If you have ever had a family member who was near death, you know that this change in the law makes a world of sense. This is not about allowing people to kill themselves for just any reason. It allows terminally ill people to have some control over their lives. When my father lay dying of Parkinson's with painful bed sores and no control over his body, it would have been a blessing to end his suffering hours or days sooner. Instead he suffered right to the painful end.

My mother was a brilliant woman. When she fell victim to colon cancer only a year after my father died we had a family discussion. It was obvious that, even after surgery, there was no recourse for cure or from eventual deterioration and death. We, my sister and I and our doctor/friend supported Mother's determination to end her life when it became obvious that she was losing her quality of life and her ability to control her actiona. My last evening when I put her to bed, she and I had a wonderful conversation about the future. I was finishing up college and was doing well and both she and I were pleased. She waited until the Christmas/New Years between semesters break. She had hoarded (how? I do not know.) some Chloral hydrate, a sleeping pill when used correctly. It was on her dresser when I left her for the night. I knew what her plans were but not when, though I suspected that night after our good talk. The next morning when we went to wake her, we couldn't. She had left a note to us, which I still have today. She expressed her love for us and asked us to let her sleep if she "goofed," (her word). It was the most profound expression of love I have ever experienced. I have told few people, especially at the time because we could have been charged with aiding an abetting her action which was criminal at the time in South Carolina. Yes, I support a change in the law. It is only about love and care to do the best for someone you love.

Peter, I feel your pain.

My own mother had Alzheimer's. The long term suffering she had and the financial costs for her long term care hurt us deeply.

I feel that to the extent that this law supports the individual and relieves suffering, than its all good by me. One thing I'd add to the discussion is the question, when do we decide that our condition is incurable? Is this when the doctor says it is, or when we (the sick person) decide it is?

Christian Science has be curing these irreversible diseases given up by doctors for over 130 years. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy explains this method of alternative medicine. The last one hundred pages of this book are short testimonies of individuals telling how they were healed of cancer, broken bones, tumors, depression, substance addictions, and more through the perusal of the book. The Christian Science Journal, a monthly periodical from the Christian Science Publishing Society, continues to record these testimonies of people being healed of these same conditions today.

Are you looking for health? Don't give up on the search!

The question is phrased wrong. It's not "should a physician be allowed to end a patient's life," the question is "should a suffering patient be allowed to let his/her doctor end their suffering?" My Dad's final months were awful. His mental anguish, the stress on my Mom, my Sister, myself...he HATED being in the hospital, he HATED being vulnerable, he HATED having someone else wipe his bottom, and above all, he HATED putting all of us through it with him! If he had HAD the option of letting his doctor end his pain, I believe he would have chosen to do so, and I believe he should have had that choice!

Sadly, my grandmother was in a vegetative state for close to eight years before finally passing. It was very hard on my mother and her sisters.

These are all sad experiences and seems to me a very clear answer to this question. Yes. The toll is takes on all parties, from the patient to the family members is extremely difficult. I know it was with me and my family.

For those of you that shared your experiences, God Bless you and your families.

This weekend, I will be moving my mother into an assisted-living facility close to where I live now that she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She's very spiritual and keeps asking if it would be easier on me if she were to just go to "greener pastures." So I am stuck on a stance for this issue. I can't imagine life without her but have no idea of what's ahead.

Susan -

You face three different issues:
1 - Your mothers knowing of self (as it degrades) and how she responds to the loss.
2 - How you deal (your family) with her loss of her self and your memories (past, current & future) as she is still alive.
3 - The length of time she lives and the cost burden in keeping her in a good and safe environment.

Alzheimer's is cruel here, as the person will have good and bad days to the point they will often delay ending it (if they are thinking of doing that), thinking they still have more good days left. Then when they don't, they can't remember what to do to end it. That was my mothers undoing, her mind went quickly, but her body didn't.

I would strongly recommend your family get together and have a living wake with her so the extended family can have one last good memory of her while she still is able to have any dialog with them. As much as it hurts limit the amount of family sees her in her new home. The families fond memories will be dashed as she degrades. If she asks to see someone by all means let them see her.

Seek counseling for your self (the one taking care of her) as the mental stress will be a burden. And lastly, join one of the Alzheimer's support groups if you haven't done already.

I wish you well

Very sage words, Dan. Thanks for your advice and kind wishes.

Most of the patients described here don't sound like they would be eligible for assisted suicide under the law as it is currently written (especially persistent vegetative state). Are you all suggesting assisted suicide should be available to the chronically, but not terminally, ill? Or people who don't have full capacity to consent, like Alzheimers patients?

I'm a nurse who will be voting no on this issue. Doctors should do everything they can to alleviate people's suffering, but they need to stop short of facilitating patient deaths. (As most of them thankfully agree.) The responses I see here are part of why I'm voting no. Once doctors have the prescriptive authority to help end their patients' lives, there is little means of keeping the practice within any limitations.

You are right the law being put to vote would not help as the patient needs to be able to does them selves. A living will should help guide the family and the courts for an answer here for patients that are in a vegetative state or have Alzheimer's. At present there is no option for those who are suffering. We are kinder to animals when they are in pain or can't be helped.

Agreed, Doctors do need to heal and comfort their patients, that includes pain and suffering. They also need to comfort the patients family and that too includes their pain and suffering.

Yes, there is an issue on the doctors role here. I can fully understand a majority of doctors would be uncomfortable subscribing the medication. I foresee a new type of doctor emerging as a specialty which would be consulted by the other doctor.

The Hippocratic Oath was a good foundation in its day but it does not meet todays views. It was created in a religious environment, it needs to be rethought and be made secular. It also needs to deal with disclosure of a patients records and any biological matter without explicit consent.

In the UK less than 50% of the colleges still have their matriculated doctors swear to the oath. Within the US each college has their own interpretation of the oath.

In reading these posts I have yet to see anyone address the patient's rights. I have worked in Hospice for 8 years and watched many patients and families suffer. One thing that all healthcare workers, patients, and families have in common is the idea of patient choice. As healthcare workers we are obligated to be patient advocates. However, it seems that most practitioners are circumstantial advocates. We will happily advocate for a patient with stage 4 cancer to receive chemotherapy/radiation- which has horrific side effects- to possibly prolong life, in fact we even attempt to use it as "palliative". Yet we are so against the idea of being a patient's advocate when they use PATIENT'S CHOICE to have physician assisted suicide. I fully agree that the laws need to be very specific, but as practitioners we need to not be so hypocritical and advocate PATIENT'S CHOICE no matter what their choice is. Death has always been a taboo subject in the US and is not as openly discussed as it should be. If people's eyes were opened to how terminally ill patient's end of life care truly is then this would be a law approved in every state. Of course hospice is elected to aide end of life care and die with dignity, but how dignifying is it when you have end stage cardiac disease and you can no longer bathe or use the restroom yourself and you require your children to clean you? Your mind is still competent and you know that embarrassment.