Sorry don't know why comment came up twice

The suicide pod is a bit silly. It is much easier to use nitrogen or helium with a plastic bag. But it would be much better and more pleasant and dignified if we could just go to the doctor and say we have had enough and want to end our lives.

In most countries you don't have that right. You can be screaming in agony at the end of terminal cancer for days, because the analgesia is no longer working and the doctor will not put you out of your misery because he is afraid of prosecution. Do not believe those who say we can control pain these days. We can only do it up to a point and the doctors will refuse to increase the dose of, for example, morphine, because they know that if they increase it enough to remove the pain, it will kill the patient.

Incapacitated people can't commit suicide, either, and need our help! I wouldn't be proud to say I helped put Dr. Kevorkian in jail. He was blazing a path to humane treatment and mercy for the dying that can only be understood by secular humanists. I live in Oregon. The assisted suicide law on the books now is practically useless. The patient has to jump through hoops that would be daunting to a 25 yr. old in perfect health. I'm in poor health and have tried to make inquiries from my doctors in preparation for the time that will come. All I get is stonewalled. Why should I go out in bloody violence or terror when a peaceful death is possible? In Oregon, the patient has to be capable of administering the deadly dose himself, another ridiculous barrier for many.

Sorry for your struggles. Wasn't bragging about putting Kevorkian in jail, just suggesting that after a year and a half of research into assisted suicide I might know something about it. Everyone CAN commit suicide, as I said, you might not like how you have to do it. There is a reason the medical profession is against it: They took an oath to preserve life not end it. Kevorkian, the ghoul, was blazing a path for himself. He was pathologist and obsessed with death. If you look up Kevorkian's paintings you'll find one with Santa Claus coming down the chimney stomping on an infant. We need to push the medical profession to adequately treat pain, not sentence people to death. At the time I had the case and maybe still, in the Netherlands where assisted suicide was not prosecuted, people were wearing necklaces saying "don't kill me" because 60% of people in hospitals were killed without consent. Unfortunately it can't be adequately regulated. You don't want any regulations, unfortunately some medical professionals and family members who no longer want to care for family members will take advantage of no regulations. Hang in there!

@lerlo I don't understanbd why you say it can't be regulated. It seems to work fine in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Sadly switzerland is the only country which will allow medically assisted suicide for non-nationals, and it is expensive but there are plenty of safeguards to prevent misuse. Of course we can all find a way to end our lives if we are willing to upset lots of other people by doing it in a nasty, messy way, but why should we have to? Why can't we go with comfort and dignity when we want to?

@CeliaVL Just because there are laws doesn't mean it's regulated. In oregon if the judge and two psychiatrists say that you're suicidal, you can't do it? I would suggest reading my numerous responses if you're curious about the multitude of problems. When I had the case, the Netherlands didn't prosecute it and 60% of people were killed without consent and patients wore necklaces saying "please don't kill me."

@lerlo It looks as if you have been misled by some faith-based propaganda. Both the Dutch government and Dutch medical association have confirmed that 'Don't kill me' bracelets do not exist. They think Rick Santorum, who made the claim, may be confusing them with 'Do not resuscitate' bracelets, which are very common with old people. Always worth doing a fact check on extraordinary claims!

@CeliaVL Sorry to inject some truth here but of course the doctors doing the killing won't admit that involuntary euthanasia exists. Here are some facts: Dr. Herbert Hendin, an expert on Dutch euthanasia in Issues in Law and Medicine:
...a Protestant group also opposed to euthanasia, they distribute a “passport for life” that patients carry, indicating that in medical emergencies they do not want their lives terminated without their consent.
In "The Report of the Dutch Government Committee on Euthanasia, 7 Issues in Law and Medicine 339 (1991) Dr. Richard Fenigsen found that 14,691 cases of INVOLUNTARY euthanasia occurred annually in the Netherlands. Of the 8,100 cases where morphine was given in excessive doses with the intent to terminate life, 61% were done WITHOUT THE PATIENT'S CONSENT. (P.341) These cases were reported not as involuntary euthanasia but as "pain relief."

I researched euthanasia for a year and a half and I didn't get a 7-0 decision in the Michigan Supreme Court citing false facts. Please don't confuse me with Rick Santorum but of course you are allowed to believe whatever lets you sleep at night.

@lerlo I won't dispute your information since I haven't read it. I think you will find, though, that there is very strong support in numerous countries for changing the laws on pain relief in terminal illness, and medically assisted dying in cases of terminal and life-limiting illness. it used to be the case in the UK that terminally ill patients who were in severe and intractable pain were given doses of morphine which led directly to their death - that is, involuntary euthanasia. This was considered normal procedure and no-one objected. Since the Harold Shipman case and the vast increase in money-chasing litigation, however, doctors have become afraid to do this with the result that a considerable number of patients now spend their last days and even weeks screaming in agony and begging their families and doctors to put them out of their misery. The doctors are afraid to give them the dose of morphine that would be adequate for pain relief because they know that this dose will shorten the patient's life. It is all very well to say that we must improve our palliative care techniques, etc., but I think we need the option to choose to end our lives and to givbe doctors permission to do this when it is clearly the right thing. I would certainly have no objection to people carrying cards etc., saying that they wish to be resuscitated, treated, etc. In the UK this is the default position and you have to provide the paperwork if you do not want to be resuscitated, which can be complicated in emergency situations. The important thing is to make sure that your family know your wishes. I am sure we can find a way to meet everyone's needs and wishes if we show willingness to discuss it, but unfortunately many people don't want to accept that they are going to die.

@CeliaVL You realize you said that people were given morphine without consent, involuntary euthanasia, AND NO ONE COMPLAINED. Do you mean like the dead person? Or the family of the dead person who no longer wanted the burden didn't complain Doctors are supposed to do no harm and help people to live. Everyone has the right to suicide, even people who are not terminal. The only way you know that someone wants to kill themselves is if they do it themselves. I think we should focus more on developing ways to control pain. People can stop eating, drive their car off a cliff. If they are dying does it really matter how they do it--rather than force a profession which takes an oath not to cause harm to do it? By the way, if you give morphine to a patient with Lou Gehrig's disease it will ease their pain but it will suffocate them, why is that "dignified?"

@lerlo On that specific point, clearly, if you have Lou Gehrig's disease and wish to end your life, a more pleasant and dignified way of doing so needs to be found.I disagree that the only way to know if people really mean it is if they do it themselves - someone who is screaming in agony during their last days and begging to be put out of their misery is hardly in a position to do it themselves. I would be happy to let people do it themselves if they can be supplied legally with the means to do it in a decent and painless way. I would very much like to be able to go to the doctor and say 'Please can I have the drugs to end my life, and then do it myself at home, surrounded by family and friends. Not everyone has a car or a nearby cliff, and starving to death is very unpleasant and protracted for those watching.

It sounds as if you need medical and social help rather than euthanasia at this point in your life. I don't live in the USA so I don't know what organisatiuons there are where yoyu live that can give you advice about how to improve your situation. Is there anyon e on this site from your area who would know what you need to do?

Good info on Exit Bag. Thanx!