MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'assisted'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182361&cid=t_172116_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FBK8O3tQ88rY%2Fdepressed-housing-market-puts-pressure.html After four years of depressed home values, experts say thousands of seniors remain unable to move into senior housing because they can’t sell their homes quickly enough or for the price they need reports Kaiser Health News. This has lead to greater pressure on families to pay for parent’s and grandparents’ placements, or to care for them themselves. “We see people coming in much older and frailer because they’re taking a longer time to make the decision,” says Donna Taylor, executive vice president for the nonprofit Arizona Baptist Retirement Centers in Phoenix. “They don’t know how long it will take to sell their house, and in some cases they’re reluctant to sell because of the lower price.” Arizona Baptist, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), offers a spe... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182361 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:16:00 +0100 5182361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008475&cid=t_172116_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Findependence-day-and-ms%2F I’ll admit a bit of an odd feeling as I post a blog about America’s Independence Day weekend from the wilds of Western Ireland! It seems a fitting topic, however, as the word “independence” means such a different thing to me now that I live with multiple sclerosis than it did before. Independence doesn’t mean doing everything for/by/of myself any longer. Independence is not all Trevis all the time. Independence is a relative state and I cannot think of a better place to be thinking this than the Republic of Ireland which experienced a varying levels and lack of independence (cum tyranny) over the centuries. A cane may seem to be a “dependence” to some but it offers me the independence to walk further than I might without and conserve the excess energy which would have been sp... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008475 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:00:09 +0100 5008475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953313&cid=t_172116_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fassistance%2F On Monday here in the UK, I watched a documentary about assisted dying. It was presented by Discworld author and person with Alzheimer’s disease, Terry Pratchett, and in my view it was an intelligent and uncomfortable film about a topic that we need to address. (Assisted dying is currently illegal in the UK, but legal in some parts of Europe and the US.) Although Pratchett is largely pro-assisted-suicide, I don’t think this was propaganda: the profound distress of many people on the sidelines of the process was heart-wrenching and spoke volumes for the anti-assisted-suicide lobby. I’m not sure how I feel about assisted dying. On the one hand, I do respect the wishes of the people who choose to end their lives that way, and having seen close-up exactly what late stage canc... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953313 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:04:22 +0100 4953313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911475&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fm0PrHuvugis%2F Early last Friday morning Dr. Jack Kevorkian died at the age of 83. He was a Michigan pathologist who put assisted suicide in the forefront of medical ethics world. Kevorkian was often referred to as ”Dr. Death” as he was a staunch supporter of physician-assisted suicide and “right-to-die” legislation. He was charged with murder numerous times in the 1990s for helping terminally ill patients take their own lives and was convicted of murder in 1999 stemming for the death of a patient who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was paroled four years ago in 2007. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Related posts:Violent Death: Preventing Chronic Disease Isn’t Enough November... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911475 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:22:46 +0100 4911475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902502&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fvery-pregnant-patient-from-us.html After three years of trying to conceive our first child (with efforts that included three rounds of Clomid with IUI, plus one un-medicated IUI) with some of the top infertility specialists in California, my husband and I were feeling sad, discouraged and borderline broke (our insurance didn't cover any infertility treatment), with still no baby in sight. We realized that IVF was the appropriate next step for us, but were daunted by the incredibly high costs in the US (our fertility center's rates start at $15K per cycle and can go up to $25K when taking on ICSI and other add-ons, but they couldn't tell you exactly how much it would cost until you were already committed to a cycle). We knew that giving up on our dream of having a family was not an option, but that paying upwards of $20K for... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902502 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:21:00 +0100 4902502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893322&cid=t_172116_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fjack-dr-death-kevorkian-dies-age-83%2F Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a pathologist by training who advocated for assisted suicide, died at age 83 from pneumonia and kidney failure at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893322 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 04:33:32 +0100 4893322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775432&cid=t_172116_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F02%2Fmental-health-needs-of-older-americans%2F As the baby boomers age here in the U.S., they are going to swell the ranks of seniors. And senior care — especially mental health care — is one of the most ignored in America. We act as though seniors don’t matter much, and few health care and mental health care professionals go into specializations, such as geriatric psychology, that can help senior citizens. Perhaps that will change, with more attention and focus provided on this group of people. Because as we age, we often face many of the same difficulties as we did earlier in life. Except these difficulties are often amplified, because of the loss of social support — our friends — and isolation — most often from our own family. The New York Times profiles Marc E. Agronin, M.D., a geriatric psychiat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775432 Mon, 02 May 2011 13:50:19 +0100 4775432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723980&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fwhy-i-love-being-online-ivf-specialist.html This is a guest post from Carina Freeman, the Fertility Coach. I think it's time to take the time and share my story. To help you understand why I am passionate about Hold your Hand fertility coaching. In 1997 I was able to conceive a son with no problems at all. I had no idea what my future would hold. I have always had very severe menstrual cramps. However, I never went to get them checked out because I thought it was "normal." My mom, her sisters, and their mom also had severe cramps. I always wanted more children after my son was born in 1997, but thought maybe it just wasn't my time yet. So, we kept trying for years with no success. This made me feel like less than a woman. Why could I not give my husband a child? After several years, my husband suggested I go to the doctors to ha... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723980 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:55:00 +0100 4723980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693387&cid=t_172116_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fj_8LQaaHAeI%2F Beverly Sanborn, Vice President of Program Development at Belmont Senior Living and scheduled 2011 SharpBrains Summit Speaker, could not finally speak at the Summit (she was very well replaced by colleague Jeff DeBevec), but fortunately we can share her thoughtful answers to the following four critical questions. 1. How would you define “brain fitness” vs. “physical fitness”? Brain fitness and physical fitness are interlinked. Each enhances the other and both are essential components of successful aging. As we age, the ability to cope with inexorable challenge to social-emotional-economic well-being is rooted in having a high level of mental alertness and a physical body that functions efficiently. But fitness is not just a happy consequence of a hardy gene pool. Fitness for bo... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693387 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:24:50 +0100 4693387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676869&cid=t_172116_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F05%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-april-5-2011%2F A few weeks ago, the weirdest thing happened. I walked into a crowded after-school hangout for young adults and my thirty something year old self suddenly felt as awkward and gawky as I was at thirteen. Where was my self-confidence? What happened to those twenty years of work on building my self-worth to replace those few years of embarrassment and shame? All I could think of was how fast I wanted to get out of there. Have you ever felt like that before? Have you ever wanted to change your perspective or redo a moment so you can feel better about the life you are living? Thankfully, after I left, I picked up the pieces of my fragile self and again walked in the shoes of a happy and confident adult. But I wish I had read one of these posts sooner. If you have had a shot to your self-esteem ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676869 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:07:07 +0100 4676869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636495&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F03%2Finfertility-mans-perspective-ivf.html We were a happy carefree couple, enjoying our freedom to do things that we liked, for the first four years of our marriage. And then when we finally thought of starting a family…. It didn’t happen for another year and we were happy childfree couple. Couldn’t figure out initially what can go wrong, but when we decided to do a reality check, we landed up at a neighborhood Obs&G’s clinic. She ran a few preliminary tests which didn’t point to anything in particular, prescribed few medicines for me. Six months later, the same tests were repeated again, and again. And then I was referred to a urologist for surgery for a suspected varicocele. That’s when it dawned upon us that may be we are knocking on the wrong door!After a couple of months & a million clicks on the net, we d... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636495 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:21:00 +0100 4636495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636511&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fvalue-of-clomiphene-citrate-challenge.html Many older infertile women are very unsure as to whether they need to do IVF; and if they do need IVF, if they should use their own eggs or to use donor eggs. While they understand with their heads that using donor eggs would maximise their chances of getting pregnant, it's hard for their heart to accept this decision, because most of us want a genetic link with our child !This is especially true for older women who have regular cycles; grow follicles on ultrasound scans ; or have had a miscarriage in the last 2-3 years. If my cycles are regular and I can get pregnant in my own bedroom, doesn't this prove my eggs are fine ?Gynecologists ( who do not specialise in infertility treatment) will often add to this confusion. Because they see 42 year old women who get pregnant in their own bedroo... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636511 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:14:00 +0100 4636511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566169&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fatlas-of-ivf-embryos-dr-sai-senior.html Unfortunately, most patients doing IVF treatment are quite clueless about the most important end-result of the IVF cycle - the embryos ! This atlas will help you understand what your eggs and embryos should look like, so you have a better understanding of what happens in the IVF lab !DAY 0 ( the day of egg collection)MATURE OOCYTE CUMULUS COMPLEXESTHESE ARE MATURE OOCYTE CUMULUS COMPLEXES, IDENTIFIED IN THE FOLLICULAR FLUID ASPIRATED DURING EGG COLLECTION.POST MATURE OCCYTE CUMULUS COMPLEXSTRIPPED EGGSMATURE EGGS :THIS IS A MATURE EGG (SURROUNDING CUMULUS CELLS HAVE BEEN STRIPPED OFF)POLAR BODY AT 12 O CLOCK POSITION INDICATES THAT THIS IS A MATURE EGG AT METAPHASE IISTRIPPING IS MANDATORY FOR PERFORMING ICSI ON THEM.CUMULUS NEED NOT BE STRIPPED FOR CONVENTIONAL IVF.THIS EGG IS NOT A MATUR... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566169 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:44:00 +0100 4566169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540601&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhat-is-minimum-number-of-follicles-you.html We deal with a number of difficult patients who have failed multiple IVF cycles elsewhere. Many of these are poor ovarian responders and a common question is - How many follicles do you need to go ahead with the treatment ? Is there a number in your clinic below which you will cancel the cycle ?These patients suffer from a lot of anxiety and apprehension during the superovulation, because they know they are not likely to grow many eggs. They have already had many of their cycles cancelled in the past - and this can be quite a cruel thing to do , because these are eggs which they have produced with a lot of effort ! Their eggs are precious - and represent their best chance of their having a baby with their own genes. This is why when the doctor cancels the cycle because they have not produc... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540601 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:26:00 +0100 4540601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536150&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdonor-embryos-and-embryo-adoption.html Donor Embryos: Biologically , embryo adoption is exactly the same as a traditional adoption , in that the child and the parents have no genetic linkage. However , here the resemblance ends. Whereas with traditional adoption it is a child who is adopted after birth, in embryo adoption the infertile couple adopts an embryo before pregnancy.However , the sad tragedy is that there are just not enough babies available for adoption. Not only is the demand for adopting babies increasing day by day as infertility becomes more prevalent , the supply of unwanted babies being put up for adoption by the mother has become drastically reduced.It is ironic that while the technology of contraception and abortion has reduced the availability of adoptable children, assisted reproductive technology now offer... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536150 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0100 4536150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525061&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fdoes-it-matter-how-many-ivf-cycles-you.html We see many patients who have failed multiple IVF treatment cycles in other clinics. Most of them are quite depressed and frustrated. They are not sure whether it's worth trying another IVF cycle with us, or whether they should explore alternative options .The key question in their mind is - What can you do differently from the other IVF clinics ? What makes you better ?I enjoy treating these patients . For one, they are a challenge, and if our treatment works where other clinics have failed, this is a feather in our cap ( doctors can be very competitive !)Also, because they have done IVF earlier, they understand the basics of the treatment, so I can have an intelligent conversation with them and explain what we are going to differently. Because we are a full-service clinic, we can offer a... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525061 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:47:00 +0100 4525061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522160&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fmaking-sense-of-your-ivf-superovulation.html One of my patients recently asked me - Which protocol is better for IVF - the Letrozole Antagonist Protocol vs the Estrogen Priming Protocol ?( In passing, I'd like to point out how impressive it is that patients are so well informed about medical minutiae ! Most gynecologists are quite unaware of all these finer details !)Actually, the principles of any superovulation protocol for IVF are extremely simple. Superovulation forms the heart of modern IVF. We use medications to help you grow more eggs. Every month you start to grow about 30-40 follicles, but in a natural cycle, most of these undergo atresia (die), so that only one matures every month, in the normal course of events. With the help of medications, we are able to rescue follicles which would otherwise have died, so that we can he... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522160 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:41:00 +0100 4522160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501648&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fis-advise-just-be-positive-useful-for.html Everyone loves advising infertile couples ! ( After all, if they've had a baby in their bedroom and proven their fertility , this makes them fertility experts, right ? )The commonest advise is - Just relax ! Do not stress - do not take any tension ! This advise is even more pronounced during an IVF treatment cycle. If you want your IVF to succeed and the embryos to stick, you've got to "go with the flow" and not stress out. If you get too stressed out, your uterus will reject the embryos and they will not implant !This is very unhelpful advise ! Of course there's a lot of stress in an IVF cycle - after all, no one wants to come to Dr Malpani to have a baby ! All my IVF patients are stressed out - and even the hyper ones do get pregnant ! It's true that patients need to learn constructive w... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501648 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:07:00 +0100 4501648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482936&cid=t_172116_136_f&fid=35294&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psa-rising.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fhow-robotic-prostatectomy-works%2F Robot assisted prostate surgery, known medically as the da Vinci prostatectomy, has had a profound influence over treatment during the past decade. Robotic surgical technology was first developed by the military for use in the battlefield. However during the past decade, this technology has been rapidly applied to the general medical setting, notably in the [...] (Source: psa-rising.com/blog) psa-rising.com/blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482936 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:17:25 +0100 4482936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464497&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftickle-liposuction%2F2011.02.11 Liposuction (aka “lipo”) is plastic surgery’s “gimmick procedure” having had more angles applied to it than a child’s toy. But there’s money to be made in fat reduction, so the gimmicks will just keep coming. Enter “tickle” lipo, a new technology superimposed on the liposuction game. In this newer version of the basic liposuction technique, the cannula — the instrument used to remove the fat — vibrates like a whip inside your fatty layers. This supposedly helps remove the fat more evenly and with less pain. Tickle lipo looks like a hybrid between two other forms of lipo already on the market: Power-assisted liposuction (PALS) in which a motorized cannula breaks up the fat, and ultrasonic liposuction in which sound waves do it. Will tickle l... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464497 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:00:59 +0100 4464497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459960&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-medical-clowning-improve-in-vitro-success%2F2011.02.10 Following from the somewhat common sense idea that women who were less stressed during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) had better outcomes, the journal Fertility and Sterility published a study out of Israel that claims “medical clowning” improved pregnancy rates compared to a group not exposed to a clown on the day of implantation. From the abstract: This experimental prospective quasi-randomized study examining the impact of a medical clowning encounter after ET after IVF found that the pregnancy rate in the intervention group was 36.4%, compared with 20.2% in the control group (adjusted odds ratio, 2.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.36–5.24). Medical clowning as an adjunct to IVF-ET may have a beneficial effect on pregnancy rates and deserves further inve... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459960 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:00:47 +0100 4459960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450344&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fi-have-failed-five-ivf-cycles-dr.html My patient was at her wit's end and was sobbing her heart out. I have done 5 IVF cycles all over the world, Dr Malpani - and they've all failed. What do I do next ?This is always a complex question - and there's no easy answer. You need to be analytical and logical, so we know what to do next. The trick is not to waste time looking for problems, but rather to focus on solutions which will allow us to bypass the problems !We need to ask ourselves - what have we learned from these failures ? What can we do differently the next time ? What can we change to increase the chances of success ?If you do need to change something, remember that there are only 5 things we can change in any IVF treatment1. The IVF treatment protocol2. The clinic3. The sperm4. The eggs5. The uterusLet's think through t... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450344 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:12:00 +0100 4450344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436811&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fdr-malpani-tells-you-why-you-must.html The failure of an IVF cycle always causes major heartburn. The next question is - Why did the IVF cycle fail ? What should I do next ? Did I get good quality medical care ? Or should I change my doctor ?This is always a hard question to answer, because even if the quality of medical care provided is excellent, the IVF cycle can still fail. How is the patient to judge the quality of technical competence of the IVF clinic ? Did the cycle fail because the clinic was bad ? Or was it just bad luck ? You cannot rely on a doctor's bed side manner to judge his clinical skills - you need more tangible evidence - but what should you be looking for ?Fortunately, the answer is very easy - you should ask for photos of your embryos ! The core competence of a good IVF clinic is to produce high quality em... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436811 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:22:00 +0100 4436811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399839&cid=t_172116_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FnKnZm4NwC9w%2Fstates-expanding-medicare-waiver.html The recession has greatly affected the elderly and those who provide for them. A new AARP report shines some much needed light on how states are changing elder care in response to the recession. Many states are using the economic downturn to restructure funding into lower cost services such as assisted living.AARP compiled data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in a new report on the recession’s affect on demand and funding for state programs catering to older individuals. The report found that states, in an attempt to balance the budget, have largely cut services relating to seniors, but at the same time demand for these services has grown. The demand for assisted living was one of the fasted growing, increasing in 17 states.Recognizing the problems at hand, many states ar... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399839 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:31:00 +0100 4399839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382811&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fhow-i-improved-my-vitrification.html HOW I IMPROVED MY VITRIFICATION TECHNIQUE !SAIPRASAD GUNDETI, SENIOR EMBRYOLOGIST, MALPANI INFERTILITY CLINIC PVT. LTD.Vitrification involves freezing the embryo about 600 times faster than ever before. This ultrarapid process is so fast that it literally allows no time for intracellular ice to form. As a result, vitrification avoids trauma to the embryo.In conventional (slow) freezing, 20-30% of embryos do not survive the freeze-thaw, and those that do survive have less than half the likelihood of generating a pregnancy as do fresh embryos. In contrast, vitrified embryos have a better than 95% freeze-thaw survival rate, and a pregnancy generating potential that is comparable to fresh embryos.Vitrification is now regarded as potential alternative to conventional (slow)freezing.Major advant... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382811 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:21:00 +0100 4382811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361067&cid=t_172116_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F18%2Fintroducing-equine-therapy-blog%2F I’ve long been fascinated with equine therapy (also known as equine assisted psychotherapy) — that is, using horses to help someone heal from a mental health or other life issue. So I’m pleased to present you with our new blog on just this topic, Equine Therapy: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth with Claire Dorotik, LMFT. Claire has made a specialization of equine facilitated psychotherapy, developing an equine assisted psychotherapeutic approach that has proved highly effective in restoring emotional and physical balance to those who have battled trauma, abuse, and eating disorders. She has written many articles for Horsetrader, Ride, and Flying Changes magazines on the subject of horses and horse training, and is also a contributing author to Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: Straight... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361067 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:58:42 +0100 4361067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349552&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fdoes-your-ivf-doctor-travel-lot.html Many IVF doctors in India travel extensively. They have many clinics all over the city ( and in some cases, all over the country). Naive patients get impressed by such doctors - wow - he is so busy and so much in demand that he needs to travel all over the place. In fact, some doctors even go to Dubai and Africa ! While this seems very impressive, in reality this means that the quality of care they provide to their patients leaves a lot to be desired. Let me explain.The personal goal for these doctors seems to be to maximise the number of patients they treat, so they can maximise their throughput and their revenue. While it's very good for an IVF clinic to be busy, it's also important that the quality of care provided to their patients not be compromised in the quest for quantity !How do t... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349552 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:02:00 +0100 4349552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314075&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Findias-first-free-phone-service-for.html Malpani Infertility Clinic have just launched India's first free phone service to educate infertile couples about infertility.This innovative IVR ( interactive voice response) service called FertilityFactsFoneLine, powered by BolTell, walks patients through their treatment options, and helps to dispel many myths and misconceptions.Best of all, it's free !Try it out by dialling 08042658370 ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314075 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:11:00 +0100 4314075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309865&cid=t_172116_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2FawaloOVW0Mg%2Fbullies-with-gray-hair.html Having worked for several years in assisted living I witnessed many episodes of bullying between residents. The first time I encountered it I was stunned that mature individuals would treat each other with such disrespect...Patricia Grace, Aging with GraceBullying may be a concern for teenagers in schools and through Facebook, but young people online are not the only targets of verbal abuse and social ostracism. Residential facilities for the elderly are not immune to abuse either.Doris Lor, a retired secretary living in a retirement community in Chandler, Ariz., said she has been the victim of intimidation from other residents since she bought her home in 2003.Lor, 76, lives in Solera Chandler Active Adult Retirement Community, which has more than 1,100 residents 55 years and older. She s... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309865 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:45:00 +0100 4309865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4304944&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fbehaviour-nurture-not-nature-says-ivf.html A long-term study following 1,000 families with children born using IVF between 1994 and 2002 in the UK and US has shown the importance of parenting in the outcome of a child's behaviour. In the study, which investigated the mental wellbeing of both the parents and children, some of the children were biologically related to their parents, while others were unrelated and conceived using either donor sperm or eggs, or both. This gave the researchers a unique opportunity to compare the role of nature (genes) and nurture (the environment) in the development of a child's behaviour.This is why patients who use donor gametes for IVF after counselling and forethought are usually very happy with their kids ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304944 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:41:00 +0100 4304944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281363&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fquality-of-doctors-answers-depend-upon.html Recently I witnessed an infertile couple who had over three heavy files bulging along with medical tests and reviews. They may have visited more than ten infertility experts who tried every single possible examination under the sun to attempt to discover what their issue was. The lady had been examined for antisperm antibodies, NK cells , hostile cervical mucus, tuberculosis, chlamydia, sperm DNA fragmentation… you name it, and she had had the examination done. Every single gynaecologist had repeated test after test, however every result had been normal. They were at their wit’s end. “Why can’t I get pregnant , doctor , if things are all normal ?” was her plaintive cry.I was surprised about how little she had learned after going to numerous doctors. Rather than understanding from... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281363 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 04:57:00 +0100 4281363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251159&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhappy-nri-patient-from-usa.html We live in the US and I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in 2003. We had been to an obgyn in the US and she had recommended 3 cycles of clomid treatment. Since this did not work for us, she had asked us to go for higher infertility treatments like Artificial Insemination or IVF. At that point we did not have proper information regarding these treatments and hence were not mentally prepared to proceed further.Later we started research on the Internet regarding various infertility treatment options for us. It was at this time that we came across this amazing website. Dr.Malpani's website is an excellent source of information for infertility related issues. This was a panacea for all our questions. We then started interacting with Dr.Malpani through his website. We submitted the... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251159 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:15:00 +0100 4251159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219746&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Foocyte-preservation-egg-freezing-readily-available-yet-still-experimental%2F2010.12.01 Oocyte preservation, or egg freezing as it’s popularly called, is now being offered by over half of U.S. fertility clinics, and half of those not offering it now plan to do so in the future. This according to a national survey conducted in mid 2009 and reported this week in Fertility and Sterility. Over two-thirds of the 143 centers offering oocyte cryopreservation will do it electively, as opposed to those that offer it only to women undergoing cancer treatments that threaten their natural fertility. Go West, But Be Prepared To Pay Centers located in the Western part of the U.S. are more likely to offer elective egg freezing than those in the East. Not surprisingly, centers that only accept out of pocket (as opposed to insurance) payments were more likely to offer the procedure, ref... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219746 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:00:59 +0100 4219746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4162988&cid=t_172116_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-plus-depression-does-not-have-to-equal-suicide%2F Hemingway used to refer to the times when depression held him to the very brink of self-murder as “black ass days.” Comments in the past week have brought this topic to the fore of our attention in a very personal way, and I feel compelled to address what is often taboo, but must be spoken. A 1991 Canadian study looked at MS patients who died between 1972 and 1988 and found that people with multiple sclerosis died from suicide at a rate seven-and-a-half times higher than age-matched people in the general population. According to a 2005 Danish report, people with multiple sclerosis committed suicide at a rate twice as high as that in the general population. That study looked at 10,174 people in whom multiple sclerosis was diagnosed between 1953 to 1996; a significant finding was tha... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4162988 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:22:52 +0100 4162988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151921&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fhow-can-i-be-sure-my-ivf-doctor-is.html One of the major worries most IVF patients have is about the competence of their IVF doctor. While most patients select an IVF clinic based on its reputation, the sad truth is that there is not much correlation with the actual quality of the medical treatment they receive and the brand name of the clinic. Many "big name" clinics are very impersonal and are run like assembly lines. The patient rarely gets to meet the doctor and most of the care is provided either by the nurses of the assistants. Patients feel they are helpless and passively put up with poor quality care, because they do not know what else they can do.A much bigger problem is the lack of transparency and documentation . Most IVF clinics do not even bother to provide patients with a simple treatment summary ! Patients are clu... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151921 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:46:00 +0100 4151921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133942&cid=t_172116_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D79 Because the same vital angiogenic process that allows your body to heal itself also causes tumors to grow, computer-assisted tortuosity has emerged as a fascinating concept of identifying cancerous tumors by their blood vessel patterns.  With this method, researchers use the rapid formation of blood vessels as a physiological cancer biomarker, enabling a more accurate diagnosis and the rapid tracking of cancer therapy.  New perfusion imaging technologies have been used to study blood vessels at the micro level for years.  However, these were focused on flow and volume of blood, which has lead to an increased number of false positives and false negatives.  The next natural step in the evolution of angiogensis imaging is computerized blood vessel tortuosity.  I spoke to one of the leadi... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133942 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:11:16 +0100 4133942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077248&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbaby-born-from-a-20-year-old-embryo%2F2010.10.17 There appears to be a new record for a cryopreserved embryo birth. From NPR: In 1990 a couple underwent In Vitro Fertilization. They eventually had a healthy baby. They also, as is common, had a number of microscopic embryos that hadn’t been implanted, but were viable. They decided to anonymously donate them. Now, one of those embryos has produced a little boy, 20 years after being created. In other embryo-related news, Colorado has another personhood rights bill (Amendment 62) on the ballot for November: As used in sections 3, 6, and 25 of Article II of the state constitution, the term “person” shall apply to every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being. So here’s my question: Under the proposed Colorado amendment, would this kid be leg... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077248 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:00:14 +0100 4077248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065427&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fare-ivf-injections-painful.html One of the major reasons patients do not want to do IVF is their fear of injections. They know that during IVF they need to take injections for many days - and many patients are understandably reluctant to take these shots because they have been told that these injections are painful !While it's no fun to take injections , the good news is that the injections used for IVF treatment are not painful !Lupron and Anatgon ( which are used for downregulation) and given subcutaneously, just like a diabetic takes insulin injections. these are easy to self-administer and are not painful.The injections which are used for superovulation ( the urinary gonadotropins such as Menogon) used to be given intramuscularly. IM injections are more painful than subcutaneous injections, because a larger volume ne... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065427 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:44:00 +0100 4065427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036744&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fpoor-quality-ivf-medical-treatment.html It breaks my heart when I see how poorly patients are informed about their IVF treatment. It seems to be a conspiracy of silence - and most doctors seem to be extremely stingy about sharing medical details with their patients . I find this very difficult to understand - after all, the patient has a legal right to their medical records.Many IVF clinics provided printed treatment summaries - which conceal more than they reveal.I have attached an image of a " treatment summary" of a patient who had IVF done in a leading IVF clinic in Delhi ( name removed to protect the guilty !).While it seems quite impressive , there is no medical information in it at all ! The doctor does not even specify how many eggs were collected !There are no details about the embryo quality - or even how many embryos ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036744 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 02:47:00 +0100 4036744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858229&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fpgd-newest-art.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858229 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:37:00 +0100 3858229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790771&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fworlds-first-ivf-and-infertility-sms.html Malpani Infertility Clinic, in partnership with MyToday, is pleased to announce that we have now started publishing the world's first patient education channels on IVF and infertility.The mobile is a great tool for educating patients - and using SMS we hope to be able to remove a lot of the myths and misconceptions which surround this emotionally sensitive topic !You can see all our SMS Infertility Channels here.You can also subscribe free to our IVF channel here !At present, this service is available in India only. (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790771 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:41:00 +0100 3790771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3743578&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fwhat-tests-should-i-do-after-failed-ivf.html There's lots of pressure on IVF doctors when an IVF cycle fails. Patients want a baby - and since they have not succeeded, they want answers as to why the cycle failed !Doctors will take one of 3 approaches.Many are nihilistic. They know that the tests we have today do not help much. Our technology is still fairly crude, because the commonest cause of failed implantation is genetically abnormal embryos, and we still cannot detect or prevent these, given the fact that human reproduction is a very inefficient enterprise. The best option for most patients is to just try again, and this is what they will advise.Unfortunately, this straight-forward forthright approach is very difficult for most patients to accept . They want answers to their questions !Unfortunately, the truth is that our techn... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3743578 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:08:00 +0100 3743578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740596&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-reason-i-stayed-a-doctor%2F2010.07.09 This week I traveled to a small town outside Chicago to help my mother with her move from an assisted living facility to Alabama so she can live with my sister. I suspect many people, thanks to current economic times, have realized that the savings that were supposed to be there are not and change must happen. Such is the case with my mother. It’s sure to be an emotional time, one which both of us had hoped to avoid. For her, she will be moving from the region of her childhood, her college, her marriage, her first home, her dream home, her caldron of first-grade student graduates and her dearest friends. For me, I will miss our spontaneous visits, morning coffee conversations, trips to the local restaurant in the town of my childhood, her gentle smile, and her helpful advice. But th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740596 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3740596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3737105&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fovercoming-fear-of-ivf-failure.html The fear of failure is perhaps the commonest reason why most women do not have the courage to try a second IVF treatment cycle when the first one fails.But playing it safe has risk as well. If you never dare to fail , you will never succeed !Here's a great post on how to overcome the fear of failure ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3737105 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:01:00 +0100 3737105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721703&cid=t_172116_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fvideo-robotic-assisted-mitral-valve-surgery%2F Video and discussion of robotic assisted mitral valve surgery for mitral valve prolapse (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721703 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:48:57 +0100 3721703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706751&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fivf-making-sense-of-treatment-cycle.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706751 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:04:00 +0100 3706751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683702&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fall-about-ivf-part-1.html Open publication - Free publishing - More infertility (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683702 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:14:00 +0100 3683702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678583&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fhow-to-increase-your-stress-levels-when.html Being infertile is stressful - and going through an IVF cycle can be even more stressful, because so much is riding on the outcome of the treatment. While the actual medical treatment in an IVF cycle ( shots, scans , pickup and transfer) is not physically taxing, the emotional demands ( because of the hopes, dreams, desires, fears which are such an integral part of all infertility treatment ) can exact a huge toll.The one factor which causes the most stress is having unrealistic expectations . Every patient feels in their heart of hearts that " this is the cycle when it's going to work !" - and I do not think any one would ever start an IVF cycle if they did not feel it was going to work. Unfortunately, the only thing which is in your hands is the process. You can make sure you have a comp... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678583 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 09:55:00 +0100 3678583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621685&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-autism-caused-by-fertility-treatment%2F2010.06.01 In the latest media barrage on autism, fertility treatment has come into question as a possible cause for this increasingly common developmental disorder. The reason is two research abstracts recently presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia. One study assessed the history of IVF (in vitro fertilization) among 574 children evaluated at a special center for autism in Israel. The researchers found that 10% of the group diagnosed as autistic had had IVF, compared to a background rate in the overall population which they quote as 3.5%. Not surprisingly, maternal age was higher in the IVF group and the rate of prematurity was higher in the autistic children. The second study was a look into a pre-existing database — the Nurse’s Health Study — ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621685 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3621685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614493&cid=t_172116_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F05%2Furologists-debate-open-robotassisted-prostatectomy%2F During this weeks annual American Urological Association meeting in San Francisco, debate has centered on how to bring radicial prostatecomy using an open approach closer in performance to performing the procedure with a robotic device such as a DaVinci machine. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614493 Mon, 31 May 2010 03:47:02 +0100 3614493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3567857&cid=t_172116_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmajority-of-assisted-living-residents.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3567857 Sun, 16 May 2010 13:11:00 +0100 3567857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3435110&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fhow-good-is-your-ivf-doctor.html Image via WikipediaHow can a patient judge how good ( or bad) an IVF clinic is ? Success rates are a useful marker, but they have their own limitations , because they apply to groups of patients, not to individuals ! Also, clever clinics can easily game the system to artificially inflate their success rates. What do you do if your cycle fails ? Should you continue with the same doctor ? Or should you find another doctor ? The outcome of an IVF cycle is always uncertain, and just because the cycle fails does not mean the IVF doctor is incompetent ! It's often much easier to stick with the same clinic. Some of this is just inertia - after all, he "knows your case" and you now have a relationship with him, so why switch ? Also, finding another doctor is hard work , and is it worth taking all ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3435110 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 08:37:00 +0100 3435110 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358926&cid=t_172116_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fbmj-2010-vol-340-no-7741%2F Contents page Fade Fave: Author calls for UK to set up tribunal for assisted suicide Fade Skinny: One of the United Kingdom’s best selling authors has called for an assisted suicide tribunal to which people could apply for permission to end their lives at a time of their own choosing. The call by Terry Pratchett, who has early onset Alzheimer’s disease, came as the BBC released the findings of a poll showing that nearly three in four people believe that a friend or relative should be able to assist a terminally ill loved one to commit suicide without fear of prosecution. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals, Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: Assisted Suicide, Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Jour... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358926 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:59:46 +0100 3358926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338351&cid=t_172116_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fno-%25e2%2580%259cdeath-with-dignity%25e2%2580%259d-for-ms-patients%2F I am not a morbid person - a black sense of humor; that I’ll cop to – but a recent batch of comments on a previous post on the subject brought the topic back to my mind. I’ve been meaning to post something of a follow-up ever since my state passed a “Death With Dignity” Act, back in 2008. It was a hard-fought battle between the two sides with impassioned pleas from proponents and opponents alike.  In the end, the measure passed overwhelmingly. The thing is, the law was crafted with such tight restrictions as to make (some say “appropriately”) difficult to carry out.  In fact, a reading of the 10 pages of legalese which is the law makes it quite clear that a person in the final throws of MS would not be eligible for the relief intended by the law. A person, in Washin... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338351 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:42:03 +0100 3338351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314692&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fi-am-sorry-your-hcg-level-is-negative.html These are the words every IVF doctor dreads having to tell their patient - and which every patient fears having to hear. There is so much hope, energy,time and money invested in an IVF cycle that when it fails, patients go to pieces. No matter how well you may have prepared yourself intellectually for the fact that not every IVF cycle succeeds, the news that this one has failed is still a major emotional blow, and it takes time to recover. The failure is often taken as a personal failure - and often reinforces the feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority which many infertile women suffer from." I cannot get pregnant in my bedroom - and couldn't even get pregnant after IVF. My body is flawed and useless. I let everyone down - my husband, my doctor and my family. I am a failure. I'll neve... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314692 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:39:00 +0100 3314692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267016&cid=t_172116_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fembryo-adoption-is-latest-trend-times.html Here is an article from the Times of India which appeared on 12 Feb 2010.When Patricia Bohanon, an American teacher, flies home to Colorado on Sunday, she will carry a precious made-in-India baggage: an embryo.This embryo, which was born in a petri-dish out of anonymous contributions from an Indian sperm donor and an egg donor, was transferred to Bohanon, who will deliver the Indian baby as her own in the first week of December.Welcome to an assisted reproduction technique that is fast gaining popularity in a world where fewer children are available for donation, and adoption norms are getting more stringent. Not surprisingly, this method is called embryo adoption or embryo donation, depending on which side one looks at it from.Dr Anjali Malpani, an infertility specialist who treated Bohan... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267016 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:30:00 +0100 3267016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231649&cid=t_172116_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Famacupuncturehttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fassisted-suicides-slippery-slope.html   It’s hard to believe the conservative western state of Montana would vote for a radical social change, since their state’s constitution states an explicit right to privacy.  Since doctors don’t have to find solutions for medical problems, their jobs will now be easier.  Once you say you want to die, there is less incentive for your doctor  to care for your symptoms and needs.  The only care he will need to provide is an overdose of medication.  Now your parent’s doctors can prescribe the necessary drugs without fear of being prosecuted.As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions.... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231649 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:34:00 +0100 3231649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136616&cid=t_172116_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FRtpRhJ-QiXI%2F Montana is going to be the third state in the United States to allow for physician-assisted suicide, say news reports. Currently, both Oregon and Washington state allow for physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. A year ago, news was made when a state District Court judge ruled that the terminally ill people in Montana were protected by the state’s constitutional rights and should be allowed to get the medications they needed to die on their own terms. This ruling wasn’t argued against, but in order to have it clarified and at the highest levels, advocates for physician-assisted suicide brought the case before the state Supreme Court. On Thursday, December 31, 2009, although the Supreme Court did not comment on the state constitution guaranteeing the right to di... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136616 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:32:55 +0100 3136616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126781&cid=t_172116_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FjKLCbZAEqqc%2Fassisted-living-facility-that-feels.html Imagine an assisted living facility with nice landscaping, big old trees, wrap around deck, and right in the middle of a nice residential neighborhood.....By Bob DeMarco Imagine this. An assisted living facility with nice landscaping, big old trees, wrap around deck, and right in the middle of a nice residential neighborhood. This might sound unrealistic to those of you that are familiar with the common motel style assisted living facilities that are popping up all over the country. Imagine nine residents living with three staff members on board at all times. A three to one ratio. Imagine the feeling of home -- of being home -- instead of the feeling you might experience on a trip while staying in a motel for a night or two. Imagine seeing the same faces day after day after day. Ima... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126781 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:07:13 +0100 3126781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920504&cid=t_172116_160_f&fid=36193&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aloha-dermatology.com%2Faloha-dermatology-blog%2Fmaui-county-36th-annual-senior-citizens-health-fair-maui-economic-opportunity-inc%2F Maui War Memorial Gymnasium Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon Please join us at the Maui County 36th Annual Senior Citizens Health Fair on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at the Maui War Memorial Gymnasium from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Come, have fun, and visit the many booths that will have health-care related displays and other pertinent information. Blood pressure testing, blood sugar level checks and hearing aids will be available. Many agencies and businesses such as the Maui County Office of Aging, Aloha Dermatology and Laser Center, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, Social Security Office, State Department of Consumer Affairs, State of Hawaii SAGE Plus Program, Organ Donors of Hawaii, County of Maui Recycle Dept., A&B Sugar Museum, Alzheimer’s Associa... aloha-dermatology.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920504 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:17:44 +0100 2920504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828147&cid=t_172116_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F24%2Finterim-policy-on-prosecuting-assisted-suicide%2F Title: Interim policy for Prosecutors in Respect of Assisted Suicide Issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions The Skinny: Consultation with interim guidance on prosecution for cases of assisted suicide. The public interest factors in favour of prosecution identified in the interim policy include that: The victim was under 18 years of age; The victim’s capacity to reach an informed decision was adversely affected by a recognised mental illness or learning difficulty; The victim did not have a clear, settled and informed wish to commit suicide; for example, the victim’s history suggests that his or her wish to commit suicide was temporary or subject to change; The victim did not indicate unequivocally to the suspect that he or she wished to commit suicide; The victim did no... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828147 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:55:33 +0100 2828147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602059&cid=t_172116_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FdgWJjihzA5A%2F Assisted suicide - not the same thing as euthanasia - is a controversial topic for some and quite straight forward for others (UK Debating Assisted Dying Again) But, while people - politicians, ethicists, and just about everyone - debate it, others are finding themselves in the position of having to make that decision, with or without legal blessing. This is what Sir Edward Downes, a renowned conductor, and his wife Joan did after traveling from their home in the United Kingdom to an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland. Sir Edward was almost blind and deaf and Mrs. Downes had terminal cancer. The couple had been married for 54 years. They ended their lives, dying hand-in-hand with their adult children at their side. The Downes’ and their family had to make the trip because assiste... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602059 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:49:53 +0100 2602059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598224&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fmore-suicides-in-switzerland.html I was sorry to hear this morning that Sir Edward Thomas Downes, CBE, has died at the age of 85. I was sorry to hear that his wife, Lady Joan Downes has died at the age of 74.The trendy, left-wing teenagers who dominate the BBC treated this news in a way that signified their approval of Sir Edward and Lady Downes mode of death. Even ageing John Humphreys, who will not see 60 again, indulged in some gratuitous euphemism. Sir Edward and Lady Downes did not "pass away". They committed suicide. Most worryingly, there was no mention of the fact that Lady Downes was only 74. Why did she want to die?Let us not beat about the bush. I repeat, Sir Edward and Lady Downes committed suicide. They travelled to Switzerland to visit those macabre killers at Dignitas and obtain from them a service that is i... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598224 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:42:00 +0100 2598224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576666&cid=t_172116_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FBCOOIr01vCw%2F Assisted dying isn’t the same thing as euthanasia, although the two are often linked hand in hand. The practice of euthanasia is someone actively choosing to end someone else’s life for a particular reason. This could be because the person is terminally ill so another person puts the death into motion or it could be someone killing another person who has a disability or illness. In other words, the death is brought on by someone else’s hands and someone else’s decisions. Assisted dying, on the other hand, is helping someone who has chosen to die - to die. In other words, assisted suicide. However, since suicide is technically illegal in most places, assisting in a suicide is also illegal. That’s why there’s been a push in many countries to allow people t... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576666 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:56:33 +0100 2576666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510322&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FcBeO46f-K58%2Fsome-articles-and-announcements-on-our.html Autonomy and Authenticity of Enhanced Personality TraitsAbstract: There is concern that the use of neuroenhancements to alter character traits undermines consumer's authenticity. But the meaning, scope and value of authenticity remain vague. However, the majority of contemporary autonomy accounts ground individual autonomy on a notion of authenticity. So if neuroenhancements diminish an agent's authenticity, they may undermine his autonomy. This paper clarifies the relation between autonomy, authenticity and possible threats by neuroenhancements.Tech-assisted reproduction growing worldwide:Worldwide report shows increase in assisted reproduction: 250,000 babies (approximately) born in 1 year.Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is responsible for an estimated 219,000 to 246,000 babies bo... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510322 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:13:10 +0100 2510322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452445&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fassisted-suicide-issues-debated-in-britain%2F Swiss clinic Dignitis and the issue of assisted suicide have been in the British media spotlight lately, mainly due to a debate that is taking placing before the  House of Lords. This debate revolves around an old law and a new case. The old law, the 1961 Suicide Act bans assisted suicide in Britain and criminalises anyone who aids, abets, counsels or procures someone else’s suicide. The new case -  a 46-year-old woman with progressive multiple sclerosis who wants to travel abroad to die and wants to ensure her husband Omar Puente won’t be  prosecuted if he helps her travel. The law as it stands can allow for the prosecution of  relatives and friends who travel with someone planning to undertake assisted dying overseas. Granted, government law officers readily admit that thos... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452445 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:08:47 +0100 2452445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442052&cid=t_172116_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fproblems-with-inner-ear-function-quite-common-in-older-adults%2F Most people know that the ear has two functions; namely, hearing and balance. Now new research has shown that the inner ear balance function, called vestibular function, is impaired in fully 35 percent of all U.S. adults over the age of 40. Such dysfunction, which affects 69 million Americans can lead to catastrophic problems, most notably to falls with their attendant issues such as fractures. Vestibular dysfunction increases with age, eventually affecting 85 percent of those over the age of 80. The findings were published in the May 25, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The researchers studied nearly seven thousand U.S. adults over the age of 40. Participants completed a questionnaire and also underwent balance testing by something called the “Romberg Test of Standin... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442052 Fri, 29 May 2009 20:52:01 +0100 2442052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441271&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Ffirst-washington-legal-assisted-suicide.html The first Washington State legal assisted suicide has happened. C and C, of course, promptly issued a press release. From the story: The woman, Linda Fleming, 66, of Sequim, Wash., on the Olympic Peninsula, died Thursday evening after taking lethal medication prescribed by a doctor under the law, according to a news release by the group, Compassion and Choices of Washington. The release said the woman received a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer a month ago, and “she was told she was actively dying.”Ms. Fleming was quoted in the release as saying: "I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death. The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my d... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441271 Fri, 22 May 2009 21:01:00 +0100 2441271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441273&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Flegislation-proposed-in-canada-for.html More proof--as if it were really needed--that the assisted suicide movement believes in death on demand for any non transitory physical or mental condition perceived by the suicidal person as causing unbearable suffering. From the bill (C-384):(7)Despite anything in this section, a medical practitioner does not commit homicide within the meaning of this Act by reason only that he or she aids a person to die with dignity, if (a) the person (i) is at least eighteen years of age, (ii) either(A) continues, after trying or expressly refusing the appropriate treatments available, to experience severe physical or mental pain without any prospect of relief, or(B) suffers from a terminal illness.Note that the patient does not have to be physically ill--mental pain will do. Note also that even if th... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441273 Thu, 21 May 2009 21:24:00 +0100 2441273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424073&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fassisted-suicide-as-prophylactic.html The media repeatedly pound home the false meme that assisted suicide is only about people diagnosed with a terminal illness. True, some American activists make that argument. But the "terminal illness limitation" is unquestionably the minority view within the movement.Case in point: On April 15, 2008, Ruth von Fuchs, a leader in the Canadian Right to Die Society told Canada AM (CTV) that she supports Betty Coumbias--the Canadian woman who is not sick, but who wants to travel to Switzerland with her terminally ill husband to commit assisted suicide. From the transcript (no link):RUTH VON FUCHS: Anyhow, the thing with Betty Coumbias I think will be an extension, because it will show there is no duty to live, that life is not an obligation, it's a right but not an obligation. It will also sho... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424073 Tue, 19 May 2009 19:32:00 +0100 2424073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398634&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fcasualty-of-popular-cultures-pro.html We have discussed the suicide proselytizing in the media and popular culture here many times on SHS. But this story hits the nail! A woman with MS named Angela Harrison watched a television drama in which the protagonist went to Switzerland for suicide tourism--and then killed herself. From the story: A multiple sclerosis sufferer killed herself after watching a BBC drama about euthanasia starring Julie Walters, an inquest heard. Angela Harrison, 44, took an overdose of drugs after watching one-off drama 'A Short Stay in Switzerland', screened on January 26. She was rushed to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Cambridgeshire, and died two days later. The inquest at Huntingdon law court on Thursday heard how Angela, from Eynesbury had battled depression for many years as a result of her MS. She had s... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398634 Fri, 08 May 2009 16:58:00 +0100 2398634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398635&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fwashington-state-assisted-suicide-non.html Washington State's assisted suicide controversy continues to burn. Articles keep coming out complaining that patients who legally qualify for help in killing themselves are being refused, while hospitals and physicians continue to exercise their right under the law to opt out. From the latest story:Providence St. Peter Hospital and Capital Medical Center officials said Thursday that the hospitals will not participate in physician-assisted suicide under the state's new Death with Dignity law, but instead will refer terminally ill patients to their primary doctors.Providence Health and Services spokeswoman Karina Jennings said Thursday that the same standard applies for all of its medical facilities and nursing homes in Washington and Oregon. The key reason: Providence is a Catholic health c... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398635 Fri, 08 May 2009 16:30:00 +0100 2398635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389933&cid=t_172116_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F05%2Fwhere-did-mommy-go%2F There is a controversial book on the Australian market called, Where Did I Really Come From? which explains how to answer those most awkward questions children tend to ask, only with a slight updated twist. Instead of the traditional double-speak of flying storks, planting seeds and cabbage patches (which led me to believe my father’s gardening shed was a Den of Iniquity), it’s a realistic account of where some children really do come from. The book includes sections about lesbian Mums, gay men, IVF babies and assisted conception. The author, Narelle Wickham, says the book is just trying to let children know that there are many ways to conceive a child, all of which are normal. But, according to Focus On The Family spokeswoman Deb Sorensen, it devalues the traditional family unit. In ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389933 Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:36 +0100 2389933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390100&cid=t_172116_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FBpmMVyNz6XA%2F In this report we estimate the size of the US brain fitness software market at $265M in 2008, up from $225M in 2007 (18% annual growth), and from $100m in 2005. Two segments fuelled the market growth from 2007 to 2008: consumers (grew from $80m to $95m) and healthcare & insurance providers (grew from $65m to $80m). The 150-page report finds promising research and initiatives to drive significant growth, combined with increased consumer confusion given aggressive marketing claims and lack of education and standards. The report includes: - The complete results of an exclusive January 2009 Survey with 2,000+ respondents - A proprietary Market & Research Momentum Matrix to categorize 21 key vendors into four categories - 10 Research Executive Briefs written by leading scientists at p... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390100 Tue, 05 May 2009 00:11:54 +0100 2390100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380775&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fproblem-of-technology-when-virtue.html In keeping with our discussion today of the power of technology--and adding in Yuval Levin's insight that society has replaced "promoting virtue" with "preventing suffering" as its overriding purpose--you end up with this story: A man is accused of using the Internet to assist the suicide of a mentally disturbed young man who lived 4000 miles away. From the story:A British woman tried to alert U.S. police four years ago to an online predator she believes coaxed her emotionally fragile son to kill himself. Mark Drybrough, 32, hanged himself July 27, 2005 in his home in Coventry, just east of Birmingham in the English midlands. He was recovering from a nervous breakdown and under psychiatric care.After his death, his family found two months' worth of online correspondence he'd had with a per... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380775 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:33:00 +0100 2380775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375949&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fby-ignoring-rational-arguments-made.html Some of our most formerly venerable medical journals are becoming increasingly radical. Critical Care Medicine, the journal for intensive care doctors, is a case in point. In the past, the Ethics Committee of the Society of Critical Care Medicine supported futile care theory, and quite notably, the Journal published an article arguing that "neurologically devastated" patients should be able to be killed for their organs assuming consent.Now, Yale School of Medicine (of course) professor Constantine A. Manthous, MD, has published in CCM advocating for the permissibility of physician-assisted suicide. (No link, from the abstract): Our collective repudiation of physician-assisted death, in all its forms, has complex origins that are not necessarily rational. If great care is taken to ensure t... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375949 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:33:00 +0100 2375949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376510&cid=t_172116_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F797-Support-my-choice-or-you-will-be-forced-to....html Everyone wants freedom of choice.  It has been a rallying cry for nearly four decades.  If only those who cry the loudest about choice actually cared about making sure people have choices.First, it was the freedom for women to choose abortion.  It is their bodies, they should decide.  But making it legal to "choose" was not enough.  Now millions of Americans who believe that abortion is a great evil have no choice but to support it with their tax dollars.  Then it was the freedom of scientists to choose destroy human embryos for medical research.  Science needs to have choices if it is going to progress after all.  But legally allowing scientist to choose what kinds of stem cells they want to work on is not enough.  Now millions of Americans who believe that destroying h... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376510 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:27:41 +0100 2376510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375955&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fcoming-medical-conscription-to-require.html The day may be coming, and it might not be that far away, when doctors who are asked to help kill a patient--that is, to intentionally cause the patient's life to end--will be forced to either do the deed or refer to a doctor her or she knows will do the deed.We are seeing this conscription approach promoted in Washington State where many hospitals and doctors are refusing to participate in legalized assisted suicide, as is their right under the new law. This has angered assisted suicide advocates, who are now planting articles in newspapers and writing opinion articles trying to guilt doctors into violating their own consciences.The granddaughter of a man unable to commit assisted suicide has written such an article. She is a college student, and grieving her loss: Thus, I am not especial... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375955 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:37:00 +0100 2375955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367426&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fderek-humphry-has-another-teenage.html This has happened before and it will happen again. A teenager has apparently committed suicide using the death information contained in Derek Humphry's book Final ExitWho is Derek Humphry? He founded the Hemlock Society--now Compassion and Choices--with his second wife Ann Wickett, after becoming famous for a book he wrote about assisting the suicide of his first wife, called Jean's Way. Humphry abandoned Wickett when she was diagnosed with breast cancer (as did the rest of the "right to die" community), and she was ultimately befriended by Rita Marker, the hated enemy of "the ultimate civil liberty." Wickett eventually committed suicide, telling Marker in a note that Humphry's first wife Jean had actually died "by suffocation," rather than from the drug coctail Humphry said he gave her to... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367426 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:32:00 +0100 2367426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364980&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Feureka-people-can-finally-die-with.html The assisted suicide movement is celebrating today as the first two lethal prescriptions have been written by death doctors in Washington State. From the story:Two prescriptions have been filled for life-ending drugs under Washington's new assisted suicide law, state health officials said Thursday.Health Department spokesman Tim Church said he could not provide any details about the people considering suicide, but the department has received two forms from pharmacists saying they have dispensed the drugs that people say they want to use to end their lives. The department has not received any forms certifying that a person has committed suicide under the state law that took effect in early March.Dollars to donuts the doctors are affiliated with Compassion and Choices. Moreover, these doctor... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364980 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:54:00 +0100 2364980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347914&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Ffamily-caregiver-alliance-subtly.html This is subtle, but I think, very alarming. The Family Caregiver Alliance touts itself as a resource for people providing care for family members and others. From its "End of Life Choices" published on the FGA Web site:Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) seeks to improve the quality of life for caregivers through education, services, research and advocacy... FCA provides direct family support services for caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, head injury, Parkinson's and other debilitating disorders that strike adults.Sounds good, and I am sure it is. But then it gets scary: One of the "resources," indeed the first listed after the group itself (due to alphabetization), is the assisted suicide advocacy group Compassion and Choices.In light of that listing, following statement a... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347914 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:15:00 +0100 2347914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347927&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fterminal-nonjudgmentalism-is-epidemic.html I shouldn't be surprised by anything the MSM does today in boosting social outlaws into cultural icons. For example, when Jack Kevorkian was at the top of his deadly game--even offering extracted kidneys from a disabled assisted suicide victim for transplant in a news conference--Time invited him as an honored guest to its gala 75th anniversary party where Tom Cruise ran up to shake his hand.Now in "Foolproofing Suicide with Euthanasia Test Kits," Time gives the Down Under "Dr. Death," Philip Nitschke the star treatment. Nitschke has called for the right of troubled teens to get access to suicide pills. He advised an Australian woman named Nancy Crick on how to commit suicide--and in the public advocacy leading up to the deed, told the press she had terminal cancer. After she committed sui... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347927 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:13:00 +0100 2347927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306944&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fcalling-dr-death-calling-dr-death.html Compassion and Choices (formerly Hemlock Society) has been mighty peeved lately that so many ethical doctors are refusing to supply assisted suicide prescriptions to their patients. As I noted yesterday, Montana's doctors are apparently refusing to cooperate with the suicide agenda, and so C and C has issued a pitch for willing death doctors to jump to the fore in Montana with their prescription pads in hand.It's ethical. Really! And polls show that many doctors support "aid in dying," don't you know? (Unmentioned is that virtually every professional medical organization in the world opposes euthanasia/assisted suicide.) And, why, did you know that assisted suicide is consistent with the Hippocratic Oath? From its blog: "The Hippocratic Oath demands this foremost from physicians: Do No Har... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306944 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:28:00 +0100 2306944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306946&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fnon-cooperation-in-assisted-suicide.html When I have time, I intend to list the hospitals and institutions that have said no to assisted suicide in Washington. Now, apparently the same spirit of non cooperation with being complicit in assisted suicide that sprang to life in that state in the wake of the passage of I-1000 has spread to Montana, where a judge imposed assisted suicide as a constitutional right. From the story:Four months after a District Court judge ruled that physician-assisted suicide is a right protected under the state's constitution, terminally ill patients say they're having trouble finding physicians willing to prescribe drugs that would hasten their deaths.Denver-based advocacy group Compassion & Choices held a conference call Friday to read a statement from a 67-year-old Missoula woman who is dying of o... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306946 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:28:00 +0100 2306946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306952&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Flogical-outcome-of-assisted-suicide.html I don't know why anyone would be surprised by this story. Assisted suicide advocacy rests on two fundamental ideological premises: First, that we own our bodies and it is the "ultimate civil liberty" to decide on the time, manner, and place of our own demise. Second, that killing is an acceptable answer to the problem of human suffering. Once these values are accepted, preventing death on demand becomes logically unsustainable.The death on demand agenda is now being openly voiced in Switzerland, by the head of one of that country's suicide clinics. Apparently, the healthy wife of a terminally ill, suicidal husband, wants to die alongside him via assisted suicide. From the story:The founder of the Swiss assisted-suicide clinic Dignitas revealed plans today to help a healthy wife die alongsi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306952 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:14:00 +0100 2306952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306959&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fupside-down-medicine-in-oregon-paying.html Oregon's Health Services Commission has published the list of covered treatments under the state's rationed Medicaid law. Comfort care is high on the list, and includes assisted suicide. But the overseers of rationed care explicitly state that treatment to extend life if the prognosis for living five years is poor, will not be covered. From the Prioritized List, page SI-1:COMFORT/PALLIATIVE CARE It is the intent of the Commission that comfort/palliative care treatments for patients with an illness with expected five year survival be a covered service. Comfort/palliative care includesthe provision of services or items that give comfort to and/or relieve symptoms for such patients. There is no intent to limit comfort/palliative care services according to the expectedlength of life (e.g., six... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306959 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:05:00 +0100 2306959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306960&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fvulture-nitschke-to-create-overdose.html Philip Nitscke is the Australian answer to Jack Kevorkian who has spent years as a media darling opining that "troubled teens" should have access to suicide pills, teaching people how to commit suicide, creating the "peaceful pill," a concoction of everyday products that can kill, and selling plastic Exit Bags for use in suicide--which I helped induce the government bring to an end when I exposed his little marketing scheme in The Australian during a 2001 anti euthanasia national speaking tour in Australia.Now, he is invading the UK with his ghoulish proselytizing. From the story:Australian pro-euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke plans to launch testing kits for people to check the strength of drugs they have bought to commit suicide in the UK this year, a British newspaper has report... