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Post by Admin Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:52 pm

Share personal stories that you have experienced revolving around dying with dignity

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Post by ScottK Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:15 pm

When I was 13 my Grandma was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and given six months to live. As I was young I never really saw or remembered any of the medical aspect or the role they might have played during her last six months with us. All I remember of that time is seeing the Grandma I adored suffer and how upset I was that she was in so much pain, which is the reason I went into Nursing. As I stumbled across this discussion it made me think about that time in my life and made me wonder what maybe went  down behind the scenes that as a kid I was not privy to. I have learned some about end of life care during my first  year in Nursing school but I still have some questions? I wanted to ask what exactly is dying with dignity? What are a patients rights during this process? What kind of options are available to them?

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Post by ogh Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:24 pm

While working in a long term care home I have seen many people's health deteriorate and pass away. What I always think about is how long they suffer. I can not help but think that many of them suffer more then animals at the end of their lives. This is why I feel that euthanasia in terminally ill patients promotes dying with dignity. To me dying with dignity involves the least amount of suffering. I do not feel that it is right to watch someone suffer for days against their own wishes.

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Post by laurak Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:55 am

I have had a lot of personal experiences working with people who could have benefited from a organization like Dying With Dignity. Last summer I had the opportunity to work at a long term care home. There was a specific floor that was reserved for people who were very sick or at the end of their life, it allowed them a place to be with their friends and families while still be able to receive the care they needed. There were many families that I met throughout my time working here. The item that stuck with me the most out of all of this was that most families commented that this was not the way they wanted to last remember their family members. A lot of people spoke directly to me about how they had wished that their family had the choice to end their life when they thought it was the right time and not as one family member described it "waste away into nothing". The opportunity for people to choose the time of their own death should be allowed. People should be able to end their lives when they feel comfortable with it and not be forced to wait until the absolute end.

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Post by AshleyS Sun Aug 18, 2013 12:21 am

I work at a long-term care facility and I have witnessed numerous residents die a long and painful death. One resident particularly sticks out in my head as he was deemed palliative almost a year before he actually died. This meant that the resident did not get out of bed, did not get any pills...he just laid in his bed for almost a year. Almost a month before he died, he was given the NPO status. This man did not eat or drink for weeks. How it was possible, I do not know but...would you not rather a person be able to die in a dignified manner with family at their side rather than dying due to starvation and dehydration? Our current palliative system does not meet the needs of our aging population....and something needs to be done.

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Post by RR Sun Aug 18, 2013 2:31 pm

in 2007, I was with my sister when she died of breast cancer. Our family opted for palliative care at home so that she could be surrounded by family and friends. This made the most sense to us. We did not want my sister to die in a hospital possibly alone. She was part of the decision before she became too ill to make decisions for herself. She died peacefully at home with all the people that loved her. The palliative care team made her comfortable and she did not suffer. I believe that people need to have a say in how they are cared for and with respect to a terminal illness and the suffering that can be part of this they should have the right to die with assistance. I do not know if my sister would have chosen MAD/euthanasia but as a terminally ill patient she had the right to choose how she died, pain free and with her family.

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Post by KH Sun Aug 18, 2013 10:21 pm

As a nursing student I was able to sit in on a discussion of the withdrawal of life support. The family believed that the patient would prefer to go, instead of living off machines, and requiring people to clean her up everyday. It is a very controversial issue when the actual patient isn't involved. The family chose to take her off life support (the family included everyone close to her: siblings, friends, cousins etc...). In this case, many different people with different relationships all agreed this was the right thing to do FOR the patient.
Long-Term care facilities are also prime examples. There are many people who are on palliative care who are deemed incapable of making a life or death decision.

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Post by Admin Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:01 am

Thank you all for sharing stories.

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