So. . . . .would you be brave enough to end it all? And if so, how?

It might be 'braver', but it's not always a gentle fading away into death, watermeadow.

Weithing in agony and screaming in pain is hardly dignigied, is it?

Writhing

My honest answer to the OP is that I don't know.
We all like to think that we would be brave in any given situation, but the truth may be different.

Anyone who has had their thyroid removed and is taking thyroxine can just stop taking it.

Wrong thread dj ?

Or will that 'do you in' ?

Of course it will, just like stopping taking insulin will if you are a diabetic.
Stopping thyroxine will be slower, but it controls your metabolism.

Unfortunately dignified is not a word which describes the descent into dementia or the horrors of death from something like cancer. It is the opposite of selfish to spare your loved ones this.
I have two favoured options, one is drugs the other is nitrogen - to be done in private without my family being the ones to find me. Switzerland is a third option.
There is nothing brave about dying unless you do it under your own terms.
I have a close relative who is cared for in a good nursing home. It is incredibly distressing to see her stripped of all personality, no idea of who or where she is. She cannot eat, clean or toilet herself but is kept alive because that is how we treat fellow human beings. If she was a dog we would do the decent thing and put an end to her misery.

My mother in law's funeral last week, Esspee. She was just like that, no dignity, like a sack of bones at the end, being turned every half hour, to prevent bedsores. She couldn't even scream any more.
I'd rather die like her son than her.

Sorry about your loss durhamjen and the indignity you MIL had to endure. We need to rethink how we treat people in this situation. If I set out my wishes while still of sound mind then everybody should respect these wishes but the law insists that people are kept alive against their will. This is inhumane in my opinion.

Ana, not one was dignified, one put a pipe in her exhaust into her car, she didn't just slip into a deep sleep . Two hanged themselves, had deficated, urinated . The fourth jumped in the river , panicked on hitting the icy water and couldn't reach the bank, she clawed untill her hands bled. They were lovely people and three could have been helped , not the same as the illnesses discussed here but possibly the way one would choose, not a peaceful corpse for loved ones to view.

So sorry Jen X

Esspee, if you sign an advance directive, and list your wishes, and that you do not wish to be fed artificially in various situations, nobody can keep you alive against your will.
You may have to stop eating and drinking at the end, but again, it is your choice.

Thanks, Annie.

I am in a considerable amount of pain every day and I have to take a lot of medication in order to be able to do just the ordinary every day things and then if I want to go out it's a case of making sure that I have had enough to get to the point of enabling me to go but not being a danger to other road users if I am driving .. and the fact is that things are going to get worse so I am often feeling very low and have contemplated doing something to end it all but .. and a very big BUT I just wouldn't want my children to have that on their minds for the rest of their lives! It is very different from the situation where due to an ever increasing illness where families are involved in the situation there could be a much different outcome.

Durhamjen, unfortunately an advanced directive is not legal in Scotland though a doctor should take it into consideration when making decisions about your care. I am under the impression that an AD only covers medical interventions such as CPR, force feeding, medication etc. but medical staff are not allowed to do anything to hasten your death such as withdrawing food and fluids as that would be assisted suicide which, like euthanasia, is illegal.
So in the case of dementia where the patient can no longer make decisions the withholding of food and fluids would be illegal. I am in the process of researching this subject as I would like to get my wishes in writing. So, if any of you have info I might find useful please let me know.

My husband discussed it with the family. He told them what he wanted. Both our sons had a copy so they knew exactly what his wishes were. you have to give your document to your doctor and he has to sign.

Your husband was a man of courage DJ, you must be very proud of him.

Yes, Nfk. Miss him like hell, too.

Esspee, I was having to give him injections, test his blood, feed him small bites of banana, etc., which was about all he could swallow at the time. The diabetic nurse was phoning every day so I could give results to see if any changes were needed.
When he told the doctor he'd had enough, she asked him if he realised what he was saying. When he said yes, she agreed to the AD, and said that he was only to be given any food or drink if he asked for it.
What impressed most of the carers was not just his determination, but also his unfailing politeness even until the end.

I don't know about Scotland, but I do know what happens here. You have to have everything in place while you are still of sound mind.

I think we have everything in place. We've even put our house into a Family Protection Trust to make things easier for the offspring. I just hope I have the courage when the time comes and don't leave it too late.

Durhamjen, You were both fortunate that your DH was of clear mind and able to express his wishes. Unfortunately for many the slide into dementia means that medical staff have a duty of care to the patient which involves doing everything to keep them alive. So few of us think about setting out our wishes when strong and healthy. I am at the stage of telling everyone how I feel about end of life scenarios, giving them time to come to terms with the idea. It is a discussion which has to be faced, yet so many people just bury their heads in the sand. Next step is to get it in writing, witnessed and copies left with my GP, children, brother and OH. My OH and brother are in full agreement, (same generation - same worries) but my children need time to process the idea. They are still at the stage of wanting to live forever themselves. For me there are much worse things than dying.

NfkDumpling, thank you for your post. I had never heard of a Family Protection Trust and must research if that applies in Scotland.

I would light a couple of disposable bbqs (obviously making sure they don't set fire to anything nearby cos I don't want to burn to death) and settle down on the sofa. The carbon monoxide would take me gently and in my sleep.

I wouldn't do that VQ - you might survive and suffer irreversible brain damage. There's nothing gentle about carbon monoxide poisoning

I agree that we treat our pets better, giving them a gentle release to stop suffering, but nobody soon is going to take Granny to the doctor and ask for her to be bumped off. I'm sure that legal euthanasia will come but I shan't be asking for it. I've seen hundreds of pet owners distraught with grief and guilt, asking if they had done it too soon or left it too long.