N.O. patients euthanized? (page 3)

rebel8

I must be missing something. Am I the only person who thinks the doctors should have had the permission of the patients to kill them?

HappyDad

Lawrence......

I watched both my parents die excruciating deaths due to cancer. I had to jump, shout, and threaten to get my folks enough medicine to "dull" the pain. It was damn right ugly as the medival practicioners spouted b.s. I came close to assisting my dad - he was at first favorable, then backed out. I personally believe there should be dignity and respect in the death process - especially CHOICE. This is not Sparta? Or, ...

I understand this. When my wife was dying from ovarian cancer we got home hospice care for about the last 3 weeks of her life. The nurse would come daily and make sure the morphine drip was helping her pain. The morphine had to constantly be increased and the last few days of her life, the nurse and doctor gave me permission to increase the drip for as much as she needed. Believe me, it wasn't easy watching her die!

Hospice care is great for the fact that they are able to "buck" the laws of patient care as far as giving amounts of morphine or other drugs above the allowed dosage. The nurse gave her some other drug during the last 2-3 days for the halucinations she was having and told me that it would also hasten the death process.

I really hope that these Doctors in New Orleans are not even asked to a hearing about it. They acted with compassion.

HappyDad

horrible life

Rebel 8 I don't know if I would want to be asked. If I only had days to live. The will to survive is so great. What would I say? If my daughter was by my bedside, and I didn't know it, I would rather the Dr. take matters in their own hands to save her days of suffering. HL

Scully

Am I the only person who thinks the doctors should have had the permission of the patients to kill them?

Sometimes all someone can manage to say is "Help me!" and they look at you a certain way... I have seen that "look" more than once. I would say that in those dire circumstances, a lot is left to interpretation and professional judgement.

rebel8

WOW that is really surprising. I would definitely want to be the one deciding my own destiny and knowing what was going on.

talesin

I saw on TV, a surgeon who was taking in aid, and reporting from NO, in the makeshift hospitals. He said they were putting those they couldn't help in the morgue, to die. There was nothing they could do for them, and they needed the space, with 60-70 new bodies a day.

It must be more than these medical personnel can bear; it's all so hard to take in. Bless them all.

tal

Emma

With the current administration being so conservative and "pro-life" I'd be surprised if prosecution wasn't in the works. I think it would be wrong, but these religious fundie's think they know it all. I hope public opinion protects medical personel in this case.

Scully

WOW that is really surprising. I would definitely want to be the one deciding my own destiny and knowing what was going on.

That's what DNR's are for. If you really want to make a statement, get one tattooed on your chest so they'll see it before they put the cardioversion paddles on you.

IronGland

Im sure the save terri schiavo crowd is now planning a trip to New Orleans.

SixofNine

I was told a story recently of how nurses who work in pediatric ICU sometimes take the step of "over-medicating" a baby who is in extreme suffering and is w/o question going to die. It wasn't a subject I'd really thought about, but I was relieved to hear that it happens.

Personally? I think this may be the only topic in the history of humanity that is better left undiscussed. When it happens out of genuine concern and realistic judgements, good triumphs. In the rare event this happens and it is just plain old murder, well, we have laws on the books to deal with that.

N.O. patients euthanized?

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