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15 July 2006

Damn, this is sad. [More:]I have an online friend who I know through a spiritual group, a woman in her late 70s. She's been diagnosed with Alzheimers, mild at present but obviously incurable and going to get worse.

Her husband, in his 80s, is very frail, he's had several major illnesses, surgeries, hospitalisations in recent years. I've gathered, from her emails over the last few months, that generally life is grim for them both.

Now she's emailed the list asking if anyone knows a method of suicide that's "undetectable".

I've written back saying I'm not going to moralise or sermonise to her, I'm not in her shoes, but that an "undetectable" suicide could result in an innocent person being accused of homicide.

I feel so sad for her. I can't criticise what she and her husband might be planning to do. I saw my friend Bob die a terrible slow death from a brain tumour, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to hang around if I was at the point where the quality of life was barely tolerable and likely to deteriorate.
:(

posted by psho 15 July | 18:51
:^( Poor things! I hope I'm never in that situation. I just want to go in my sleep.
posted by redvixen 15 July | 19:18
What a sad situation. I think you responded well, essexjan.
posted by deborah 15 July | 19:37
Why does she care about undetectible? Insurance?

And don't they have a Hemlock Society in the UK?
posted by small_ruminant 15 July | 22:21
Hmm. Upon further research, the US doesn't have one anymore either. It seems to have disintegrated into several spin-offs.
posted by small_ruminant 15 July | 22:24
Oh god, what a terrible situation for them both. I wish suicide wasn't criminalized and stigmatized so much here in the US. And I wish I could offer some sort of advice but what the hell can you say? I pray that they both find peace and she is able to leave this world on her own terms.
posted by LeeJay 15 July | 22:52
Why does she care about undetectible? Insurance?

And don't they have a Hemlock Society in the UK?

She's in Florida, in a retirement community, where she and her husband will soon no longer fit the criteria for 'active seniors' and will have to leave. And go where?

As for the 'undetectable' part, I think what she means is quick/painless, like having an animal put to sleep.

As I expected, many of our other list-members are trying to tell her what is 'best' for her.
posted by essexjan 16 July | 04:22
Or perhaps "undetectable" has to with insurance payouts? For the heirs?

Anyway, I haven't done the legwork yet to figure out my optimum escape route should it become necessary, but I'm totally going to do myself in once/if I reach a similar situation.
posted by taz 16 July | 08:23
AFAIK, the ol' carbon monoxide route is pretty much not unpleasant.

Myself, I figure a heroin overdose is the way to go. Dying in bliss sounds pretty fine.

I think it's heroin. Maybe it's another drug... hate to get it wrong, I'm pretty sure some drugs give you an extremely unpleasant goodbye.
posted by Five Fresh Fish 16 July | 11:27
I have no car and no garage! Let's get this heroin thing straight (while I can still acquire it!).
posted by taz 16 July | 11:47
I've heard a morphine overdose is a great way to go, but it's hardly undetectable.
posted by tomble 16 July | 23:46
Does flickr make your photos blurry sometimes? || OMG WTF Egg Cuber!?

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