Have we discussed Brittany Maynard yet?

[PrairieGirl]

She is the California woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and was given six months to live. She moved to Orgeon so she could legally end her life under the Death with Dignity movement. She did so on November 1st. She was only 29.

My thoughts are with her husband, her mother, her stepfather and all who loved this beautiful woman.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/02/health/or ... ?hpt=hp_c2

[Violet]

There's a thread about her in Wide World of Snark.

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=23886

[jerkit]

I can't shake the feeling that she was used a pawn in the political game. It's just a feeling I get about her situation and not something I have concrete evidence for.

[PrairieGirl]

There's a thread about her in Wide World of Snark.

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=23886

Oops, sorry. I had looked for one but for some reason, I couldn't find it. Thank you.

[Toothfairy]

Some of these comments from Christians are pretty sad and disgusting

[PrairieGirl]

Some of these comments from Christians are pretty sad and disgusting

The fact that these people call themselves "Christians" and then make some of those comments is ludicrous.

I am no longer a believer (I mean, seriously, a "loving" god would give someone he supposedly created a disease so horrible that she would choose to end her own life?), but from what I remember that word "Christian" means Christ-follower, and wasn't Jesus the man who was all-loving and compassionate and non-judgy and was friends with whores and sinners and pretty gave the finger to Pharisees?

Wherever Brittany is now, I hope she is at peace. And I hope that the family she left behind finds peace in their lives as well.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

I just feel awful for her family. I can't imagine having everyone discussing the death of a loved one on TV etc. It just seems like it would make grieving that much more painful.

[Rachel333]

What concerns me is the possibility that she might have felt pressured to follow through with her plan once she designated November 1 as the day. Some of the reactions to her announcing her plans to postpone her death were terrible; it was like people thought she wasn't holding up her end of the bargain since so many people had donated money to help her enjoy her last days. Even without those people, though, just announcing a date could come with some pressure, internal or external, to stick with it.

I do understand why she made that choice given her circumstances and I totally support her right to do it. I think it was quite brave to put her story out in the public like she did, but I can't imagine the media attention was good for her or her family.

[bekkah]

Brittany Mayard deserved to die with grace and dignity. I knew she announced that Nov 1st was the day but then said she felt better and was postponing but ended up with that day. The thing about the law in Oregon is you still have to have your autonmy to carry through the process and to die with dignity. I feel that she has sparked a conversataion in our society about dying. We sweep dying under the rug so much than previous generations and pallative care/hospice is just not discussed.

End of life issues will become more hot topic issues because we have a larger population that is older. I feel that we need to discuss it and I do believe that everyone has free will to make decisions about their own lives and why not let death be one of them.

I would also recommned the HBO documentary about death with dignity, its called "How to die in Oregon". A very worthwhile watch.

I hope Brittany Maynard has found peace and is free of suffering. A family is grieving for a loved one and believe that compassion should still be shown. Let everything be left to the creator and her about her life. She seemed to love her life and took every day as a gift and enjoyed her last months on Earth.

[VelociRapture]

Brittany Mayard deserved to die with grace and dignity. I knew she announced that Nov 1st was the day but then said she felt better and was postponing but ended up with that day. The thing about the law in Oregon is you still have to have your autonmy to carry through the process and to die with dignity. I feel that she has sparked a conversataion in our society about dying. We sweep dying under the rug so much than previous generations and pallative care/hospice is just not discussed.

End of life issues will become more hot topic issues because we have a larger population that is older. I feel that we need to discuss it and I do believe that everyone has free will to make decisions about their own lives and why not let death be one of them.

I would also recommned the HBO documentary about death with dignity, its called "How to die in Oregon". A very worthwhile watch.

I hope Brittany Maynard has found peace and is free of suffering. A family is grieving for a loved one and believe that compassion should still be shown. Let everything be left to the creator and her about her life. She seemed to love her life and took every day as a gift and enjoyed her last months on Earth.

To the bolded - perfectly stated. No matter where you fall on this issue or what you believe, basic respect and compassion for this woman and her family should be a given. She sounds like she was a beautiful human being who showed love where it was needed most and never took a moment for granted. I can only hope that any children I have in the future will turn out to be half as incredible as this young woman was.

Personally, I think she made a choice that was right for her. Whether or not I would do the same is irrelevant. So is whether or not I think she made the right choice. At the end of the day, you need to do what is best for you and your situation.

My thoughts are with her family and loved ones. Wherever she is, I hope she is at peace.

