It is primarily through having places to “story” that people have the opportunity to try to make sense of the senseless, to embrace what needs to be embraced, and to reveal that the human spirit prevails.
Read More
She wanted to go out on a high note, and from her point of view, she did. But for her many friends, that note was exceedingly sour. Should we blame her? Maybe.
The day I became a widow was the day I began my desperate attempt to crawl toward any sliver of light after my life shattered into a million pieces.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Recognizing the importance of psychosocial factors to those considering a hastened death led FEN to more explicitly recognize the importance of psychosocial factors when evaluating an applicant’s medical records. By making psychosocial factors more explicit in our criteria, we honor what truly matters to those who reach out to us.
There are so many ways do die with dignity – we can’t let the word “dignity” be hijacked to the service of just one way of dying.
The more “Final Exit” was condemned, the more people bought it who were not afraid to think about death.
I was amazed how life could be prolonged with multiple surgeries, toxic chemotherapy, antibiotics, and tube feeding. Quality of life, pain, cost, and suffering? Rarely discussed. I kept saying to myself, “There must be a better way. But what?”
“It’s no secret that wage gaps, discrimination and institutional racism limit Black Americans’ access to health equity. However, what’s discussed a lot less frequently is that these factors impact the way this group experiences death, too.”
VSED might not be for everyone, but it is the only chance for some to experience an end to unbearable suffering. Done with careful preparation, medical support, and compassionate caregiving, VSED offers a natural end to life.
In 2019, three community women asked to meet with me about a compelling community education concern. The spouses of these women had all struggled to use the VSED end-of-life option because our county’s only hospital, and associated hospice program, had religious affiliations and, therefore, was unable to support VSED.
Visitor Count:
