Larry was a Viet Nam Vet strong and caring man. He got lung cancer in 2010 and fought with chemo and surgery. This year the chemo no longer worked and the VA told him they had nothing else to go home and make his arrangements. Larry gave up on modern medicine and and started with Hospice. Hospice was good to give him small doses of medication most of what he could not tolerate so his suffering was terrible. He could not breath and could not sleep or eat. Although we asked for sedation he was denied by the Hospital and Hospice doctors. His Faith in God made him hold on until he could not take any more pain and indignity. Unwilling to go into diapers and put his family or himself through any more suffering and without other options, he chose to take his life by shooting himself in the head. Our family will always suffer the end result of his lack of choices and care by our medical society. We Pray each day that people will learn how much we need to change the laws to allow terminally ill people to die in peace. If you are in a burning building right now all you can do is burn to death or jump…what will you do when it is your turn?
-Anonymous, 11/21/2012
