I'm slow what can I say?
Apr. 24th, 2005 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stonebenderWhat follows are my thoughts around physician assisted suicide. As a relatively public person with a disability I have felt compelled to say something for awhile now but I've been unable to be coherent about the subject. Hopefully, this will make sense.
I believe that an individual has the right to decide to die. In my mind, its ultimately about having control over one's own body. Because suicide is a pretty permanent "solution" I feel some responsibility to make sure that individuals who are contemplating suicide aren't being coerced or that what makes them want to die can't be solved in some other manner.
My opinion in this area seems to be wildly divergent from most politically active people with disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the United States. Most of my advocate friends are against physician assisted suicide. I truly understand why they are against it. After all we spend a most of our time advocating for services or equipment or medical treatments that help us live relatively self-directed, productive, interesting lives. These services, equipment and medical treatments aren't free. I'm sure that the cost to society and the environment related to maintaining our lives is more expensive than most people. Perhaps not as expensive as a others, but our lives aren't cheap to maintain.
Already there is anecdotal evidence of inordinate pressure for people with disabilities to sign DNR's when entering the hospital for even routine procedures. There has been few times in my life that the social services I need to maintain my life *have not* been threatened with cuts. All Schwarzenegger would have to do to make my life pretty unbearable is no longer allow my wheelchair to be repaired or end my personal care attendant money. I would suddenly be literally housebound. A couple of years of that could certainly put me in suicidal frame of mind.
I don't see Jeb Bush or Terry Randall [Correction: Randall Terry]or Tom De Lay making sure that those services I need to make my life livable are guaranteed. On the contrary, they would be thrilled to cut Medicare, Medicaid, SSI etc. they were desperate to "save" Terry Shiavo. Yet seemed oblivious to the fact that her hospital stay was made possible by funds recieved from a "frivolous" medical malpractice lawsuit against her original doctor and her continued hospital stay was being paid for by Medicare.
The reality is that there is a fiscal benefit to allowing people with disabilities to kill themselves with the help of their physicians. Although, I believe in people's right to do with their bodies what they want. It is entirely too simple to help people with disabilities to come to the decision that their lives are unlivable or too much of a burden to the people they love.
For the most part doctors are able-bodied. They have no idea what living in a wheelchair or with another disability is like. It is ludicrous to think they can make any informed decision about quality of life for someone with a disability. Unless and until we can get people with disabilities to provide input on the quality of life of someone with a disability. Unless and until we as a society can guarantee medical and social services that would allow people with disabilities as free and self-directed a life as possible I can't advocate for physician assisted suicide.
I believe that an individual has the right to decide to die. In my mind, its ultimately about having control over one's own body. Because suicide is a pretty permanent "solution" I feel some responsibility to make sure that individuals who are contemplating suicide aren't being coerced or that what makes them want to die can't be solved in some other manner.
My opinion in this area seems to be wildly divergent from most politically active people with disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the United States. Most of my advocate friends are against physician assisted suicide. I truly understand why they are against it. After all we spend a most of our time advocating for services or equipment or medical treatments that help us live relatively self-directed, productive, interesting lives. These services, equipment and medical treatments aren't free. I'm sure that the cost to society and the environment related to maintaining our lives is more expensive than most people. Perhaps not as expensive as a others, but our lives aren't cheap to maintain.
Already there is anecdotal evidence of inordinate pressure for people with disabilities to sign DNR's when entering the hospital for even routine procedures. There has been few times in my life that the social services I need to maintain my life *have not* been threatened with cuts. All Schwarzenegger would have to do to make my life pretty unbearable is no longer allow my wheelchair to be repaired or end my personal care attendant money. I would suddenly be literally housebound. A couple of years of that could certainly put me in suicidal frame of mind.
I don't see Jeb Bush or Terry Randall [Correction: Randall Terry]or Tom De Lay making sure that those services I need to make my life livable are guaranteed. On the contrary, they would be thrilled to cut Medicare, Medicaid, SSI etc. they were desperate to "save" Terry Shiavo. Yet seemed oblivious to the fact that her hospital stay was made possible by funds recieved from a "frivolous" medical malpractice lawsuit against her original doctor and her continued hospital stay was being paid for by Medicare.
The reality is that there is a fiscal benefit to allowing people with disabilities to kill themselves with the help of their physicians. Although, I believe in people's right to do with their bodies what they want. It is entirely too simple to help people with disabilities to come to the decision that their lives are unlivable or too much of a burden to the people they love.
For the most part doctors are able-bodied. They have no idea what living in a wheelchair or with another disability is like. It is ludicrous to think they can make any informed decision about quality of life for someone with a disability. Unless and until we can get people with disabilities to provide input on the quality of life of someone with a disability. Unless and until we as a society can guarantee medical and social services that would allow people with disabilities as free and self-directed a life as possible I can't advocate for physician assisted suicide.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 01:22 am (UTC)FYI,
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 03:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 01:29 am (UTC)One thing that I think is worth remembering--and you probably are well aware of this, but some of our friends may not be--is that a level of disability that may seem like "I couldn't deal with that" to the able-bodied may not be intolerable, even to the same person, once it happens. People change, in body and mind (and I'll let that distinction stand, for this paragraph at least).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 03:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 02:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 03:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 04:00 am (UTC)Since I can't add anything of substance...
Date: 2005-04-25 04:17 am (UTC)Re: Since I can't add anything of substance...
Date: 2005-04-25 05:12 am (UTC)Re: Since I can't add anything of substance...
Date: 2005-04-25 05:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 04:41 am (UTC)...but (assuming i don't change my mind) i really would prefer having a choice to end my life if the alternative is wasting away alone in a nursing home or whatever else ah-nold and company has in mind.
no easy answers.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 05:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 08:20 am (UTC)I think we agree. I'd just wish decisions could be made knowing that a nursing home isn't the only option and funds or services where available to make sure it wasn't the only option.
Nope.
Because I'm a Libra
Date: 2005-04-25 04:53 am (UTC)While I think the Kubler-Ross position is a laudable one, I don't know that we can reach that state of medical grace first.
Re: Because I'm a Libra
Date: 2005-04-25 05:30 am (UTC)Are you talking about figuring out the methode of death?
I'd be happy if we did what we already know how to do.
Re: Because I'm a Libra
Date: 2005-04-25 06:28 am (UTC)Basically, so that as the decision to terminate goes forward no one is going to step in and say "this was not properly considered." On either side of the decision.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 11:51 am (UTC)And I notice that recurring problem: convincing the majority of able-bodied people that disabled people really are full-blown, genuine human beings like themselves.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-04-25 05:32 pm (UTC)