Paul

I wish you could "walk a mile in my shoes" (and many others) and those of my father, mother and recently brother from cancer.

You just have no idea, of the pain and suffering of those loved ones - which we still relive today.

Am still unable to tell the "trauma" on my parents and brother - who neither deserved to endure such immense pain - and for what?

We as siblings could do nothing ....but be there and hold their hand....and watch this enduring pain and trauma continually being experienced by our loved one.

And why - Oh - it's because it's the "law".

Sorry - it would be more legal to put a sick animal down with less pain and trauma than my mum, dad and brother had to go thru for weeks!! And we call this "good quality" paliative care whereby the pain is "supposedly" lessened ......well my mum, dad and brother must have been abnormal - as they were well aware of the pain and suffering they were going through.....and we as siblings could do nothing to assist them.

An experience our family will never forget nor forgive.

Loudmouth - you say

"And then there is the 'unrelievable pain' argument. From what I'm told by doctors, there is very little evidence that such actually occurs. Of course, pain may be present but after all, but it's all relative: if one's pain can be reduced from a perceived nine or ten out of ten, down to three or four out of ten, or even less, then one may feel that the lower level is quite bearable, and welcome. So I'm not really sure I believe such claims.

I've seen only a few people die, but all of them went peacefully, thanks to medication and to the wonderful palliative care staff. "

You can talk to me any time and I can certainly refute your "ideals" with "reality".

Hi SAINTS,

As it happens, the incidence of unrelievable pain was made clear to me yesterday at a funeral: a friend remarked that his daughter had been in a serious car accident, fracturing her neck bones (I think I got this right) and leaving her in constant agony; a highly-paid surgeon botched the treatment and she is now in worse pain than ever, so she is desperately trying another surgeon.

So yes, it occurs, and probably much more than I would be aware of in my sheltered life. So yes, IF such pain was unrelievable, I can understand someone wanting to end it all, to 'make it stop'. But it most certainly should be their decision, absolutely nobody else's.

Best wishes,

Joe

Loudmouth
“ So yes, IF such pain was unrelievable, I can understand someone wanting to end it all, to 'make it stop'. But it most certainly should be their decision, absolutely nobody else's.”

Andrew Denton is a supporter of “the patient’s” right “to die peacefully and with dignity”, and agree with you.

He is not a supporter of just giving an older person a needle to end their life for assets etc. as some may suggest.

Rachel Friend wrote an article in Sunday’s Telegraph 15/11 – They didn’t let mum die with dignity. Page 37. An excellent article.

All we want is for our loved ones to die with dignity – the same as they led their life.