Something happened last month that will be remembered as a pretty big deal someday. It was the first time someone chose legal doctor-assisted /suicide/euthanasia without a terminal illness. Such procedures have been legal for the terminally dying for years in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Hawaii and District of Columbia, Montana and Vermont. Nine other states are working on passing similar legislation.
104 year-old Australian professor David Goodall flew to Switzerland where assisted suicides are legal and ended his life to the strains of Mozart simply because he wanted to. He wore a T-shirt reading "Aging Disgracefully" on his flight over.
It all reminded me of when I took Missy to Dr. Joy to have her put to sleep when she had cancer. I wanted to be with her at the end and after a sedative which relaxed her, Dr. Joy then gave her the dose that ended her suffering. She was happy at the end as I stroked her back and whispered good bye and thanks over and over. It was so quiet, and silent and painless. I've had her ashes with me wherever I've been ever since.
With news of Mr. Goodall's decision I have been pondering the differing approaches of the Medical Association and the Veterinary Code of Ethics. The former seems hell-bent to keep one alive regardless of eventual outcome, pain or cost to the family. A "Do Not Resuscitate" order will help just so far as many family's have discovered.
On the other hand, the veterinary sciences seem to have it just the opposite: better to put your beloved family animal down before the painful, costly and excruciating end. Sure, there are some people who will gladly spend hundreds and maybe even thousands for prolonging the end of life, but most of us realize that while life is good, life ends.
I envy Mr. Goodall. At at 104 he was a relatively healthy man. He wasn't able to get around well and his doctors started to encroach on his enjoyment of what he had left so he decided to throw in the towel. He spent a week with family, listened to his favorite classical music and went to sleep just like Missy. If he had stayed in Australia he would have been put through much more pain, quality and life, and even maybe quite some time wasting away in a nursing home bed.
The vets have it right and maybe someday it will be commonplace to empower ourselves with our final act. There is no disgrace in us humans having as peaceful and painless exit as possible. Maybe someday, as the arc of history progresses, humans will look upon our societal norms with as much sad curiosity as we look on the Medieval Age.
We should all go as well as Missy and Mr. Goodall.
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