I've just been sat on the sofabed in the lounge and had a good cry. Gloria
Hunifeds Channel 5 program was on which I don't really watch because it is a bit rubbish. Today she was having a discussion about euthanasia and whether it should be made legal. My view? Definitely! One of the guests on the show was an American who had assisted his mother to commit suicide. She had terminal cancer and it had been progressing for several years and reach the stage at which it was untreatable and her quality of life was deteriorating. The family had discussed it and agreed that she would take her life with their full support when she felt she could no longer carry on. One day she had an appointment at her doctors, the cancer had spread to her intestine had she had two large tumours that, untreated, would mean she couldn't digest food. The only course of treatment was to have them removed, she feared that by going into hospital she wouldn't leave again and wouldn't be able to carry out her wishes.
She phoned her children and told them that "now is the time". The children all went to the apartment where she was with her husband. She was in bed ad they all sat around her. This was something that she had been thinking about for a long time and the family had discussed it and were prepared. They had something to eat, the drug being used was more effective as an overdose when taken with food, she said something to each of the children and her husband. He said that it was clear she had thought about what she wanted to say to each of them, she was alert, peaceful and happy. The son asked her if she was scared or afraid at all. She said the only thing she was afraid of was that it might not work and that she would wake up. She took the overdose of pills, looked up at into the eyes of each of them and said something that I don't remember. The gist of it was that she had found paradise, a place without pain, without cancer, surrounded by the love and warmth of her family. She lay down, her speech and then breathing slowed and she closed her eyes. Finally finding the peace and painless rest that she had desired.
Just watching her son tell the story was so emotional, I was sat down and started crying. As he told the story all I could see was the episode of East Enders in which Ethel dies - by an overdose with the help of Dot. One of the hardest things is you then have to wait several hours before calling anyone. You have to make sure they have died and cannot be resuscitated.
Hunifeds Channel 5 program was on which I don't really watch because it is a bit rubbish. Today she was having a discussion about euthanasia and whether it should be made legal. My view? Definitely! One of the guests on the show was an American who had assisted his mother to commit suicide. She had terminal cancer and it had been progressing for several years and reach the stage at which it was untreatable and her quality of life was deteriorating. The family had discussed it and agreed that she would take her life with their full support when she felt she could no longer carry on. One day she had an appointment at her doctors, the cancer had spread to her intestine had she had two large tumours that, untreated, would mean she couldn't digest food. The only course of treatment was to have them removed, she feared that by going into hospital she wouldn't leave again and wouldn't be able to carry out her wishes.
She phoned her children and told them that "now is the time". The children all went to the apartment where she was with her husband. She was in bed ad they all sat around her. This was something that she had been thinking about for a long time and the family had discussed it and were prepared. They had something to eat, the drug being used was more effective as an overdose when taken with food, she said something to each of the children and her husband. He said that it was clear she had thought about what she wanted to say to each of them, she was alert, peaceful and happy. The son asked her if she was scared or afraid at all. She said the only thing she was afraid of was that it might not work and that she would wake up. She took the overdose of pills, looked up at into the eyes of each of them and said something that I don't remember. The gist of it was that she had found paradise, a place without pain, without cancer, surrounded by the love and warmth of her family. She lay down, her speech and then breathing slowed and she closed her eyes. Finally finding the peace and painless rest that she had desired.
Just watching her son tell the story was so emotional, I was sat down and started crying. As he told the story all I could see was the episode of East Enders in which Ethel dies - by an overdose with the help of Dot. One of the hardest things is you then have to wait several hours before calling anyone. You have to make sure they have died and cannot be resuscitated.
posted by Mat O'Marah at
2:21 PM
