Plea for a forgotten fighter - Let Kevorkian die at home with dignity

Capital Times ^ | 6-14-06 | Judi K-Turkel

[don-o]

Let him die at home. What does society have to gain by being an a$$hole?

Justice, bro. He made up his bed. Now, let him jle / die in it. Pray to God that he repents before the end. But, jail is a fine place for that.

[JohnLongIsland]

why doesn't he do everybody a favor and practice his own medicine on himself? that would be the ultimate degree of dignity.

[Kenny Bunkport]

despite public support for Terri Schiavo's right to die

Grrrrr....[Counting to ten....] OK, I'll let that one pass for now, except to say that is a fancy bit of spinning the writer performed.

[Frank T]

"If I had a choice, I would have let him go with dignity."

He apparently made his own choice. Why should yours have outweighed his, in regards to how his life would end?

Let's do it one better and ask, shouldn't the doctor get to decide how your family members die? Or the insurance company? Or the goverment? I suggest it's clear that there's little middle ground, either we end up dying privately, or the state becomes involved and death is "regulated." Free Republic?

Here's this from your about page. I think it's clear what kind of "conservative" you are:

"Just as conservatism evolved away from the isolationist, business-versus-labor model — leaving Pat Buchanan and his ilk floundering about in the political wilderness like beached whales — so too is conservatism evolving apace away from the small-government, libertarian model so dear to the hearts of Rush Limbaugh and his acolytes. Bush has recognized this and has parlayed it into two presidential terms. However, if movement conservatives start an ideological war withing the GOP, everything which Ronald Reagan and those who believe as he did is in danger of being wrecked. The my-way-or-the-highway conservatives are fast becoming the mirror images of the lunatic-fringe Democrats from moveon.org. If the GOP is driven to the right, the Reagan Democrats who are socially conservative but fiscally liberal will be alienated and will rejoin the Democrats."

So if Republicans representatives in goverment start doing what they said they'd do to get elected, that would be a rightward shift, and an end to conservatism, as you define it? I thought "right" and "conservative," labels applied by our political opponents, were synonymous?

You might be correct, in the sense of there not being just enough broad support for the fusionist model, and some kinds of voters can be turned off. But I suggest that the greater concern is losing the base with your kind of politics. It's not what got Bush elected for two terms, it was an understanding that he'd get a moderate amount of the conservative agenda through. Now we realise that RINOs like you want to go in the other direction. Deliberately. And this "dying with dignity" crap is just more of it.

[sgtbono2002]

Yes: My mother went that way. I am underwhelmed at the compassion on this thread.

[Volunteer]

This guy does not deserve dignity.

Dr. K you are going to die in prison. I hope you die in pain, alone, and afraid.

[don-o]

The doctors told me they were giving him the maximum dose without killing him.

That is bull capital S SHIT.

Truly caring doctors do what is necessary to stop the pain. What? You are going to bring lawsuit on them killing your dying dad? What the hell were they thinking?

Ben, I am so sorry this happened. But, good on you to share it. We all need to get ready ahead of these situations. Remember - the doctors are working for you. They are not gods.

When things go bad at the hospital - find the patient advocate. We have done that. Also, make sure you know the floor nurses. They are a great resource. Often know more than the MD's and have surprising power to get things done.

Most important - show up as often as you can - ask questions - DEMAND answers

[colorado tanker]

Yep, strap 'im to the gurney and "assist" his "death with dignity."

[spectre]

"The doctors told me they were giving him the maximum dose without killing him. They were forbidden by law giving him a higher dosage. I was sitting in the hallway most of the time and his cries still haunt me."

You are not alone. My Mother's screams still haunt me. I begged the Doctor to give her more morphine, and he said the same thing "it would kill her". What a farce.. She died that night anyway.

I would have paid anything for a Dr. Kvorkian that day..

sw

[Uncle Meat]

I used to work for this trucking company that had a driver that looked identical to Dr.Kevorkian.That was what we started calling him.He would ask how I was feeling,I'd tell him"I'm feeling fine,I don't need your help!"

[nothingnew]

, others had untreated pain,

By that, do you mean withholding effective pain relief medication (drugs that work at actually relieving pain) from people who are way past their midpoint in life by doctors who fear the people may become "drug addicts"?

What's happened here is trial lawyers and other assorted a-holes have pretty much handtied decent doctors who know what a patient needs (I'm not talking about youngsters here who want to get high)....I've watched too many family members, my mom included, refused adequate pain relief (mom was 65 fer God's sake) because of this crap.

Sorry, just don't get me started on this stuff...I suffer chronic pain myself, and getting LEGAL relief gets harder and harder.

FMCDH(BITS)

[wagglebee]

Deny him food and water and let him experience the same "euphoria" that Terri Schiavo did.

[Tamar1973]

I am underwhelmed at the compassion on this thread.

If you are talking about a possible lack of compassion for Ben Mugged's personal tragedy, you might be right. If you are talking about Kevorkian, I would humbly submit that a mass murderer such as Kevorkian should have been executed a long time ago for what he did. However, barring that, he shouldn't leave prison except in a body bag stored in a hearse.

[SunkenCiv]

Sorry, Doctor Death, serial killers don't get a reprieve.

And according to at least one US court, lethal injection isn't legal.

Burn in Hell, mass murderer.

[Captain Rhino]

"Death is still an unpopular subject, despite public support for Terri Schiavo's right to die. But at least now doctors and hospitals urge us all to provide legal end-of-life do-not-resuscitate and no-heroic-measures directives. If you've ever been grateful that a loved one got you off the hook by "having it in writing," it's partly stubborn, crusading old Dr. Kevorkian you can thank."

With all due respect, Judi: b_ _ _ s _ _ _!

The movement to create durable powers of attorney, "do not resuscitate/no heroic measures" orders predates "Dr. Death" by many years and has a completely different impulse.

Despite initial light treatment and repeated warnings that the active assistance he was giving to his victims was unlawful, he defiantly persisted. Even he now admits that, on reflection, his actions were misguided. But adults are responsible for their actions. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced according to law and his conviction has been upheld on appeal.

He is exactly where he should be. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

[brooklin]

I am so sorry for your dad and for you, I have an idea of what it was like for you to endure this.
My Dad had ms for 30 years. In the latter stages he had at least 3 bouts with pneumonia. He was on a ventilator,(he was unconcious), and had come down with a very serious infection that the docs couldn't get a handle on. We were asked if we wanted to shut off the vent... It was the hardest decision of my life, but it was the right one.
There are those that say you shouldn't allow this... I say nuts to them. You know when it's right.

[Badray]

I'm sorry that your father suffered so much in his final days.

I don't understand the concern of doctors at that point. The patient is within days of death. It's not like the patient is going to become an addict.

25 years ago I worked at a hospital and a man with esophageal (sp) cancer was terminal. The cancer ate into the nearby blood vessels and he would bleed so badly that he was literally drowning in his blood.

I stood at the bedside with the man while he, his family and the doctor discussed what to do. They decided to gradually increase the morphine dosage until he just passed quietly that night.

He may have survived another day or two, but with the terrifying prospect of choking on the blood at any time.

In these end day situations, I have no problem with assisting the final moment. I don't believe in it until the patient is truly at the end and in uncontrollable agony. I think Dr Death delighted in controlling the lives and deaths of people who weren't near death without his 'help'.