[nelliebelle1197]

To those who are concerned.:

I read a lot of interviews with her. I do not for one second think she was a pawn or pressured. It is demeaning to her choice and agency to have such opinions when you know nothing about her. I don't know anything about her, but I do know she reported in late October that she was having the worst seizures and pain she had had throughout the ordeal and she was expecting to stick to her death date, but she was open to change it if she had a miraculous turn around. Let's let this woman die with dignity she chose rather than second guessing her or claiming her as a victim of political pressure.

[fun2beme]

I just feel awful for her family. I can't imagine having everyone discussing the death of a loved one on TV etc. It just seems like it would make grieving that much more painful.

I agree. I know it was her choice to publicly raise the issue and provide media interviews, but wonder how much harder that made things for her family. Although perhaps they agreed that the additional attention to her cause was worth the public intrusion into their grief.

In any event, just so sad. I'm glad she had the chance to end things on her own terms and truly hope her family is able to find comfort in their memories. I really like how she encouraged her husband to marry again; I know of two women who specifically told their husbands not to re-marry if they pass away first.

[Jana814]

I just feel awful for her family. I can't imagine having everyone discussing the death of a loved one on TV etc. It just seems like it would make grieving that much more painful.

Agree!

[hahe77]

I've never understood why people will put a pet down that is suffering but expect humans to die a painful death.

[Curious]

I just got into it on FB about this (something I rarely do) because the other person kept saying it was "suicide plain and simple" and going on about God. As someone that lives with chronic pain, his smugness forced me to respond. He was pretty much alone in his feelings out of the people commenting, at least.

[fun2beme]

I saw several items about how she should have chosen to live because she could have been an inspiration to others, like people claimed their spouses/friends/etc., but Brittany was greedy and wanted to avoid pain. *eye roll*

So easy to say how you'd handle a slow, painful death and cope with having your basic abilities deteriorate daily until you're in that situation. Honestly, I think I might make a decsion similar to hers for similar reasons. I do not ever want my family to watch me die or take care of me if I'm physically/mentally incapable. I can't imagine anything more heart-breaking or painful to them.

But I recognize that this issue is divisive. I lost a high school friend in April at age 38 to pancreatic cancer. She lived 13 months after the diagnosis and pursued every medical option available in hopes of a miracle and more time with her husband and little girls, who were 1 and 5. She did experimental trials and was set to start another one two weeks before she died. By last December, her weight plummeted to 90 lbs (she was 5'4"), her belly looked like she was 6 months pregnant, and her family thought her treatments would kill her first. In all probability, she would have met the death with dignity criteria.

Was my friend's fight for her life inspirational? Yes. Would I have supported her if she made the decision to end life on her terms? Yes.

[Sobeknofret]

I hope Brittany Maynard has found peace and is free of suffering. A family is grieving for a loved one and believe that compassion should still be shown. Let everything be left to the creator and her about her life. She seemed to love her life and took every day as a gift and enjoyed her last months on Earth.

:clap: Can't say it any better than this.

[fun2beme]

I've never understood why people will put a pet down that is suffering but expect humans to die a painful death.

Does anyone know if fundies put their pets to sleep?

I had to put my 17-year old cat down last summer. She had serious neurological issues and while it broke my heart, I knew it was the kindest thing I could do for her.

[VelociRapture]

I just got into it on FB about this (something I rarely do) because the other person kept saying it was "suicide plain and simple" and going on about God. As someone that lives with chronic pain, his smugness forced me to respond. He was pretty much alone in his feelings out of the people commenting, at least.

By definition, that guy isn't wrong. Someone choosing to die with dignity is still making the choice to commit suicide. Most people who commit suicide do so because they can't stand the pain anymore - whether that is physical pain or mental (and please note, I am not judging whatsoever - I lost a family member to suicide and would never want to belittle that kind of pain or suffering).

Where he went wrong is his judgmental attitude. I don't think anyone has the right to tell someone else how much pain they should be required to tolerate because everyone has different pain thresholds. My maternal Grandfather once had 6 heart bypasses performed at once - he didn't need any pain medication following the surgery, not even aspirin. If this guy wants to tell other people how much pain they should be forced to tolerate, then I think we should force him to undergo 6 heart bypasses without pain medication afterwards.

Bottom line: if someone can cope with horrific pain or wants to fight, that's awesome and I support them. If someone doesn't want to do that or is no longer able to do so, then that's something I will support as well because it isn't my place to tell someone else what to do with their own body or life.

