice, but expressed a deep knowledge of his motivation.

I commented on that.

And I said he was weird as hell. Im not gonna go get the interviews for you but if you look them up he wasn't exactly playing with a full deck.

 

[stuway]

100% ok with what he did. Human beings should be able to decide for themselves if they want to end struggling with pain, disease or mental issues.

 

[chroix]

This is a tough topic but one everyone should get a grasp on and discuss with their family members and loved ones. So important that you have these decisions made ahead of the time rather than after the fact.

 

[_ukcat]

I got a deal with my Local doctor and guy I grew up with. If it comes to the day I am laying in a bed and they wiping cream corn that running down chin off " Give me the Shot! "

 

[warrior-cat]

It would be a hard decision to make but, I have told my wife that if I am in constant pain or permanently lose any knowledge of who I am or what I am doing, let me die.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I fully support euthanasia for humans. I’ve told my wife to euthanize me if I end up on life support or with a horrible disease like ALS or Alzheimer’s.

If we can put our dogs down to end their suffering, I don’t see the problem doing so for our loved ones as long as the person suffering consents (or conseted before they became incapacitated).

 

[JDHoss]

Absodamnloutely it should be legal. My mom spent the last year of her life in a nursing home as a bedridden, confused, angry, delusional, terrified, skin covered skeleton. One of my best friends died from ALS. The last time I saw him was 3 days before he died. He lost his ability to speak and couldn't do much more than move his eyes. It's criminal for people to NOT be allowed to end their life when they see fit.

 

[vhcat70]

This is why everyone should give Durable Power of Attorney for Health to someone you trust. It needs to include your end of life desires.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Absodamnloutely it should be legal. My mom spent the last year of her life in a nursing home as a bedridden, confused, angry, delusional, terrified, skin covered skeleton. One of my best friends died from ALS. The last time I saw him was 3 days before he died. He lost his ability to speak and couldn't do much more than move his eyes. It's criminal for people to NOT be allowed to end their life when they see fit.

I had a great aunt that died of cancer and she prayed every night when she went to bed that she wouldn't wake up because she was in so much pain.

 

[Deeeefense]

This is why everyone should give Durable Power of Attorney for Health to someone you trust. It needs to include your end of life desires.

It's legal to pull the plug it isn't legal to give a lethal injection or other suicide assisted method except in certain states like Oregon and under certain conditions.

 

[Kybluedude]

It's legal to pull the plug it isn't legal to give a lethal injection or other suicide assisted method except in certain states like Oregon and under certain conditions.

Do you ever see that changing?

 

[nerdcat_rivals308595]

Kind of surprising that there appears to be a lot of support for controlled end of life decisions in this country, including me, but it’s never gotten much traction. Dignitas in Switzerland looks like a good model.

 

[Deeeefense]

Do you ever see that changing?

I've got no idea but I'm not optimistic

 

[Deeeefense]

Kind of surprising that there appears to be a lot of support for controlled end of life decisions in this country, including me, but it’s never gotten much traction. Dignitas in Switzerland looks like a good model.

I think most of the opposition comes from faith-based organizations.

 

[Bigtyrone]

I agree with end of life choice but Kevorkian was weird as hell. He clearly had some mental issues going for being in that business that didn't have to do with saving suffering.

I think it was more polarizing than it would have been with a doctor who didn't put off evil-scientist-in-MCU vibes.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

Read about Robin Williams’s autopsy results a while back. It confirmed that he had Lewy Body Dementia. Everyone thought he killed himself because of depression or something similar, turned out his case was advanced to the point that he may have been at the end of mental stability. His disease is characterized by sleeplessness, paranoia, and hallucinations. Some describe it as living your nightmares. It’s a shame he didn’t have better options.

 

[PhDcat2018]

I don’t know. Something about him made me very uneasy. It was like he was a serial killer that got the permission of his victim. I know he only “assisted” them but that’s a weird area for me. I know in my heart if I got to a certain point of no return I wouldn’t want to live. And I would never judge anyone that took that final step.

Wow., snowball fight in hell here lol

I agree with you. I've watched two grandparents die of cancer. I watched a grandmother, and now possibly my mother, have alzheimers. Screw that. I'm not catholic, I don't believe suicide sends you to hell. I trust the Lord understands my pain/strife/desperation enough.

But kevorkian was just... off.

 

[Fact_Checker]

I think most of the opposition comes from faith-based organizations.

There is no one at my church that doesn't agree they'd like the choice if they got Alzheimer's or something like it. I just think people are more sane about that stuff now than they used to be.