Kevorkian to be freed Friday

[CrimeSolver]

Good for Kevorkian. He should never have been sent to prison to begin with.

Assisted suicide should be available to everyone, but with stringent conditions. The subject must be able to communicate his/her wish to die, and A.S. should be non-profit, so that clinics would not be able to make a killing, so to speak, from the deaths of others. That would be unsavoury.

 

[AlohaGal]

One problem and doubt that I had about Kevorkian was when he helped a younger woman with fibromyalgia to kill herself. The woman was overweight, depressed, and her husband was in agreement about it all. I know that fibromyalgia is painful and there's no cure at this time, but it's not terminal and there is some good pain and other medications out there that can help somewhat. I really did not agree with Kevorkian helping someone with this disease and was very suspicious about the husband and just what type of encouragement this woman was given to end her life and if she was denied pain killers by doctors back then.

OK, that's fine...YOU try living with something that YOU don't understand, suffer, mentally, physically OR watch someone CLOSE to you suffer mentally/physically and then tell US you don't understand. Live a few months on pain "killers", tell us if they REALLY kill the pain, mentally or physically. I DARE YOU to come back here with your suspicions and doubts and refute the decision to make your OWN DECISION of "living" life or "dying" with dignity and comfort.
Aloha Kakou

 

[close_enough]

I'm happy to hear he's finally being released. He never belonged there in my opinion.

agreed!

 

[Tom'sGirl]

Most believe in patient's right to die, but not doctor's role, AP poll shows

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923323/

 

[GlitchWizard]

One problem and doubt that I had about Kevorkian was when he helped a younger woman with fibromyalgia to kill herself. The woman was overweight, depressed, and her husband was in agreement about it all. I know that fibromyalgia is painful and there's no cure at this time, but it's not terminal and there is some good pain and other medications out there that can help somewhat. I really did not agree with Kevorkian helping someone with this disease and was very suspicious about the husband and just what type of encouragement this woman was given to end her life and if she was denied pain killers by doctors back then.

It is hard to understand individual situations when you don't know all the facts, which we can't know in this case you refer to. My first response to things that like is the same as yours- however, you have to remember that not all pain killers work on all people and sometimes it's just sheer exhaustion to live another day in the life someone is given.

I guess you and I need to think of it this way... we're darn lucky that we do NOT understand.

 

[txsvicki]

OK, that's fine...YOU try living with something that YOU don't understand, suffer, mentally, physically OR watch someone CLOSE to you suffer mentally/physically and then tell US you don't understand. Live a few months on pain "killers", tell us if they REALLY kill the pain, mentally or physically. I DARE YOU to come back here with your suspicions and doubts and refute the decision to make your OWN DECISION of "living" life or "dying" with dignity and comfort.
Aloha Kakou

There's no need to be so rude to me. I do have chronic pain every single day and no pain pills. It's as bad as fibromyalgia. My best and longtime friend has fibro and polymyalgia rheumatica and my husband has been disabled for 23 years with daily and many times horrible pain lasting for days and many trips to the ER. He is on daily morphine. My husband raised his kids even though he wishes he were dead many times and he now has emphysema and has trouble breathing. Oh yes, it was wonderful raising 2 babies and 4 kids with a disabled husband and seeing him suffer, but of course, I don't understand. There could have been no other closer people to me suffering and living on pain pills, and now myself. None of our problems are terminal at this time which was my concern. Please, you don't understand or have a right to dare others or question their own beliefs or opinions, which is all I was stating.

 

[Malapoo]

I think a key to this is everyone has different levels of pain tolerance/threshold. My own is quite high. With 3 bulging disks in my lower back and now possibly a disk issue in my neck (or at the very least arthritic changes), it's not a matter of "does your back/neck hurt today" but "how much does it hurt today"? A coworker recently had some minor back issues and she was out for a week and still moans and groans and I've yet to miss more work then to go for medical appts and therapy and then come right back to work.

I knew someone with fibro a few years ago, and she was chronically depressed and didn't lead a life I'd want to lead. But I won't say she should be put to sleep, but she definitely needed more help then she was getting both physically and emotionally.

I would hope that if the day ever comes that people CAN make those choices, that the added benefit of all the reviews and evaluations that should take place, people who were not terminal and sought release would be gotten into better medical care and counseling that would improve their quality of life to a point where they would no longer desire death.

 

[gman20001969]

Wow, I'm surprised to see so many in here cheering for the man. I have to say that I don't believe in assisted suicide. But that's because of my own religious beliefs. I've told my wife jokingly that if I ever developed alzthimers (sp?) that while I was cognant that I would end it right there.

