Can we justify physicians becoming involved in the hastening of a patient’s death? The Supreme Court of Canada thinks so. In a 2015 TED talk, Grace Pastine discusses the issue of physician-assisted dying in Canada. If you have a few minutes, it’s worth watching. Pastine describes three principles that matter deeply to people with serious… Continue reading Physician-Assisted Dying – Part Three – The Arguments in Favor of Legalization
MITCH STURGEON
Author and Blogger
Living With MS
Category: Uncategorized
Physician-Assisted Dying – Part Two – The Arguments Against Legalization
I’ve changed my terminology from physician-assisted suicide to physician-assisted dying. The latter term seems to carry less baggage. To be clear, this discussion is about public policy – should physician-assisted dying be legalized? This is not about the personal decision individuals might make about whether to exercise this option. Here are the most common arguments… Continue reading Physician-Assisted Dying – Part Two – The Arguments Against Legalization
Physician-Assisted Dying – Part One – An Uplifting Subject?
I know readers who have faced end-of-life situations in their families recently, or will be in the near future. If this topic is too near and dear to your hearts then perhaps you should skip these next few posts, but please return afterward. To be clear, I’m not there yet – not even close. I… Continue reading Physician-Assisted Dying – Part One – An Uplifting Subject?
Sleeping in My Wheelchair
Some years we’ve gone on exotic vacations during Kim’s February break. This year we decided to simply spend a couple of nights at a casino resort about three hours away – Foxwoods. We had stayed there several times over the years and knew that the wheelchair accessible rooms were better than average. But we hadn’t… Continue reading Sleeping in My Wheelchair
Does This Blog Post Make Me Look Fat?
Yeah, it should, because I am fat. No two ways about it. I have lots of excuses, though. First, genetics. If you lined up my two brothers and me, and a cardboard cutout of our deceased father, the familial profile could not be denied. Second, I’m a couple of years beyond the half-century mark, and… Continue reading Does This Blog Post Make Me Look Fat?
10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was Younger
No regrets. Just a few things that would’ve made life easier if I had figured them out sooner: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was Younger Many people are in bad circumstances through no fault of their own. Not all, but many. Buy long-term care insurance. It’s one of the essential insurances, along… Continue reading 10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was Younger
Accessibility Adventure
It’s Friday night, and it’s my sister-in-law, Diane’s, birthday. My brother, Tom, and she have booked a room in downtown Portland, at the Regency Hotel for the weekend. My other brother, Andy, and his wife, Karen, have booked a room at the same hotel, just a short drive from our house. The six of us… Continue reading Accessibility Adventure
Why People in Wheelchairs Shouldn’t Watch the News
Tuned in to the local news this morning. I don’t want to hear about fatal car accidents, shootings, or the latest offensive statement to come out of our governor’s mouth. I’m lying. I can’t get enough of the gems that come out of our governor’s mouth, but that’s for another blog post. This time of… Continue reading Why People in Wheelchairs Shouldn’t Watch the News
My Mother’s Patient Lift
After my mother passed away in 2008, we began the joyless task of going through her things. We donated her hospital bed and considered doing the same with her patient lift, a tool her caregivers had used to get her in and out of bed for the last thirty-nine years of her life (like Lassie,… Continue reading My Mother’s Patient Lift
Alice
Once a month, at physical therapy, I have to answer a questionnaire about how well I can complete certain tasks of daily living. It’s an insurance requirement. The scale goes from 0 to 4, where 0 is extreme difficulty or unable to perform, and 4 is no difficulty. I score mostly 0 or 1, except sleeping. I’m a 4… Continue reading Alice