How long do you want to live?

[SYZ]

Here in my home state of Victoria, these are the
conditions for accessing voluntary assisted dying:

People can ask for voluntary assisted dying if they meet all the following conditions:

They must have an advanced disease that will cause their death and that is:

•  Likely to cause their death within six months (or within 12 months for neurodegenerative
diseases like motor neurone disease)  causing the person suffering that is unacceptable to them.

•  They must have the ability to make and communicate a decision about voluntary assisted dying
throughout the formal request process.

•  They must also:
       be an adult 18 years or over
       have been living in Victoria for at least 12 months
       be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Medical practitioners with appropriate experience and who
have completed voluntary assisted dying training can help
a person through the process. Access to voluntary assisted
dying requires two doctors to agree that the person
is eligible. One of the doctors will write a prescription for
the substance once the VAD permit has been approved.

[Edible crust]

Here in my home state of Victoria, these are the
conditions for accessing voluntary assisted dying:

People can ask for voluntary assisted dying if they meet all the following conditions:

They must have an advanced disease that will cause their death and that is:

•  Likely to cause their death within six months (or within 12 months for neurodegenerative
diseases like motor neurone disease)  causing the person suffering that is unacceptable to them.

•  They must have the ability to make and communicate a decision about voluntary assisted dying
throughout the formal request process.

•  They must also:
       be an adult 18 years or over
       have been living in Victoria for at least 12 months
       be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Medical practitioners with appropriate experience and who
have completed voluntary assisted dying training can help
a person through the process. Access to voluntary assisted
dying requires two doctors to agree that the person
is eligible. One of the doctors will write a prescription for
the substance once the VAD permit has been approved.

I think that adults that are deemed to be of sound mind should be able to outline under what circumstances lhey would like their lives ending legally.
You can write a legally binding will at any time under the above conditions, so why make someone jump through hoops to get what dog owners take for granted?

[pattylt]

My problem is that I’m basically healthy but I have degenerative arthritis. Because it isn’t some fatal disease, the Australian requirements leave me in the dust. Thats ok, I’m in the US anyway.

I will know when I’m done and the pain is no longer tolerable or treatable. I’ll take care of it myself. My only concern is that there are no repercussions to my husband so we have his innocence in the plan as well. I’ll be damned if some religion or government tells me I must continue to suffer under their foolish beliefs.

[mordant]

My problem is that I’m basically healthy but I have degenerative arthritis.  Because it isn’t some fatal disease, the Australian requirements leave me in the dust.  Thats ok, I’m in the US anyway.  

I will know when I’m done and the pain is no longer tolerable or treatable.  I’ll take care of it myself.  My only concern is that there are no repercussions to my husband so we have his innocence in the plan as well. I’ll be damned if some religion or government tells me I must continue to suffer under their foolish beliefs.

The irony in these things is that anyone in a position to be contemplating "self-deliverance" will tell you that knowing they are in control of their own destiny actually tends to extend their life rather than shorten it. My late / previous wife's greatest fear was waiting too long so that she couldn't (metaphorically or literally) turn the knob herself. Once she knew that arrangements were in place, that the knob was within reach gave her the strength to soldier on. I estimate it added a good 2 or 3 years to her life. Otherwise she would have resorted to some more violent and messy demise while she had the strength to proceed with it, and I would have been the one to come home to her brains splattered about the house.