Cancer patient first to use Washington's assisted suicide law

**Valasca** · May 23rd, 2009, 01:06 AM

SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A 66-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer became the first person to use Washington's assisted suicide law, a nonprofit organization announced Friday.

Compassion & Choices, an organization that says it advocates choice for the terminally ill, said Linda Fleming of Sequim, took her prescribed medication and died Thursday evening at home with her family, her dog and her physician.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/22/ass...ide/index.html

**Lizard** · May 23rd, 2009, 01:27 AM

You know what? If I were terminally ill, that's *almost* how I'd want to go out--my family and my animals...but fuck the doctor. I'm dying, dude, go spend your time with someone you can save. Or a good-looking hooker.

**prettyuglyish** · May 23rd, 2009, 01:37 AM

Bravo! Cancer is an ugly, ugly death. That saved Linda Fleming needless suffering and her family horrifying memories.

But...Why limit it to the terminally ill? I can think of several people right off the top of my head that I'd like to have take advantage of that option.

**RaVen Blackehart** · May 24th, 2009, 04:11 PM

*

**Kitty** · May 24th, 2009, 04:14 PM

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/s...ington+suicide

Amazon got this one a little earlier..

**Valasca** · May 24th, 2009, 04:26 PM

OK, cool. I thought I was crazy, or something...
Well,I AM, but that's beside the point.

**RaVen Blackehart** · May 24th, 2009, 04:27 PM

Sorry.

**akika666** · May 24th, 2009, 04:28 PM

speaking as a physician, i'm VERY uncomfortable with this. i am fully aware of the suffering a terminal cancer patient endures, but it's such a dangerous, slippery slope for physicians to embark on this new role.

i dunno... i have always believed that if we were allowed to TRULY treat (not just "take the edge off) severe terminal pain without all kinds of harassment from the DEA, then this issue would be moot.

**Valasca** · May 24th, 2009, 04:28 PM

Don't be sorry.
Far too many stories and links to keep up with, lol!
I am quite sure I will be a re-post queen.

**evervigilant** · May 24th, 2009, 04:44 PM

That's great . I recently had lletz for precancerous cells , waiting on results to find out if it is cancer is scary . I have a friend who has Huntington's and she's wasting away . Her dad and two brothers have already died from it . She's never mentioned suicide to me , but it's not something you usually discuss with your friends . I dare say her mum would know her feelings about it .

**HijabiGirl** · May 24th, 2009, 05:34 PM

Pancreatic cancer has to be the most exsquisitely painful cancer out there. It's only "mercy" is that it tends to be extremely swift but even the short duration doesn't make up for the pain. I told my loved ones to just let me go if I ever get diagnosed with this monster.

**Marv** · May 24th, 2009, 06:03 PM

As long as the person opting to die in this way is 'of sound mind', then I dont see the problem with assisted suicide. Its illegal in the UK, which I find ludicrous.

It is cruel and inhumane to force a person with a TERMINAL illness to linger on in agony until their body can't take anymore and gives up the fight. It is also hell on Earth for the family, having to watch the suffering, and being left with horrendous memories overshadowing the good ones.

You can be prosecuted for failing to euthanise a suffering, dying animal, and prosecuted for helping a suffering, dying person to euthanise themselves!

**akika666** · May 24th, 2009, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by ohmarvellousme!

As long as the person opting to die in this way is 'of sound mind', then I dont see the problem with assisted suicide. Its illegal in the UK, which I find ludicrous.

It is cruel and inhumane to force a person with a TERMINAL illness to linger on in agony until their body can't take anymore and gives up the fight. It is also hell on Earth for the family, having to watch the suffering, and being left with horrendous memories overshadowing the good ones.

You can be prosecuted for failing to euthanise a suffering, dying animal, and prosecuted for helping a suffering, dying person to euthanise themselves!

worse yet, you can be prosecuted or at least PERsecuted for helping a suffering, dying person to be pain-free.

i'm not advocating letting people suffer, just arguing that there is an alternative that's always overlooked. the main reason for the suffering is that prescribing and dispensing opiates is so tightly controlled, that doctors are paranoid. the DEA is really scary when they get up your ass with questions and you have to explain yourself. they make you believe you are going to prison, like tomorrow if you have to explain an unusual prescribing pattern, and you better not do it again.

however, when people are truly adequately medicated, believe it or not, they don't suffer cruelly and inhumanely. it is TRUE. people are not aware of that, they have been taught to believe that the choice is days and weeks of agony, or suicide. the DEA is happy with that, and so is Medicare.

there is a real "slippery slope" danger in this regulation. for one thing, it's hard to say that a person is in their "right mind" if they are in agony or even terrified of eventually being in agony. also, the legal definition of "terminal" could be up for argument. for example, what about a baby born with defects that will cause death in infancy or early childhood? some yahoo will argue that's terminal and convince the parents, who legally have the right to choose treatment for their kids and can sue if you don't provide that treatment.

what if someone has bad emphysema that'll kill them in a month or a year, or 5 years and they are done struggling for every breath? that's terminal, and it's honestly agony to always feel on the verge of suffocating. should we set up suicide clinics?

obviously, those examples don't illustrate the original intent of this regulation, but somebody always has to push it, and i don't want my profession to become even more of a pawn.

i think it's a bad road to go down, but i hope i'm wrong.