Death with Dignity: The Case for Legalizing Physician-Assisted Dying and Euthanasia
Robert Orfali
Language: English
Pages: 254
ISBN: 1936780186
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In Death with Dignity, Robert Orfali makes a compelling case for legalized physician-assisted dying. Using the latest data from Oregon and the Netherlands, he puts a fresh new slant on perennial debate topics such as "slippery slopes," "the integrity of medicine," and "sanctity of life." His engaging writing style brings clarity to these issues. The content is thought-provoking; the arguments are well-researched, air-tight, and original.
This extraordinary book provides an in-depth look at how we die in America today. It examines the shortcomings of our end-of-life system. You'll learn about terminal torture in hospital ICUs and about the alternatives: hospice and palliative care. With laser-sharp focus, Orfali scrutinizes the good, the bad, and the ugly. He provides an insightful critique of the practice of palliative sedation. The book makes a strong case that assisted dying complements hospice. By providing both, Oregon now has the best palliative-care system in America. Reading this book, above all, may help you or someone you care about navigate this strange landscape we call "end of life." It can be your gentle and informed guide to "a good death" in the age of hospice and high-tech medical intervention.
Robert Orfali, the guru of client/server systems in the early days of Silicon Valley, co-authored three best-selling books that demystified the complexity of these mission-critical systems and made them understandable to a whole new generation of programmers. The books sold over a million copies. In this book, Robert uses his analytical skills to deconstruct the most complex system he has yet encountered: our modern end-of-life system. He wrote this book after helping his soulmate and coauthor, Jeri, navigate her death from ovarian cancer in 2009. The deep emotions Robert felt allowed him to look at how we die from a different perspective, another angle. Robert also wrote Grieving a Soulmate.
suffering when the disease progresses to its terminal stages. Along with regular pain, there is a slew of “distressing symptoms.” For example, the vast majority of patients with advanced cancer will have difficulty breathing.20 At the end, they may appear to be gasping for air—they may feel like they’re suffocating. This terrifying condition, called dyspnea, can sometimes be alleviated with oxygen, tranquilizers, and opiates such as the ones used for pain. Opiates tend to expand the arteries in
nullify the Oregon law. In 2000, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden threatened a filibuster to keep the PRPA from reaching the Senate floor. • In 2006, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) came out in support of Aid in Dying. • In 2007, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), the professional organization representing hospice doctors and nurses, softened its opposition to physician-assisted dying. Noting that its members were divided on the issue, the AAHPM shifted its
effect.” Proponents of the first paradigm must deal with the moral ambiguity issue. We must come out of the closet and level with the voters. We must clearly tell them what is needed to improve palliative care and to reduce end-of-life suffering; we must legalize whatever is required. We must explain the prevailing practice of euthanasia in unambiguous terms—no “double effects.” If compassion for the dying requires it, the public will understand. There is no need for double talk. When informed,
writes you a prescription and then you’re on your own. You take your own life when you’re ready. This guarantees that it’s voluntary. In the U.S., proponents of this method call it physician-assisted dying or simply assisted dying; opponents use the terms physician-assisted suicide or simply euthanasia. • Physician-administered. In this case, the physician will inject a lethal dose when you request it. This method requires that the physician play a more active role; it may be useful for people
Gaylin et al., “Doctors Must Not Kill,” JAMA (Vol. 259, 1998). • John Hardwig, “Is There a Duty to Die?,” Hastings Center Report (Spring, 1997). • U.S. Supreme Court, Washington v. Gluksberg (1997). • Herbert Hendin, Seduced By Death: Doctors, Patients, and the Dutch Cure (Norton, 1997). • B. Corbet, “Assisted Suicide: Death Do Us Part,” New Mobility (Vol. 8, 1997). • D. Callahan, “Controlling the Costs of Health Care for the Elderly: Fair Means Foul,” New England Journal of Medicine (Vol.