My Support Forums - View Single Post

Elysium · Jan 03, 2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starlite*111

When I was very young I believed that everyone should be given a cyanide pill. That when they thought it was their choice to go - they could.

blah blah.... I want my pill

LOL Starlite!!!

I love the way you just come on out and tell it!!

I have always held a similar belief. I have visions of finding a nice spot along the shore at sunset. I would have a blanket, my favorite beverage and snack, and I would enjoy the beauty of the Sun's slumber. Then, I would pop my cyanide capsule and enjoy my own slumber.

If you ever meet up with the Cyanide Queen, you let me know where I can find her.

In regards to Euthanasia, I think, as with anything major like this (i.e. end of life care, death penalty...) that there would always be a potential for abuse of the system.

I think there would need to be some sort of evaluation and interview with the respective patient/client and I think it would need to be documented legally, as is a POLST (Physicians Order For Life Sustaining Treatment). A POLST is an outpatient "Do Not Resuscitate" order from a physician which allows medical personal, such as EMS to withhold life saving treatment outside of the hospital setting.

In regards to abuse of the system....I see plenty of cases, in the hospital, where a DNR order, which is a Doctors order, is being interpreted as "Do Not Treat". Countless times I have had a patient circling the drain and needing a higher level of care, like ICU, and have been told "This patient is a DNR, they don't want life sustaining treatment.", which makes my blood boil, as that is abuse of an order. DNR means you do not resuscitate once they have experienced clinical death (no heart beat or breathing), it does not mean you withhold treatment that would prevent them from dying.

So, see...there are still many bugs in the medical arena when it comes to end of life care, and there is still some taboo there too. It took so long to get society to this point of acceptance and not everyone is there yet. It would be a long time coming for a program such as this to be enacted and managed appropriately.