Should their be a magic pill ?

[jeff666]

Having read the Russell and Lily thread with sadness, i often wonder if when things get so bad for terminal people, that their should be a little pill you can take to end the suffering for yourself and the people around you.

I know some will say nobody has a right to play god, however i dont believe in God so it would'nt affect my desicion.

We dont let animals suffer, so why do the medical proffession continue to let humans suffer, it seems barbaric to me.

If Russell does read this, please accept my appologies if i have upset you in advance, this is not meant to wind anybody up, just thinking aloud.

[Morba]

There are places where this effectively can take place, just not legal here in the UK.

[Bonnie and Clyde]

OP i have thought the very same thing after reading Russell's very sad post today. I just hope that for Lily at least the Morphine will be a huge relief but then i'm just hoping thats how it is for her. As for Russell, there is nothing at all that will help with horrendous pain he's suffering

[GarryA]

Pentobarbital

[Bonnie and Clyde]

GarryA said:

Pentobarbital

Unfortunatly as we know euthanaisia is illegal in this country. In some case's IMO there should be exceptions.

[davepoth]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

+1 to this. The doctors know that at the end there's a very fine line between the upper limit of pain relief, and what will make the person's breathing stop.

[Bonnie and Clyde]

davepoth said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

+1 to this. The doctors know that at the end there's a very fine line between the upper limit of pain relief, and what will make the person's breathing stop.

+1
This is what i thought but didn't know how to put it across.

[jeff666]

Bonnie and Clyde said:

OP i have thought the very same thing after reading Russell's very sad post today. I just hope that for Lily at least the Morphine will be a huge relief but then i'm just hoping thats how it is for her. As for Russell, there is nothing at all that will help with horrendous pain he's suffering

My thoughts aswell, when somebody finally does pass away after a terrible illness or disease,
often the words of comfort to the surviving relatives are "at least he/she is now out of pain and not suffering"

[littlegreenfairy]

We were talking about this today too. It's a difficult one to call especially when pain comes with so much emotion from all people around the one hurting.

Such an awful position to be in.

[mph1977]

davepoth said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

+1 to this. The doctors know that at the end there's a very fine line between the upper limit of pain relief, and what will make the person's breathing stop.

exactly...

waits for the anti Liverpool Care Pathway loons to descend

[BlackVanDyke]

There already is - it's called Terminal Sedation, the idea of intentionally knocking the person out so that they will very much have already left the building by the time their body physically dies. My friend's dad died in 2007 of pancreatic cancer, aged just 42, the last few days of his life he chose to say his goodbyes and then was pretty much put into a coma. I don't believe there would have been any other way to ensure that he was free from pain - pancreatic cancer really is horrible.

It's complicated, though. Once you're gone - unconscious or dead - that's it; no more suffering but no more good moments either, not another kiss or smile or touch or look, nothing. I can't imagine that many people would want to risk missing out on one more moment to share together unless as with my friend's dad (and it seems very much not the case with Lily) there truly can be no more good moments, however short or infrequent, and no other effective pain relief.

Talk of euthanasia in general terrifies me because I don't trust the governments (past, present and future) or the various decision-makers high up in the health service to consider what's best for me, rather than what makes their books look a bit healthier. If they'd lock me up to be bullied and neglected in a nursing home for 9 months, where'd they stop?

[Bonnie and Clyde]

BlackVanDyke said:

There already is - it's called Terminal Sedation, the idea of intentionally knocking the person out so that they will very much have already left the building by the time their body physically dies. My friend's dad died in 2007 of pancreatic cancer, aged just 42, the last few days of his life he chose to say his goodbyes and then was pretty much put into a coma. I don't believe there would have been any other way to ensure that he was free from pain - pancreatic cancer really is horrible.

It's complicated, though. Once you're gone - unconscious or dead - that's it; no more suffering but no more good moments either, not another kiss or smile or touch or look, nothing. I can't imagine that many people would want to risk missing out on one more moment to share together unless as with my friend's dad (and it seems very much not the case with Lily) there truly can be no more good moments, however short or infrequent, and no other effective pain relief.

Talk of euthanasia in general terrifies me because I don't trust the governments (past, present and future) or the various decision-makers high up in the health service to consider what's best for me, rather than what makes their books look a bit healthier. If they'd lock me up to be bullied and neglected in a nursing home for 9 months, where'd they stop?

I see your point completely. The other side of it is that some twenty years ago now my mom had cervical cancer as a result of three smear test's not being read, regardless of the fact that she'd relentlessly re-booked in as she knew something was very wrong. She was a very fit lady and worked as a Long Haul Stewardess for BA.
She very nearly died, Four times they bought her back. She at this stage had an open wound of ten inches long, a ileostomy bag and weighed about five and a half stone.
We (her family) thought we were gonna loose her. She thought she was going to die. She was in so much pain if there had been a "pill" I have no doubt she would have taken it.
My point is that she somehow battled on and although could never return to work she lives on. Almost as strong as before. Thank God there was no pill then.