Mourning Roundup: Feb. 4, 2010
FEBRUARY 4, 2010 TAGS:
On being Brain Dead.
Traces of brain activity found in patients thought to be in a persistent vegetative state.
A report from a clinic in Belgium indicates that a 29-year old man, who been in a “vegetative state” for the last 5 years displays brain activity when asked yes or no questions. Twenty-three other patients once thought to be effectively brain dead displayed similar brain activity.
While the report maintains that this sort of neural response is rare for people in the Belgian man’s condition, its implications on treatment options for those thought to be essentially brain dead are wide ranging.
For instance, what about physician assisted suicide for patients like these?
Dr. Joseph J. Fins, chief of the medical ethics division at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, reacted thusly: “If you ask a patient whether he or she wants to live or die, and the answer is die, would you be convinced that that answer was sufficient? We don’t know that. We know they’re responding, but they may not understand the question. Their answer might be ‘Yes, but’ — and we haven’t given them the opportunity to say the ‘but.’
An editorial written to accompany the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, ends with the zinger:
“Physicians and society are not ready for ‘I have brain activation, therefore I am.’ That would seriously put Descartes before the horse.”
Assisted suicide causes row in Britain after two high profile trials and a call from a best-selling author.
Physician assisted suicide is having a “moment” in the United Kingdom. On the heels of two high profile cases involving mothers assisting their children in their deaths.
Frances Inglis was convicted of giving her brain-damaged son an overdose of pain medication, causing his death.
...and
Kay Gilderdale was acquitted of murder and given 12 months of probation for aiding in the suicide of her 31 year old daughter who had had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Adding to the powder keg of public discourse is best-selling fantasy novelist Sir Terry Pratchett, who after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, is advocating for the legalization of physician assisted suicide. How to tell if someone is mentally capable of making such a decision? Pratchett suggests, quite literally, a death panel. Or, in his words, “a non-aggressive tribunal,” that would establish the facts of an illness and judge the mental soundness of a person requesting assisted suicide.
Church groups and the advocacy organization Carenotkilling.co.uk are outraged at Pratchett’s suggestion, but public opinion (as measured by the BBC) indicates that almost three-quarters of Britons believe that friends and family should be able to help terminally ill patients die.
Here’s a handy guide from the BBC.
More essays about Salinger
This time from a former assistant at “Jerry’s” literary agency, Harold Ober Associates. A first hand account of the lengths taken by Salinger and his representation to ensure his seclusion.
"My adventures answering Salinger’s Mail."
Ash Scattering, the death ritual “takes off”
Racking up the frequent flyer miles and saying goodbye, a lifestyle piece from the Wall Street Journal
Can you Afford to Die?
An infographic on the rising cost of dying…
TermLifeInsurance.org – Can You Afford To Die? (INFOGRAPHIC)
Traces of brain activity found in patients thought to be in a persistent vegetative state.
A report from a clinic in Belgium indicates that a 29-year old man, who been in a “vegetative state” for the last 5 years displays brain activity when asked yes or no questions. Twenty-three other patients once thought to be effectively brain dead displayed similar brain activity.
While the report maintains that this sort of neural response is rare for people in the Belgian man’s condition, its implications on treatment options for those thought to be essentially brain dead are wide ranging.
For instance, what about physician assisted suicide for patients like these?
Dr. Joseph J. Fins, chief of the medical ethics division at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, reacted thusly: “If you ask a patient whether he or she wants to live or die, and the answer is die, would you be convinced that that answer was sufficient? We don’t know that. We know they’re responding, but they may not understand the question. Their answer might be ‘Yes, but’ — and we haven’t given them the opportunity to say the ‘but.’
An editorial written to accompany the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, ends with the zinger:
“Physicians and society are not ready for ‘I have brain activation, therefore I am.’ That would seriously put Descartes before the horse.”
Assisted suicide causes row in Britain after two high profile trials and a call from a best-selling author.
Physician assisted suicide is having a “moment” in the United Kingdom. On the heels of two high profile cases involving mothers assisting their children in their deaths.
Frances Inglis was convicted of giving her brain-damaged son an overdose of pain medication, causing his death.
...and
Kay Gilderdale was acquitted of murder and given 12 months of probation for aiding in the suicide of her 31 year old daughter who had had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Adding to the powder keg of public discourse is best-selling fantasy novelist Sir Terry Pratchett, who after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, is advocating for the legalization of physician assisted suicide. How to tell if someone is mentally capable of making such a decision? Pratchett suggests, quite literally, a death panel. Or, in his words, “a non-aggressive tribunal,” that would establish the facts of an illness and judge the mental soundness of a person requesting assisted suicide.
Church groups and the advocacy organization Carenotkilling.co.uk are outraged at Pratchett’s suggestion, but public opinion (as measured by the BBC) indicates that almost three-quarters of Britons believe that friends and family should be able to help terminally ill patients die.
Here’s a handy guide from the BBC.
More essays about Salinger
This time from a former assistant at “Jerry’s” literary agency, Harold Ober Associates. A first hand account of the lengths taken by Salinger and his representation to ensure his seclusion.
"My adventures answering Salinger’s Mail."
Ash Scattering, the death ritual “takes off”
Racking up the frequent flyer miles and saying goodbye, a lifestyle piece from the Wall Street Journal
Can you Afford to Die?
An infographic on the rising cost of dying…
TermLifeInsurance.org – Can You Afford To Die? (INFOGRAPHIC) RELATED CONTENT
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