Should a paralysed person have the right to die?

[Gentleman Jim]

Well, thanks to all who have expressed their deep opinions. There is freedom in choice.
Chance doesn't really happen. If you flip the coin 10x - 9x heads. The 10th time it is 50/50.

I have made so many poor choices in my life that it became apparent that I needed to
learn to choose ahead of time. We choose, then the choice controls the chooser.

My grandchildren have been instructed, if they wait to choose what to do in the back
seat of a car, more often than not, they will make the wrong choice. The external
pressure often times is greater than their internal principles.
So, we learn to make choices when our internal principles are strong. Now, if they
are not exercised in deductive reasoning, they will give way to those spontaneous choices.
You find yourself wavering between two opinions.

Intent is always prior to content. Why it happens is prior to what had happened. Apathy
and ignorance are the usual excuse. I don't know and I don't care.

I have concluded years ago that my mind is totally depraved. My thought life would
wonder all over the place. Two natures beat beneath my chest, one was foul, the other
blessed. One I love, one I hate, the one I feed will dominate. Is this a struggle?
To struggle with something, just means you are still doing it. Yes, I struggle, but not
near as much as I used to.

Continually select each environmental influence that enables you to achieve you highest
objectives. That involves choice. I was born with a depraved mind, I didn't choose to be
born, much less, with a depraved mind.

Non-posse, Non-pacarra Latin, Not possible to not sin. Knowing that has helped me
to yield or stand my ground. Stand for noting, fall for anything.

I wish I had more time, but my grand-daughter needs my attention right now.

Like most of the rest of you all, I love life. ZOE! Look it up. Greek

 

[olly]

it may just be my dumb brain jim but your last post...........i dont get it.
you have a depraved mind?

 

[Atsugi]

it may just be my dumb brain jim but your last post...........i dont get it.
you have a depraved mind?

We are all naturally depraved. Only through the grace of God/our willingness to turn our lives over to Jesus/our good works are we saved, depending upon your religion.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

I do apologize oly, but Atsugi is on the right track. I don't know that I am a total Calvinist,
but I do subscribe to the link definition of total depravity. TULIP is a Calvinist term. The
T stands for total depravity.

In that regard, I was only able to make sense of things, for me. It has and is working
for me. Thank you so much for asking.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Lost one to syber space. It may show up after or before this one.

Didn't want anyone to think that I don't know what you are talking about. I do.
Eddie is my Pal. He just got home from the ICU. His brother and one other close
POA talk to him about end of life. "How could you want to continue to live like
this?" "We just don't like seeing you like this." Jim, would you talk with Eddie,
try to get him to understand, there is no future, no quality of life, etc...

I watched a world class surgeon almost kill him in Florida. As Eddie was gasping
for air after a stem cell op, they wanted me to take him back to the hotel. I told
them to call that dr. and get his ass back here right now, I wasn't taking him
anywhere. Before the dr. got there, Eddie started hemorraging
They did call him and he did come back to the office. Eddie spent
the night in a hospital, next day the dr. apologized to me...

Then, there is the money. When ever they say it isn't about the money, Its about
the money.

As a friend, I don't get in the middle of family. I try to help as best I can, and say
nothing partial or impartial. Doesn't me we don't have meaningful conversations,
it just means I find ways to say things with out saying them. Word pictures,,,,

We all have some stories like these, I think..

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Now that one went to moderation. Last attempt to clarify.

My cousin, who I am not real close to, meaning we see each other at family functions.
Growing up, I seen him each week or every other week. So I do know him well.
I watched him develop ALS. His wife, four children, God bless them, wonderful,
supportive as they were, he made the choice to die. He was 57

After the vent, wheelchair bound, he told his wife, if things didn't get better in
one year to the day, he would go off his vent.
One year to the day, he had the family and a few friends over to his house to
play cards. The next day he went and had the vent removed. Best funeral
I have ever attended.

We cried and laughed, watched a video of him sky diving, rocky mountain
climbing, loving deeper, but he never rode a bull named fu man chew.
He truly had lived like he was dying...

I am so proud to call him family...

 

[epkennedy]

Have you posted about your brother before? His story sounds familiar.
What an inspiration.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Ernesta, He's my cousin, and yes, somewhere I suppose I have told the story.

If you are talking to me.

He inspired me, you bet. The difference between being committed to a certain
belief is like a plate of ham and eggs.
The chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

 

[EGBAR]

Dying sounds easy at times. We don't have a right to die but rather an obligation in my opinion. How we conduct ourselves in dying is just as important as how we do it in life. I want to try and set an example for those I leave behind so that I may help them in some way.

 

[Atsugi]

Sorry to offend, but I'm gonna.

This is hypothetical in my case: If I had ALS, I'd off myself PDQ. I'm a wimp.

Physician Assisted Suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington and Montana, but the law is not simple. For one thing, the drugs must be self-administered.

Of course, suicide, legal or not, is prohibited during the first two years of your life insurance policy.

 

[Lobster]

Sorry to offend, but I'm gonna.

I do not find your honesty to be offensive. I appreciate your frank sharing.

I am not saying you are doing this, this is my thought that arose in response: I find it offensive when people are not honest or when they think I should do what they would do. I have plenty of people -- many of us have plenty of people -- ready to tell us what we should do. How many of us have plenty of people ready and willing to support us in what we want to do?

 

[susanf]

Mike, Not offensive at all. Like I said before it is a personal choice and should be respected by everyone. Family included. One reason I haven't told many family members about my diagnosed is because I don't give a rats butt about their opinion. They will throw their two cents in and when they do it will be myob. It's between my husband and I.

 

[jwife]

Mother Theresa also said, " I can do no great things; only small things with great love." Never was that any truer than with ALS. I am still in the early stages of grieving for my husband, but one of the things I am trying to sort through is whether or not he gave up. Not that I could blame him if he did, but in my heart, I believe that he did not. I want to believe that God knew struggling for breath would be so difficult for my husband and those of us left behind that HE chose to take him before that became a reality. May those (both PALS and CALS) on the forum still bravely fighting this monster find peace and love in the daily struggles that are so overwhelming. My thoughts and prayers are with you!
Janis

 

[notme]

It's hard for most people not to put their own belief systems into responses to this kind of question.

Really--it boils down to deciding what YOU decide is "QUALITY of LIFE" and what isn't. Should be simple--unfortunately, it's just not that cut and dried.

I've never been an active person. Give me my puter, my TV and my books--and I'm pretty content for the most part. If it was just THAT I had to think about my course would be to fight to the bitter end.

It's not that easy, though. Finances, family, etc come into play. I can understand the right to choose to die--but I hate to think of people making that choice JUST to make it easy on those around them, if that makes sense.

I hope you choose what is right for YOU personally.

 

[CuriousGirl]

this right to die thread...is anybody speaking of a dr. kavoorkian(sp) move? i've considered stashing my