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Ou Xiaozhai|edit
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Today, Yimin wants to talk about "Living properly" .
During the Chinese New Year, I heard my mother say something.
There is an old man in the village who had a stroke two years ago and became a vegetative person due to untimely rescue.
cannot die, and it will not live well.
He relies on the ventilator to maintain his breathing and his diet relies on the gastric tube. His wife "feeds" liquid food with a syringe every day, and she always has diapers under her body.
has no dignity, only living.
He no longer has the consciousness, can't speak, can't take care of himself, and has no conditions for his family to hire nursing care. Only the old lady is by her side every day and can't go anywhere. Sometimes she is inevitably angry and complains to my mother: "I really don't want to live anymore."
My mother sighed and said that the doctor suggested giving up treatment, and living like this would be very tormenting for the elderly. But their family refused because the old man was a retired civil servant and had a monthly pension. He could get one day of money when he was alive, and he would die.
Hearing this, I said a little angrily: "If it were me, I would rather die in euthanasia than live like this."
My mother said: "What do you know? It's better to live without a lie."
"It's better to live without a lie without a lie without a lie without a lie", which is the view of life of many people.
dying patients do not have the right to decide their own life. The living person refuses to let go. Life is worse than death if he lies down.
Think of Mr. Ba Jin, who lived 101 years old, and had not left the hospital bed in the last 6 years of his life. The trachea was cut open, and the body was filled with tubes. It was artificially alive against machines and drugs, with no quality of life at all.
He has repeatedly asked his family that he hopes to die of euthanasia after being seriously ill. He often says a few words:
"I am a waste."
"Longevity is a torture for me."
"I live for you."
Because, "Everyone around me who loves him wants him to live."
If it were you, would you be willing to live like this?
My answer has always been: I don’t want to.
What I fear most is not to live, but to live without dignity.
I can no longer choose how to come to this world, but I hope to decide how to die.
I really hope that one day euthanasia will be legal.
Hope one day I hope to leave this world with dignity.
Today, I want to talk to you about this very controversial topic: euthanasia.
Compared to living on artificially, this may be a person's most dignified farewell to
Taiwan sports famous Fu Daren , the first Taiwanese in Asia to be euthanized.
Why did he go all the way to do this?
Because, living is so painful.
In 2016, Fu Daren was diagnosed with blockage of bile duct and inflammation. You need to put a stent in the bile duct to allow the bile to flow out.
But the stent can only be kept for half a year each time. Once the time comes, surgery will be required to take out the stent and put it in.
The second time I put the stent, the gallbladder was removed.
At the same time, major and minor diseases invaded one after another, and the vision of the left eye was almost completely blind, and it was in pain.
He began to actively seek euthanasia. It is believed that this method can avoid "over-medicine", which can not only reduce the waste of medical resources, but also reduce the pain of patients.
family members opposed it, fearing that he was impulsive, and advised him: "Many people don't have courage, and can live well."
But he said: "It doesn't hurt you. I'm in my eighties, and I have lived enough."
In 2017, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer again.
Doctor said that if surgery is required, such an old age is very dangerous, and the chance of survival is only 50%, and you may even spend the rest of your life lying down.
He decided to give up active treatment and learned that Switzerland is the only place in the world that can provide euthanasia for foreigners.
son Fu Junhao and he went to Switzerland with him. After knowing the death process of euthanasia, Fu Junhao retreated and dragged him home.
At that time, my family was very selfish and just wanted him to spend more time with them.
so he encouraged him to write his autobiography and encouraged him to hold an art exhibition, hoping that his pain could be diverted.
Sometimes he would say angrily: "I'm in such pain every day, and it's useless to take painkillers... I've lived to be in my 80s, and the family is harmonious, and I'm very content."
I was so painful every day, and I was allergic to it and vomited. When I arrived at the hospital, I was already confused, rolled my eyes constantly, my body was twitching, and my bones were as thin as I could sit up and lie down due to pain almost every three seconds, and even fell into a state of dying.
When he was miraculously rescued, he said: "I can't die even if I want to die, but I can't live."
Fu Junhao realized how painful his reluctance made his father, and he couldn't help him with anything.
family made up their minds to support him in euthanasia. Dead without pain may be a better choice for him.
application process is very cumbersome. Before the final date is determined, he and his family went to Switzerland to interview the doctor twice.
Doctors need to confirm three points : First, I am voluntary; secondly, the condition can really meet the qualifications for implementation; finally, the mental state of the person involved is healthy and has a clear awareness.
On the day of implementation, they entered a "dignity house", a white living room, with a table where the family can sit and eat and share their last thoughts with their families.
At the scene, the medical staff repeatedly asked him if he was really sure he wanted to be euthanized: "If you don't want it, you can stop at any time. Because this is your own right, no one can affect you."
Fu Daren never wavered.
On February 24, 2019, his family disclosed the video of Fu Daren euthanizing his family's understanding and company.
