Euthanasia

[Mr. Tea]

My brother works with people who have locked in syndrome. A bunch of his clients have been in major accidents leading to near complete paralysis. One in particular stands out, sometimes people have to decompress after shifts and talk through the horrors, but I couldn’t believe what I was listening to.

Female, late teens, hit by drunk driver after being sent out by her family restaurant to buy something. Drunk driver bolts. Car behind drunk driver was a group of orthopaedic specialists just finished a shift. One in a ten thousand chance. They keep her alive at the scene, but she ends up paralysed having to use eye scanning equipment with a screen to relay sentences via a comp, all day, every day.

My brother calls in to see about an beefing up her audio/music playlists and hardware and she eye scans out the sentence about ending it, but the only way possible was to bite her tongue off and hope to bleed out. She’s done her research, except she can’t bite and gets peg fed. His first responsibility is his patient’s wellbeing, do no harm. So he got digging trying to expand the music she was listening to while talking to her psychologist. Then she starts bringing up Dignitas every session, except he’s legally bound not to initiate the subject or continue it without her parents being present.

What’s the right thing to do? Give her time for the science of spinal chord injuries to reach a eureka? She’s been in this state for a few years. There’s no miracle pending. Spinal injuries are what they are, currently. Deny her the right to die with dignity?

I still have no fuckin idea.

Jesus, that's awful. Reminds me of TG's 'Hamburger Lady'.

@vimothy - how does this scenario rate for being dystopian?

 

[WashYourHands]

That one gives me the fear. It's all the micro % margin calls she gained and it can still lead back to ground zero. Legally sketchy as it gets. I know sporting spinal chord injury cases have been admitted for euthanasia.

The human capacity to adapt is one thing. If i get run over, if there are any Dr's (at all) they'll be drunk. Jokes, see Jocko Willink style "she bossed it bro, you need to up your game". She's been climbing/abseiling and all kinds of things, so there's the weight of spirit to push that far and a care team that's 20:20 about quality of life. Imagine that person with a pair of cunts for parents instead and half-arsed healthcare. Different outcomes. Age of consent, DNR's, sketchy as fuck.

I've seen aggressive cancers eat people alive, quickly, 2 months, 3months post-diagnosis, the worst physical pain. Prolonging it? Marginal calls at every step. The NHS won't sedate you into the grave for these cancers, it's fast forward and the highest pain relief opiates don't touch it. Calcium levels lead to dementia symptoms, which can be mistaken for consent even inter-personally with close friends and family.

It's all abstract until it's personal.