Va Debate over Medically Assisted Death, Terminal Cancer Patient Plans to Move from Va to DC (H)

[appalachiablue]

https://www.democraticunderground.com/108113717

- Cross Post from Va. Group.

[Warpy]

1. There are a few diagnoses that would get me to start looking for that kind of doc

NM very quietly passed that legislation, so it's on the books and will protect the docs if I get help exiting.

ALS tops the list. I had a cousin go that way, her last email to me just said "I am miserable." She opted for the feeding tube and other intervention. I would not. Once my lungs started to fill up because I could no longer swallow postnasal drip, this chick is outta here.

They never look at laws like these when they determine good places to retire, and they should. People are either going to pay taxes or get no services, that's the choice wherever they go. I knew NM had a large community of lefties, that's why I moved here instead of AZ or many other states popular with retirees.

I'm a little surprised we got the death with dignity law TBH. Then again, we got marriage equality and that was greeted with a yawn, nobody was upset by it. I guess the docs pushed for death with dignity.

[appalachiablue]

2. I hear you, when treatment ends and the suffering is unbearable I want the same. The NoVa.

woman possesses a lot of strength and character and shouldn't have to go through the hassle of relocating at such a critical time. But fortunately DC is nearby and she can obtain the end of life care there that she wishes.

Someone I knew who was in excellent health, very careful with lifestyle and had no family history of cancer also got Pancreatic cancer recently. He deteriorated and went fairly fast in 2020, not long after John Lewis and Alex Trebek.

I agree that people should carefully explore options for retirement, esp. concerning better services overall and legal death with dignity.

New Mexico, esp. Santa Fe is wonderful. I've visited the town and environs, Taos and Albuquerque several times and introduced friends to its diverse culture, art and natural beauty. I considered moving there a while ago but it didn't work out due to work and personal ties elsewhere.
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Neil Mahoney's story in Colorado which I posted about c. 2020, was a tragic ordeal. Dying of advanced and painful prostate cancer, he was set to receive assisted death through his physician, but the Xtian- run hospital stepped in and blocked the process and fired his doctor. After that crushing debacle he was able to connect with a network that would provide the service he sought, noted in this article. The US needs to catch up in this and many other vital areas!

- 'In states like Colorado, aid-in-dying is legal — but the medicine is often out of reach, especially for patients of religiously affiliated hospitals,' Denver Post, Jan., * 2020. - Neil Mahoney, turned away by his hospital, looked to a network of Colorado doctors to fulfill his dying wish, https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/29/colorado-aid-in-dying-legal-medicine-religious-hospitals/