[feministxtian]

I've never understood why people will put a pet down that is suffering but expect humans to die a painful death.

This was my argument when my mother was dying. If I had a pet that was suffering that much, I would have, as much as it hurt, taken it to the vet to have its suffering ended. Instead I got to hear my mother incoherently yelp in pain from the muscle contractures and bedsores. She was comatose but not totally out of it. There was NOTHING I could do to end her suffering...the doctors refused to believe she could really "feel" anything that it was just some neurological reaction. It took 2 LONG weeks for her to finally die...that will haunt me the rest of my life.

[fun2beme]

This was my argument when my mother was dying. If I had a pet that was suffering that much, I would have, as much as it hurt, taken it to the vet to have its suffering ended. Instead I got to hear my mother incoherently yelp in pain from the muscle contractures and bedsores. She was comatose but not totally out of it. There was NOTHING I could do to end her suffering...the doctors refused to believe she could really "feel" anything that it was just some neurological reaction. It took 2 LONG weeks for her to finally die...that will haunt me the rest of my life.

I'm so sorry to hear this.

[Toothfairy]

The fact that these people call themselves "Christians" and then make some of those comments is ludicrous.

I am no longer a believer (I mean, seriously, a "loving" god would give someone he supposedly created a disease so horrible that she would choose to end her own life?), but from what I remember that word "Christian" means Christ-follower, and wasn't Jesus the man who was all-loving and compassionate and non-judgy and was friends with whores and sinners and pretty gave the finger to Pharisees?

Wherever Brittany is now, I hope she is at peace. And I hope that the family she left behind finds peace in their lives as well.

I'm sure Britney didn't want to die, but I guess she felt she already did. Why continue to suffer. She lived her life and created a bucket list of the things she wanted to do before she died. It's really sad how people judge other people like this especially if you yourself never had to go through it. I guarantee you if these same Christians throwing out bible verses went through the same thing they wouldn't be so harsh

[PrairieGirl]

I saw several items about how she should have chosen to live because she could have been an inspiration to others, like people claimed their spouses/friends/etc., but Brittany was greedy and wanted to avoid pain. *eye roll*

So easy to say how you'd handle a slow, painful death and cope with having your basic abilities deteriorate daily until you're in that situation. Honestly, I think I might make a decsion similar to hers for similar reasons. I do not ever want my family to watch me die or take care of me if I'm physically/mentally incapable. I can't imagine anything more heart-breaking or painful to them.

But I recognize that this issue is divisive. I lost a high school friend in April at age 38 to pancreatic cancer. She lived 13 months after the diagnosis and pursued every medical option available in hopes of a miracle and more time with her husband and little girls, who were 1 and 5. She did experimental trials and was set to start another one two weeks before she died. By last December, her weight plummeted to 90 lbs (she was 5'4"), her belly looked like she was 6 months pregnant, and her family thought her treatments would kill her first. In all probability, she would have met the death with dignity criteria.

Was my friend's fight for her life inspirational? Yes. Would I have supported her if she made the decision to end life on her terms? Yes.

I am so sorry about your friend. It sounds like she fought with strength and died with dignity. My heart hurts for her babies. ((Hugs)) to you.

[uber frau]

I saw several items about how she should have chosen to live because she could have been an inspiration to others, like people claimed their spouses/friends/etc., but Brittany was greedy and wanted to avoid pain. *eye roll*

I fucking hate it when ppl turn the awful things other ppl are going through to be about them. I know that there's a tendency to try and find some trace of a rainbow in the storm, but sometimes a situation is just completely and utterly shit, which ever way you look at it. To reduce someone else's suffering into inspiration porn for everybody else is insulting, and to tell someone they are morally obligated to suffer in order to inspire others is truly despicable.

And, for what it's worth (which not a hell of a lot, I know), to all the posters who have had watch loved ones die painful or otherwise inhumane deaths, I'm truly sorry.

[starfish]

Slightly OT, but I am frustrated by the thought that Brittany and anyone has to suffer so much.

Is palliative care just unable to keep up with this level of pain ? I am probably not phrasing my

frustration correctly, but it bothers me that medical science is not yet able to provide a tolerable

measure of pain relief for patients like Brittany.

Oh, and the Stinking Lousewife has devoted much space to the "selfishness" of Brittany Maynard.

She says a bunch of mean stuff about her family too. Just when I think I cannot loathe the Stinking Lousewife

any more than I do, suddenly my loathing of her increases exponentially again.