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Can your doctor help you die in California?

February 13, 2015

deathpenaltyA group of cancer patients and doctors are suing the state of California, demanding that terminally ill people be allowed to obtain prescription drugs that will speed up their death if they find their suffering unbearable. [LA Times]

California law currently makes it a crime to assist another person in committing suicide. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Francisco County Superior Court argues that terminally ill patients who receive physician assistance in dying are not committing suicide.

“It is time for California to clarify that suffering, dying patients have the right to choose a peaceful death through aid in dying,” said Kathryn Tucker, co-counsel in the case. “Patients trapped in a dying process they find unbearable should be able to return to their physicians and ask for medication they could consume to bring about a peaceful death.”

The lawsuit states that the Legislature has not specifically prohibited assisted death, and that doing so would infringe on the liberties of patients. Shortly before the filing of the lawsuit, state lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow doctors to help speed up the process of dying.

Multiple cancer patients who are currently in remission have joined the lawsuit.

The suit also names California Attorney General Kamala Harris and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon as defendants.


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Normally someone that is terminally ill is in a great deal of pain and given a great deal of pain killers and other drugs. The doctors instruction normally are take what you need to be comfortable even though they cant write that on a prescription. The fear of overdose is there but the thinking is if you are in that much pain than so be it. Its getting the prescriptions thats difficult and normally results in you being interogated and feeling like a criminal because of the high doses. Unless you call hospice and they will provide all you want. So in reality you can do what you need to. Its just not a formal process. I think the system is fine. The thought is to keep comfortable and yes that can lead to death. I dont believe in currupting the medical system into killing people. Thats too much power and will ultimately become the state forcing it upon people. Yes I have some personal exp experience with this.


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I doubt that this lawsuit will be successful but I wish that it was possible. I think that it will take a change in the actual laws to allow this to happen (as was done in Oregon) and that won’t be easy given the militant opposition of many due to their religious beliefs.


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“Can your doctor help you die in California?”


Yeah…when he gives you the bill.


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I believe they have been helping for quite some time, it’s called a hotshot of morphine. The patient goes to sleep but never wakes up. The relatives are thankful and no questions are asked.


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This is such a sad commentary on what society has become. Godless. Societies/Culture may change, but God’s Word never changes.


“Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. Job 14:5 [NASB]


“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” Psalms 139:16 [NASB]


So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 [NASB]


“LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Psalm 39:4 [NASB]


Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life.


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Addendum to my post:


God is our creator. Please! those of you who don’t beleive in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Savior of mankind, the only Begotten Son of God, our Propitiation for our sins, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 [NASB]


There is a time which is upon us which the world has never seen nor ever will. Man is not in control as much as he would like to believe. Man is not God. God is God. Creator of all things which exist. He has named even the stars.


If you have a Bible in your reach, read it. If you want to know the times in which we live at this time, read the book of Revelation. The one who comes soon will be the end to the means.


If you think what is happening on our planet is bad now, one has seen nothing of the horror to be unleashed.


Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life.


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ToHellinaHandBasket,


“If you think what is happening on our planet is bad now, one has seen nothing of the horror to be unleashed.”


Once again you’re correct. What will happen at the end when Jesus returns, 2015 years and counting, will make the Hollywood horror movies look like a Boy Scout Picnic with chaperones!


We’ll even know what Jesus will look like upon His return. Jesus will have white hair, eyes of fire, feet of brass, and a sword sticking out of his mouth. (Rev.1:13-16) That’ll really put the fear of the Lord into those sinners as he cleaves them in two for not believing in Him, agreed?


Jesus’ ghoulish creations will be unequaled when He returns with a bunch of horse-like locusts with human heads, women’s hair, lion’s teeth, and scorpion’s tails. They’re gonna be stinging people straight for a whole 5 months, ouch! (Rev.9:7-10)


Then our loving and ever forgiving Jesus will send four blessed angels, with an army of 200 million to KILL a third of the earth’s population. That will show those apostates who’s boss! (Rev.9:15-19)


Jesus’ loving nature will have people killed by fire, plagues, and beasts. There will be dead bodies rotting and unburied everywhere. Those that are not killed by Jesus (true Christians like you and me) will “rejoice over the non-christians” and make merry, and shall send gifts to one another.” (Rev.11:5-10)


THIAHB, what will you be giving me as a gift as stated above? I will probably be giving you some Xanax to calm you down because of the brutal and bloody carnage that we had to watch as our Jesus get’s His revenge, praise!


