As I sip the last of yesterday's Gavalia, I read an article from a woman who flew to Switzerland to end her life with physician assisted death. I realize this is not an uplifting topic to think about, but, at least, it is not more politics for a change, and unfortunately it is reality.
The notion of physician assisted death aka euthanasia has been a controversial topic as long as I can remember, and it reminds me of the ridiculous treatment Dr. Jack Kevorkian received as an advocate for euthanasia, including a stint in prison. The woman I read about today had been sick with a variety of very painful and incurable diseases since 1993. She reached a point where she wondered why she even woke-up in the morning she was in so much pain. She finally came to the conclusion that she had a right to die with dignity and that 'choice' aligned with her "spiritual compass." She often quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said, "... people who are terminally ill should have the option of dignified and compassionate assisted dying."
I remember when I had to euthanize our cat Domino about 18 months ago, and talking about the process with our veterinarian. He explained that he would give the cat a sedative shot and once relaxed he would administer a drug that painlessly shut down the pet's heart and he would quietly fall asleep. I asked him how it is that we compassionately end an animal's suffering with dignity, but fail to do so with humans. He said he wondered the same thing. Isn't it ironic that we treat pets with more dignity than their owners.
I know we have some form of physician assisted death in 6 states but there are complicated provisions and processes involved which is why the woman in the article flew to Europe where the process is far less administratively burdened. I think once you arrive at that point in your decision process, you don't want to be burdened with a bunch of red tape, but you are ready to move on to the next dimension, whatever that might be. It is probably equally compassionate to your loved ones to be able to seamlessly complete the process without having a team of lawyers in the middle.
Ultimately, I think everyone has to come to grips with their beliefs on this topic, but as you might guess, I come down hard on the notion that the individual has the right to make that choice, not some government body or religious group. I suspect not everyone will align with my thinking on this topic, but when that decision is an option, I am again reminded of Archbishop Tutu's words, "I hope that when the time comes, I hope I am treated with compassion and allowed to pass on to the next phase of life's journey in the manner of my choice."
On this cheery note this morning, I am getting more coffee and hope that I am not confronted with these 'choices' for a long, long time. I would certainly be interested in contrary thoughts on this topic if I have overly simplified it for your taste.