He wants to drink two cups of medicine, the first cup is an antiemetic, and after drinking it, it will take 25 minutes to drink the second cup of medicine that ends life. The doctor suggested that he swallow it in one bite because it was very bitter. He asked seriously: "Can you swallow it in one bite? Can you drink two bites..."
There was no sadness on his face, and he smiled and drank the cup of medicine. While the family was singing the songs he adapted, he said goodbye to the world: "Goodbye, Farewell so long."
son Fu Junhao hugged his shoulders and said, "Dad, we love you."
He replied, "Okay, it doesn't hurt."
no longer hurts, no more pain, no more illness.
son Fu Junhao said afterwards: "We feel that everything is perfect. Everything he wants to do is completed and everything is explained. I really left without any regrets - it is the 'goodbye of peace and joy' he wants."
Compared to living on artificially, this may be a person's most dignified farewell.
Should euthanasia become an option?
Many people believe that people choose to die of euthanasia because of illness.
But in the documentary "Before Tomorrow", 104-year-old Australian botanist Professor David Goodall is an exception.
is not sick, has a large group of descendants, has achieved success and fame. He is the oldest scientist in Australia who is still working, but he has traveled thousands of miles from Australia to Switzerland for euthanasia.
When the reporter asked him if he had hesitated for a moment.
He did not hesitate: never.
He said: "I don't want to continue living anymore. I'm very happy that I can end my life tomorrow. I don't think anyone else has intervened in this choice. This is my own choice."
Why is he so determined?
Because, to live, there is only torture left.
He is too old.
One of his favorite things is reading, but he can no longer read.
He likes to travel, but he can no longer walk.
He loves work and the science he studies, but he can no longer work.
Time suddenly deprived everything he loved, and life remained unchanged. "Every morning, I waited for breakfast, after breakfast, I sat and waited for lunch, and continued to sit after lunch."
has no hope.
The most desperate time he made him feel that he accidentally fell to the ground while living alone at home. He shouted loudly, but no one heard it.
When he was discovered, he lay on the ground for two days.
That was when he began to believe that it was time for him to leave the world.
Zeng Baoyi also visited the nursing staff who accompanied him to Switzerland all the way. Why didn’t he go to the nursing home? Why not hire a nurse to accompany him 24 hours a day?
nurse said: "If it were you, you would not have a privacy life even when you urinate and defecate, would you like it?"
Zeng Baoyi shook his head. don't want.
On the plane to Switzerland, Goodall put on a sweater with the words "Aging without dignity".
He believes that death is also a part of life. "Why do I feel sad about it? I don't think death is a cruel thing, but a natural thing."
He believes that everyone can have independent choices.
Finally, he listened to his favorite song, Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", and pressed the button to inject the drug.
Philip Nishke, who is committed to promoting euthanasia around the world, said: Goodall's choice symbolizes that euthanasia is not just a privilege for people with terminal illnesses, it is a basic human right, a decision made by a rational adult.
The progress of civilization should not only be an extension of human life span, but also pursue human life quality and dignity.
Controversy about euthanasia
Euthanasia originates from the Greek word "good death".
my country's definition of euthanasia is: patients suffering from incurable diseases are in critical condition, due to extreme mental and physical pain, and at the request of the patient and his relatives and friends, they are approved by the doctor and use humane methods to end their life process in a painless state.
euthanasia is generally divided into three categories.
is positive (active) euthanasia. refers to the medical staff or others taking measures to end their lives at the proactive request of the party, such as injecting drugs.
2 is negative (passive) euthanasia . It refers to the termination of medical behaviors that maintain life to the party (such as a critically ill and incurable patient) and allow him to die naturally. This concept has gradually been replaced by "dignity death" and is a respect for the patient's autonomy in life.
The third is assisted suicide. refers to the end of life by the party who takes the initiative to ask the doctor to prepare medicine, take it with the assistance of the doctor or the patient's family, or take it on his own. Currently, legal countries in the world are: Germany, Switzerland, Canada, the United States and parts of Australia.
euthanasia has not been legalized in most countries so far, and there has been constant controversy over whether euthanasia should be legalized, especially active euthanasia and assisted suicide. Some people agree and some oppose it, which involves many social, legal, moral, and ethical problems.
① Human life is sacred and inviolable.
Part of people who hold the theory of sacred life believe that life is supreme.
Chinese people often say "It is better to live without a good death." Since there is still a chance to live, seeking euthanasia is a negative attitude towards life.
If a person dies, no hope will be left. No one can deprive a person of his life, including suicide and euthanasia. Life should come and go naturally.
Euthanasia provides people with an outlet to escape from pain. If in this world, people can die at any time if they have the idea of dying, wouldn’t it be terrible?
strongly opposes the legal euthanasia of disabled people. Source: "Before Tomorrow"
② How to determine the true wishes of the parties involved?
People's thoughts on dying may be phased and will change with time and complex psychological conditions.