Truth is, no one can speak on anyone else's pain. For almost three months last year, I walked around with a broken jaw not knowing it. I took motrin ever few hours and the pain seemed to subside for bit. It intensified if I talked for long lengths or ate something. Basically, it was a hairline fracture after a root canal and it finally showed on x-ray that the jaw split in two a few months later. During the time I was in pain, I was miserable and horrible to be around. I took so many pain meds just to fall asleep. And even though that was extremely painful, I'm sure it pales to someone with fibro..

 

[Indy Gal]

So glad they finally let him go. IMHO he never belonged in prison. He was helping people!!!

 

[Jules]

So glad they finally let him go. IMHO he never belonged in prison. He was helping people!!!

Amen. We were just talking about him in our office at lunch today. I told everyone that if I ever had a terminal disease, I'd hope assisted suicide was an option. I hope he's able to get some legislation passed in that regard. It's a shame we can put animals to death so they don't suffer, but humans don't have that option.

JMO...

 

[Autumn2004]

It is hard to understand individual situations when you don't know all the facts, which we can't know in this case you refer to. My first response to things that like is the same as yours- however, you have to remember that not all pain killers work on all people and sometimes it's just sheer exhaustion to live another day in the life someone is given.

I guess you and I need to think of it this way... we're darn lucky that we do NOT understand.

I agree completely, I watched him on the local news today. But I do not think he went about it the right way. From what I understood he never pursued it legally much before doing it illegally. He should have fought harder for it the right way.

I can say I would not commit suicide ever due to religious reasons but who knows really how you may feel when you are dealing with it. I do know there are painkillers out there that do a very good job of eliminating pain but you sleep and are not functional and too much with a drip could easily end your life, in reality they are not much different since the staff is well aware eventually it will slow down their breathing too much.

The main reason I dont understand why it cannot be approved since it is basically done everyday in this country. My grandma only lived a few days after they upped her morphine. They told us it wouldnt be long. She slept those two days but at least she was at peace. They had said if they didn't up her morphine dose she could have suffered for months.

 

[cheko1]

OK, that's fine...YOU try living with something that YOU don't understand, suffer, mentally, physically OR watch someone CLOSE to you suffer mentally/physically and then tell US you don't understand. Live a few months on pain "killers", tell us if they REALLY kill the pain, mentally or physically. I DARE YOU to come back here with your suspicions and doubts and refute the decision to make your OWN DECISION of "living" life or "dying" with dignity and comfort.
Aloha Kakou

AlohaGal,

I have had fibromyalgia for many years / I live with chronic fibromyalgia, I also have 3 other muscle diseases. I suffer daily...I'm totally disabled by my fibro & know how severe the pain can be. I know about fibro fog........I know it all.

I'm also aware of the meds the drs pass out to fibromyalgia patients I've been on them all. At one point I was taking 38 pills a day. I was a walking, talking, zombee.

I sincerely hated the fact i was a walking bottle of pills & it cost me over 2 grand a month. I asked my primary dr what in the name of God was I on so many for? I told him I'm going to cut down on all meds....he agreed I could try.....but also told me I could have serious consequences.

1 by 1 they went.......no side effects. I do take up to 3 pain pills daily. I refuse to accept pity or sympathy from anyone. I don't complain nor does most people know I even have a health problem.

Dr K should be applauded, but when I heard about the lady who had fibro........I was like nope shouldn't of happened.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I heard on thee news todaay he'd never do it again. While I'm glad that he'll remain free, I'm saddened that he's been put out to pasture.:snooty:

 

[csds703]

I heard on thee news todaay he'd never do it again. While I'm glad that he'll remain free, I'm saddened that he's been put out to pasture.:snooty:

He said that he would continue to fight to have the laws changed.

 

[Details]

What's sad is that the laws aren't there generally due to churches religious objections. I think that's something we all too often overlook - Kevorkian, assisted suicide - they are a choice. If you don't believe in it, it's simple enough to not do it. The issue comes with those who think that their religious issue should mean no one else can do it either.

 

[csds703]

What's sad is that the laws aren't there generally due to churches religious objections. I think that's something we all too often overlook - Kevorkian, assisted suicide - they are a choice. If you don't believe in it, it's simple enough to not do it. The issue comes with those who think that their religious issue should mean no one else can do it either.

We actually are doing it, but not in a humane way. We can disconnect a breathing tube and watch someone suffocate to death. We can disconnect a feeding tube and watch someone starve to death.
We can stop dialysis or chemo or radiation. We know this will lead to death, but we cant give someone a lethal injection and let them just go to sleep.

 

[Linda7NJ]

We actually are doing it, but not in a humane way. We can disconnect a breathing tube and watch someone suffocate to death. We can disconnect a feeding tube and watch someone starve to death.
We can stop dialysis or chemo or radiation. We know this will lead to death, but we cant give someone a lethal injection and let them just go to sleep.

I agree! Frankly, he was a real hero. To me anyway.