⚠️ Suicide pods - warning ‼️

I followed someone's cancer journey on YouTube, and I am pretty sure she was in Canada.

She opted for being sedated, at the end. Literally, she was at home, in her own bed, with her pets, and slept until the inevitable happened.

You could hear her snoring when her partner updated the videos.

That seems pretty reasonable to me.

Dignitas sounds calm , gentle, , a lovely clinic surrounded by trees, with quiet music, comfy armchairs, beautiful flowers 🌷 kindly staff dressed in white….but there is no clinic, just a range of empty flats often on industrial estates. Dignified it isn’t.
Once the neighbours realise and complain they have to move on to another empty flat.
This costs thousands and means people have to make this huge decision earlier than necessary as they have to be fit enough to cope with the travel to Switzerland.

I know, MissAdventure, which to me is another reason why we should be able to choose to die with dignity at home.

I've watched some videos from the Swiss clinics, and they are not all rose petals and lightness.

They are often in grey, concrete buildings, in industrial areas.

I would find find this pod unbearably claustrophobic.. if I ever reached the stage of feeling that life was untenable I would wish to have an injection.. and preferably have someone with me and be in my own bed.. I think this option should be seriously considered by government...

I did not think it was so easy and so quick to end one's life, (based on the horrific lethal injections they favour in America.)

I am so sorry abut your brother, Bea but have no realistic advice to offer.

One of my great fears is being in great pain towards the end of life. Ive considered looking at sites that enable this. Either that or score street fentanyl from somewhere in a fatal enough dose.

I read an article which stated the use of nitrogen gas isn't pain free or quick so not a method I would choose. I am not against assisted suicide as long as there are strong precautions in place to avoid pressure being put on people and the method is definitely painless and peaceful.

Patients are not denied food and drink, the fact is that at the end of life when everything is shutting down the swallowing reflex can stop working so giving someone something to eat or drink can mean food and water going into their lungs and choking or drowning them. Palliative care isn't perfect and there are times when they can not get on top of the pain but these instances are rare and mostly they do the most brilliant job.

I always think it's easy to say "I'd sooner end it all than... (insert whatever you feel unable to tolerate)

It's a different story confronting death head on.

It's a cold and clinical method, but over with quickly and cleanly, and if its claustrophobic, well, the person will be dead in a few minutes...

Oreo

You’re supposed to sleep then die in the pod, or so I read so it does sound peaceful.
Palliative care varies enormously and in hospitals can feel like being ignored while the healthy bustle about and ignore your needs just waiting for you to die..A relative told me that.
I firmly believe we should be able to choose to die when all hope of recovery is gone.

Nitrogen gas is used which will render somebody unconscious within two minutes and death should occur within six minutes. I would prefer the method in Canada where a lethal injection is administered. My husband’s aunt chose this method when she was in her nineties, she was nearly blind, hard of hearing and her mobility was limited due to spinal stenosis. She applied for medical assistance in dying and when it was granted she was able to choose where, when and who she wanted to be with her.

It will impact the most vulnerable in our society,but as usual they are seen as acceptable collateral damage.
Esther Rantzen is very privileged in terms of wealth, having a caring family, etc. It may be quite difficult for her to understand that people live very different lives to hers.

Bea 65, I am so sorry for you and your brother. I believe as adults we should be able to choose to end our lives when in pain.
I had not heard of these suicide Pods, I would like to know more about them.
Have you a link?

I agree with Babs03 that there's the potential for some groups of people in society to be coerced into a pod, or persuaded they're a burden and that it's time to end their lives.
While we have such an unequal society, with so many people not having their basic needs met, and when many chronically ill, disabled and elderly people find life a real struggle and don't want to be a burden to their loved ones, how can we be sure people would make the right decision for themselves? It's a real worry to my mind.

It is.. ongoing since 2002- no- one mention this ..

That must be a horrible thing to witness and endure.

BlueBelle

I thought with holding food and drink was stopped some years back wasn’t it ?

No.

It was still going on last year.

Think we would all prefer a jag/jab, , were that to be on offer Pably. .

I wouldn't want that, if I wanted assisted dying, i'd prefer a jag, the thought of lying in one of those pods terrifies me ..

I'm so sorry Bea65.

Palliative care cannot always do enough.
That's why people choose assisted suicide now, at great difficulty and expense.

It's also why many people suffering terminal illness campaign for the charity Dignity in Dying because they want that choice to be available.

Obviously CHOICE is the vital word.

Reality is my Brother doesn’t want to see anyone - this is so emotionally crushing but understandable - am sure we cannot be the only family enduring this.. maybe a space looking restful pod will influence people and maybe a new journey awaits us??

Bellasnana

Whilst I’m all for having the right to choose one’s own end, I personally would not like to get into one of those pods. Too claustrophobic! I know that sounds daft when contemplating one’s suicide, but I’d prefer a peaceful end in my own bed.

My first thought was how small is the pod!

I agree with the right to die but would prefer it to be in a bed, preferably my own

If you’re in a sort of morphine induced coma BB you are unable to take nourishment, so effectively you are starved and of course ‘the end’ comes much quicker without hydration.

So, yes - we are much kinder to our pets.

I'm with the claustrophobes on the one. Would recommend:
drrachelclarke.com/dear-life - Dr Clarke is a palliative care doctor who wrote about her experience of working in this field and a second book entitled "Breathtaking" about dealing with Covid..... seen dramatised on BBC earlier this year..... She is an excellent writer who presents a balanced view. She is currently reading her latest book "The Story of the Heart" on Radio 4 just now. In is about heart a heart transplant.