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I'm talking about my personal experiences of death recently, in June it was decided the only thing to do for my mom was turn off the life support machine and let her go, there was no chance she would wake up, she was so badly brain damaged. People think you turn off a life support machine and thats it the person dies there and then, they don't my mom struggled to breath on her own for 25 minutes with us sat round her holding her hands. It was heart breaking to watch such a strong woman looking so weak and struggling so much, and the longest 25mins of my life.

Then our (hers/mine) dog had to be put to sleep on the 7thJan, after being in over night she had a drip in, so they put an injection into the line and before the vet pressed the plunger all the way down the dog was gone... very peaceful and quick.

So why is it we can help animals pass so humanely and ease any suffering but we can't do it for people? I understand why to an extent but in cases like my moms where there just is no chance of recovery at all why not spare the patient and their families the pain of a long death?

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blimey that's a hard one. .maybe it's because in very rare cases when there seems no hope there is a complete turnaround and the patient recovers?

I do understand where you are coming from tho Jen  and there is a kinda putting down technique used with humans too in the form of Morhpine OD's ie ease the pain ease the transition.. your mothers case is slightly different tho and not so cut and dried.. horrid for you but hard to know what is for the best.. 
Mount Olympus *Olly*


I don't think doctors can't do it without breaking their medical oath, and it's a hard thing to ask of them anyway I think.  Self-administered euthanasia is a slightly different issue.  Also, in moral philosophy, there's a difference between acting and not acting even when the outcome is the same.

My mum died of bowel cancer which metastatised to her lungs and stomach.  I know how hard it is to handle the process of dying as an observer.  I honestly think her doctor dispatched her with morphine, after she promised my mum that she wouldn't know at the end or consciously suffocate.
FM
Well yeah thats the only saving grace Daniel J, she wasn't aware of the last two weeks of her life.

It's just harsh that with absolutely no chance of her waking up she still had to struggle, how many others go through that everyday?

I just find it strange how we can be so empathetic towards our pets, yet human beings have to go through that.

I do understand the arguments against it i just think in certain circumstances it could be done without fear of abuse etc.
Jen-Star

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