You Don't Know Jack

This film was VERY thought provoking. My first thought was…we are doing a terrible job as health care professionals if there were 130 people who sought Dr. Kevorkian’s assistance in killing themselves. We ought to be able to help people enjoy life. We ought to do a better job alleviating pain, so people can enjoy a quality of life. I have treated many patients who have tried to kill themselves, and I will treat many more. They change. I see them get better, I see attitudes change, and I see lives improve. I know that many of Dr. Kevorkian’s patients were terminal; we don’t need to prolong life just because we can. We need to preserve QUALITY of life. We need to make what life people naturally have, better. If their life is good, and we can prolong it, we should. If their life is miserable, we should not prolong it, but make the remainder as painless and worthwhile as possible.

I have not dealt with a family member who was suffering and had to make these kinds of decisions. I don’t know what it’s like first hand, so I can’t judge those who do.

Dr. Kevorkian went to trial and prison because he wanted to. He was assisting in suicide for many years, and decided it wasn‘t enough, he wanted to make a statement. On his last patient, he picked someone that was not terminally ill, and he didn’t want to let the patient administer the lethal injection, Dr, Kevorkian wanted to do it himself. He then went on 60 Minutes, on National Television, and showed the video tape of him killing his patient. He then taunted the prosecuting attorney and dared the state to prosecute him again. Well they did, and he was convicted of second degree murder.

He made his point. Now I am stuck trying to sort it all out. Suicide is wrong, and so is suffering. I will never condone artificially ending a patient’s life. But I will work forever to help my patients get to a point where life is worth living, and they don’t desire a hastened death. When their time comes, I hope they are ready, but I hope I can make their life good enough until then, that they want to live till their natural time comes.