My life, my death, my choice

As the existing law does not allow me the luxury of medical assistance to end my life I have documented the above procedure in my advance directive, which means that I will starve to death.

My strong belief in the right of everyone to make a choice for euthanasia if they wish if they lose quality of life has been influenced by two occurrences:

The first incident was with a friend who was a heavy smoker with cancer of the throat. He deteriorated quickly. I could hear him gasping for breath as I entered the main hospital entrance; he could not talk, did not recognise anyone and was being fed intravenously. Fortunately I was able to persuade a sympathetic doctor to ease him out in a dignified manner.

The second was a mate who served with me in World War II. He had always expressed a wish not to be confined to a nursing home. His doctor put his arm around him one day in my company and said to him, "Don’t you worry Tom, when the time comes I will ease you out". This gave Tom great peace of mind.

However the time came when Tom had to go into a nursing home. He was given medication to control his nightly wanderings and crying out disturbing other patients. He deteriorated very quickly - he became incontinent, was bedridden, was unable to communicate, and did not recognise anyone.

When I approached his doctor for help, he said. “Sorry, I cannot do anything for him now as all medication in a nursing home has to be recorded”.

Tom was allowed to lie in his bed in this state for 15 months. Surely this was an extremely cruel fate to impose upon someone who had served his country with distinction?

Personally I cannot see any point in palliative care for those who have lost quality of life; it only prolongs the agony for the patient and the family. It is in effect a slow euthanasia.

I wish the Right to Life campaigners would visit nursing homes and see all those confined to their beds, many not aware of anybody or any activity around them. It is so cruel you would not wish it on your pet animal.

My sister has lost all quality of life and has been confined to a nursing home, unfortunately she did not prepare an advance directive or appoint an enduring guardian while she was still of sound mind so she is now doomed to linger on indefinitely.

Let me make it clear that it is not my intention to impose my views on anyone, however, I consider that euthanasia should be an option for those who have documented their wishes in an advance directive.