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Sad commentary indeed:


Your belief system is not my belief system


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@ I’m sorry creepshow.


But your “belief system” may well soon change. Afterall, you will have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior during the 70th week of Daniel as spoken by the Prophet Daniel.


Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life.


Dust off your Bible and read the very Word of your Creator God.


Eternal life is better spent in Heaven than in Hell. Think outside the box that you have put yourself in.


Your life: Timed [as in time we humans understand time.]


Eternal Life: Eons [forever]


Heaven or Hell?


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“Eternal life is better spent in Heaven than in Hell.”


“The doctrine of eternal punishment is in perfect harmony with the savagery of the men who made the orthodox creeds. It is in harmony with torture, with flaying alive, and with burnings. The men who burned their fellow-men for a moment, believed that God would burn his enemies forever.” — Robert Green Ingersoll


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Insurance companies, hosiptals and some doctors already help you die. Formalizing the assisted nighty night will definitely provide another medical option for your insuance plan. One thing I’d consider is whether or not this option will void your term life insurance policy?

Think of the inhancement options that might be added to lower premiums? For example, the hospital detour route plan, a direct route plan may come with a higher premium?


Don’t laugh, I once stood in a pool of blood, profusely bleeding, with a knife wound in my leg, while providing insurance information to the admin clerk at Twin Cities Hospital before treatment could be provided.


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Most of this will depend on how a person feels about “death”. What death means to me, is simply the transition to another place….period. I don’t “fight” to stay here–and have known I will be leaving here for most of my life. As my life has unfolded, I see that I would be fine just leaving-at any given time the circumstances present themselves in a manner that indicates it is “time to leave”. (I see my arrival at the post-death place a better place than our current world at this time). I am not urgently wanting to leave-but will be in acceptance if indicators point in that direction.


Most people have commitments and family, however. And these people may see death as an abandonment-and the source of great pain. I have lost my family and am at an age where I feel quite comfortable leaving.


It is more casual to me than to others, and I understand others would fight to stay here. When that no longer becomes a possibility for people though—that does NOT mean they should suffer. They should be allowed to depart when they please in a spiritual ceremony that includes family and they should pass without their family having to see them pleading in agony to die (and I have seen the horrible impact this has on loved ones-first hand). Their suffering creates devastating suffering and memories in their loved ones also. Lingering in death–only postpones the inevitable; and it can prolong the loss for loved ones.


Let’s say that those in the field of medicine cannot bill for any treatments other than pain relief and “transitional medicated death” for those who are dying. Would that change the landscape of this? I would like to think not—but I fear it is so.


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The picture to this story I believe is for prisoner who have committed terrible crimes, I find the picture offensive.


I do believe in dignity in death and feel the laws to to allow us the choice in how we wish to die, should we get some terrible disease such as ALS.


In Oregon I believe it is something like 24 people have used to law to die with dignity. I commend the young lady who left this state and went to Oregon so she could die with dignity and let it be known what she was doing.


That took real courage and will hopefully aid others to be able to have death with dignity in California. To watch someone die a slow and painful death is something that never leaves you, this is so much easy on the family I feel. To have their loved one die a peaceful death is so much easier to take. I know if I got diagnosed with certain illnesses, i would go to Oregon and take full advantage of the rights they give terminally ill people.


I watched a love one die at home with hospice on board, but a hard death is still a hard death at the end and there needs to be a choice for the one going through it.


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I think our current administration fully supports doctor assisted suicide judging by the sheer damage done to the health industry lately.


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Stunned,


Imagine the previous government assisted suicides performed when the citizenry weren’t able to have health insurance in the first place before Obamacare. Remember the term “previoous conditions” and the ramifications thereof? Sure you do.


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