For example, under the torture of illness, fear and huge mental pressure, people may make irrational decisions.
If I regret it during the process of performing euthanasia and cannot express it, which eventually leads to death, this is another form of "murder".
There is another possibility. Will the patient's family and doctors use euthanasia to "murder" the patient for personal gain? For example, deliberately exaggerating the patient's condition to aggravate his fear, etc.
Once the legal valve of euthanasia is opened, will the patient choose euthanasia against his will not be because of pain, but because of being accommodated by his relatives?
There is also a paradoxical dilemma for patients with Alzheimer's disease. If I am now sober and have signed an euthanasia agreement, it only represents my current will. When my health reaches the point where I need euthanasia, such as severe dementia, I often no longer meet the prerequisites for "consciousness" in euthanasia. At this time, euthanasia is performed, and has the executor become "murder"?
This involves many legal, moral and ethical boundaries, and it is difficult to have standard judgment.
③ Will euthanasia hinder the development of medicine?
Medicine is a constantly developing science, and new treatments may be developed tomorrow for incurable diseases.
Some people believe that euthanasia has made medical staff give up their efforts to save patients and insulted the inner essence and mission of medicine to save people.
patients chose euthanasia, but the disease will not die out because of this, it will continue to exist.
If we choose to give up when facing difficult and complicated diseases, will the motivation for the development of rare diseases be reduced, and how can medicine improve?
Debbie, who is full of concern about the legality of euthanasia, source: "Before Tomorrow"
④ What should I do if a painful person dies, what should I do if my relatives are traumatized?
The painful people die, and the living people will continue to suffer the pain of loss and the pressure of public opinion.
The trauma of losing a loved one may even take a lifetime to heal.
UK Debbie, who once accompanied her husband Simon, who suffered from amyotrophic cervical disease, was made into a documentary called "How to Die, Simon's Choice" by the BBC. It caused a great response after the broadcast and even promoted the discussion on euthanasia in the UK.
But after her husband died, what she left was indelible trauma.
She felt that her husband chose to leave her and let go, as if everything about him had come to an abrupt end.
Debbie feels that she is abandoned and often falls into self-doubt and guilt because she is not doing well enough that her husband is unwilling to stay in the world.
"If I had this disease, I would definitely consider euthanasia. But the first thing I have to consider is the impact on my family."
I think she has not completed the sad process of her husband's death and has not yet accepted the fact that her husband's death.
Perhaps euthanasia teaches us exactly how to treat life.
How to die is the subject of the parties involved.
How to deal with the sadness of loss is the subject of others.
If you have to endure the pain of "living" in your life in order to be responsible for other people's sorrow, isn't it too harsh?
yet, there is no unified answer to these difficult questions, and the answer is in everyone's heart.
No matter what, life is your own, and the only one who makes the choice in the end is yourself.
written at the end
I remember a story told by Dr. Liu Duanqi, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Anti-Cancer Association.
There is an old lady with advanced lung cancer who underwent 3 cycles of chemotherapy and was tortured to the point of being unhealthy.
After she thoroughly understood her condition, she discussed with the doctor and decided to give up chemotherapy.
When she was hospitalized, her only "special requirement" was: she wanted to have a single room arranged by herself.
In this single ward, she asked someone to move her favorite sofa and a few small pieces of furniture to the ward, and the walls were full of photos of her family.
In her last life, she has been spending her calm state. When I wake up occasionally, I will smile at every round doctor and nurse. When you have the strength, wave your hand hard and nod.
until you never wake up again.
At the end of her life, she is defending her dignity in her own way.
Faced with this topic, Bai Yansong once said: "There are ten thousand doors in death. Which door do you end up with?"
When the quality of life is difficult to guarantee, can we walk the last part of this path with dignity and dignity?
This is the problem we will face in the end.
The world and I love you.
Reference:
[1]. Self-Report: Fu Junhao Editor: Bai Wenping. The first person in China to choose euthanasia. Public account: Yi, 2018-11-05.
[2]. Li Peishan. Fu Daren's son talks about his father's euthanasia: "He wants to be happy and goodbye." Public account: Sanlian Life Weekly, 2019.03.01.
[3]. Director: Xi Weiserka, Host: Zeng Baoyi. Documentary "Before Tomorrow" Episode 4. Tencent video can be watched.
[4]. Li Binghua, Yang Nan .About euthanasia. "Friends of Health" [J/OL], 2019 Issue 15.
[5]. Yang Zhou. A scientist decided to euthanasia. "Love·Marriage·Family (Health Edition)" [J/OL]. 2019 Issue 4.
[6]. Wang Xiaoxiang. The right to decide on euthanasia and death. Journal of Yunnan University (Legal Edition)" [J/OL]. 2016 Issue 6.
[7]. From Yuhua. The Last Dignity of Life. China Youth Daily 》 November 21, 2012 Edition 12.
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