Physician-Assisted Suicide
Physician-Assisted Suicide: Is Legalization the Right Path?
Paul committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. He saw no future for himself and chose to end his life. Just like that. It was a violent and lonely end. Paul is a fictional character in the story titled “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather. Paul was a young man who was unhappy with his life and felt he was on the outside looking in at people living the life he wanted. He stole money and sneaked away to New York City to live the life to which he aspired. For one week Paul lived his dream and even though he dressed the part and walked among those he admired, he did not interact--he was still on the outside looking in. Once his theft was discovered he did not want to face the consequences or worse, go back to his previous life, so he carried out the plan he’d decided upon at the beginning of his adventure-- to end his life.
Suicide is often described as a permanent solution to a temporary problem, especially in cases like Paul’s where his problems seem largely emotional. But what happens when the problem is not temporary? What if the circumstance is terminal illness and the pain and suffering being endured seem insurmountable? Take for instance, ovarian cancer. Metastasis to lungs, liver, colon and abdominal wall are common. Complications including intestinal obstruction and intractable nausea and vomiting are common at the end of life.
Pain and suffering is unique to each individual. Even with excellent care, symptom management sometimes falls short in alleviating the suffering at the end of life. Only the individual can determine if he or she is able or willing to endure that suffering. In order to provide full autonomy and spectrum of choice for patients, physician-assisted suicide that is legal with standards of care to protect all parties should be in place.
There exists in some places already a choice to have assistance in the process of ending one’s life; to have a good death on one’s own terms.
Paul committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. He saw no future for himself and chose to end his life. Just like that. It was a violent and lonely end. Paul is a fictional character in the story titled “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather. Paul was a young man who was unhappy with his life and felt he was on the outside looking in at people living the life he wanted. He stole money and sneaked away to New York City to live the life to which he aspired. For one week Paul lived his dream and even though he dressed the part and walked among those he admired, he did not interact--he was still on the outside looking in. Once his theft was discovered he did not want to face the consequences or worse, go back to his previous life, so he carried out the plan he’d decided upon at the beginning of his adventure-- to end his life.
Suicide is often described as a permanent solution to a temporary problem, especially in cases like Paul’s where his problems seem largely emotional. But what happens when the problem is not temporary? What if the circumstance is terminal illness and the pain and suffering being endured seem insurmountable? Take for instance, ovarian cancer. Metastasis to lungs, liver, colon and abdominal wall are common. Complications including intestinal obstruction and intractable nausea and vomiting are common at the end of life.
Pain and suffering is unique to each individual. Even with excellent care, symptom management sometimes falls short in alleviating the suffering at the end of life. Only the individual can determine if he or she is able or willing to endure that suffering. In order to provide full autonomy and spectrum of choice for patients, physician-assisted suicide that is legal with standards of care to protect all parties should be in place.
There exists in some places already a choice to have assistance in the process of ending one’s life; to have a good death on one’s own terms.