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306960 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:39:00 +0100 2306960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306966&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fanother-final-exit-death-reported.html Apologists for assisted suicide, such as the Los Angeles Times editorial board, pretend that the Final Exit Network is a fringe group that does not reflect mainstream assisted suicide advocacy, rather than, as I have clearly demonstrated here, at SHS, within the very heart of the assisted suicide movement. FEN activists have been arrested in one case, and new deaths undertaken with their participation are coming out all the time.Here's the latest, of a depressed elderly man tired of living. From the story:Max Lom was depressed. His eyesight had failed. Simple tasks, like reading the newspaper, had become an exercise in futility.The 88-year-old Sarasota man wanted to die, although physically, he was healthy, according to his daughter.Last May, he swallowed a handful of pills in the hope of ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306966 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:56:00 +0100 2306966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2320469&cid=t_172116_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F5wXddSnEZ2E%2F This study investigated whether these problems can be overcome by a training program designed to boost working memory. Children with low working memory skills were assessed on measures of working memory, IQ and academic attainment before and after training on either adaptive or non-adaptive versions of the program. Adaptive training that taxed working memory to its limits was associated with substantial and sustained gains in working memory, with age-appropriate levels achieved by the majority of children. Mathematical ability also improved significantly 6 months following adaptive training. These findings indicate that common impairments in working memory and associated learning difficulties may be overcome with this behavioral treatment. 9) Brain cortex thinning linked to inherited depre... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2320469 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:38:54 +0100 2320469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306968&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fdecrying-too-much-suicide-details-in.html I agree with the perspective of this column in the Guardian. But it is missing a crucial element. From the column "Warning: Media Reports on Suicide Can be Fatal," byline Ben Goldacre: [O]ne important cause of suicide seems to have been missed...[I]t has been shown repeatedly that suicide increases in the month after a front page suicide story. There is also evidence that the effect is bigger for famous people and gruesome attempts.Overdoses increased by 17% in the week after a prominent overdose on Casualty (watched by 22% of the population at the time). In 1998 the Hong Kong media reported heavily on a case of carbon monoxide poisoning by a very specific method, using a charcoal burner. In the 10 months preceding the reports, there had been no such suicides. In November there were three;... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306968 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:40:00 +0100 2306968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284469&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fpatricia-is-back.html I had forgotten how repellent Patricia Hewitt sounds. Whatever criticisms one has of Postman Pat, he at least is not political ipecac.I shivered as I heard her voice on the radio. She wants to slip a clause into the new coroner’s bill, preventing those who cart relatives over to Switzerland to see those nice people at the counter-intuitively named Dignitas from being prosecuted. At the moment, assisting suicide is a criminal offence and the only reason that there have been no prosecutions is that the DPP has decided that they are not “in the public interest”. It’s a classic British fudge. We are good at such fudges and, though illogical, it is often best not to change the status quo. Look what they have done to the House of Lords.Patricia wants to decriminalise assisting suicide bu... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284469 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:09:00 +0100 2284469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270320&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fcompassion-and-choices-admits-to.html Compassion and Choices, the assisted suicide advocacy group, has admitted to undermining proper hospice care. That's not how they put it, of course. It brags that nearly 100% of Oregon assisted suicides last year--88% with which their representatives were involved--were in hospice. From the C and C press release:Compassion and Choices, the nation's largest advocate for end-of-life care and choices and steward of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, today noted that nearly 100% of terminally ill individuals using the law in 2008 were enrolled in hospice. Hospice enrollment among those using the Act increased to 98%, with 59 of the 60 individuals enrolled. Over the prior 10 years of the Act's existence, 86% of patients using the Act were enrolled in hospice, in itself a very high rate of use.T... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270320 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:12:00 +0100 2270320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270322&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Foregon-compassion-and-choices-assisted.html The assisted suicide law called the Oregon Death with Dignity Act--as if dying without poisoning yourself to death isn't dignified--should instead be called the Oregon Compassion and Choices Assisted Suicide Enabling Act. It turns out that representatives of the assisted suicide advocacy organization--formerly the Hemlock Society-- are involved with the great majority of the assisted suicide deaths that take place in Oregon.Physicians for Compassionate Care former president Kenneth Stevens, MD, has gone through the statistics and come up with some startling--and telling--numbers. From his report:Officers of the assisted-suicide-proponent organization Compassion in Dying/Compassion and Choices of Oregon are authors of Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law and self-proclaim they are the st... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270322 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:56:00 +0100 2270322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270323&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fnhs-meltdown-scandalously-few-pain.html The deficiencies in the UK's health system are varied and many. And still, euthanasia advocates there push for assisted suicide to be legalized. But the Guardian--a left-wing paper--has just reported that the inability of UK patients to gain access good pain control is scandalous. From the story:Thousands of Britons are enduring unnecessary pain because of a lack of specialist clinics to ease their suffering, the government's chief medical officer will warn this week in his annual report.Professor Sir Liam Donaldson will argue that many people are forced to put up with pain which may prevent them working, disturb their sleep, trigger depression and wreck their quality of life when it could have been alleviated with the right help. Almost eight million Britons suffer chronic pain persisting... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270323 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:15:00 +0100 2270323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263899&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fbitter-irony-washington-suicide.html Here's a bitter irony: A suicide prevention program from the State of Washington has been nationally recognized as an effective resource in saving lives. From the story:A Washington curriculum for suicide prevention has been recognized by a national resource center as a model program.The Help Every Living Person curriculum teaches high school students about suicide prevention. It helps students learn to recognize if a friend is thinking about suicide and helps them work on communication skills. The program was created in 2006 by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction with $100,000 from the state Legislature. Washington 9th and 10th graders have been using the curriculum for the past few years and now kids around the country are being exposed to the program.Too bad the state... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263899 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:02:00 +0100 2263899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2274143&cid=t_172116_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Flife-with-ms-three-year-anniversary%2F Three years, scores of topics, nearly 400 postings, thousands of comments, LOTS of community members and we’re just getting started! Happy anniversary to Life with MS; it’s been three years baby! I’d like to take a moment from our typical conversation to thank all of you.  It is for, with and because of you that this blog has been so successful over the past three years.  You have signed up for RSS feeds, you’ve told your friends, family and support groups to check us out and more importantly you’ve kept coming back to Life with MS over and over again. You take our information. You submit ideas for new topics. You proffer tips and advice. You leave your opinions and comments. You make Life with MS a place I like to be. Upon my return to the US after my extended stay in Ireland,... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2274143 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:34:28 +0100 2274143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249063&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fanother-indiciation-that-assisted.html Don't get me wrong: I would object to assisted suicide even if it were ever going to be truly restricted to people with terminal illnesses. But of course, that isn't the goal, and it sure isn't the reality. The Final Exit Network illustrate this--although most of the obtuse or biased media continually miss the point, such as Time's hopelessly incompetent reportingAs I have written, FEN has never advocated restricting assited suicide to the terminally ill. The only major American group that does is The Hemlock Society. It didn't used to, but there was a takeover in which the former crackpot model of advocacy led by Derek Humphry--with suicide machine conventions, etc.--was replaced by the smooth and well tailored professional model led by Barbara Coombs Lee and Kathryn Tucker.With the profe... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249063 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:29:00 +0100 2249063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249064&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Ftime-magazine-stinks-refuses-to-get.html This article could have been something to present a real debate rooted in the current news--whether or not one's perception of one's "quality of life" is a reason for suicide. Instead, the issue has been totally misrepresented as a case in which a group has "helped" terminally ill people in their "right to die" in states that haven't legalized the practice.In fact, the kind of people this group helps wouldn't be eligible for assisted suicide in Oregon or Washington State...Time magazine failed miserably in its duty to present basic facts accurately. The debate that followed within the article was worthless since it had nothing to do with the story it was supposed to be covering.I think the public deserves better. Everything I've read about journalist ethics would support that view. I hope ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249064 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:47:00 +0100 2249064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240587&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fwhy-cant-society-be-unequivocal-in.html Relativism is the bane of our times, although it is still selectively applied. We tell teenagers to try not to have sexual intercourse, but if you do--which we know you will--then please use a condom. Yet, we still know how to be unequivocal in some areas: We tell kids, "Don't smoke,!", not, "Don't, smoke--but if you do, only use filter-tipped cigarettes," because we know that if we did that it would only result in a lot of tobacco smoke being inhaled.It seems to me that well meaning people are being seduced into an equivalent stance on suicide, and it would just result in more suicides. Case in point is the column by Atlanta Journal Constitution pundit Jay Bookman, who in supposedly opposing the Forced Exit Network defendants, has fallen for their basic premise that bad health or disabili... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240587 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:19:00 +0100 2240587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232370&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fcorrection-final-exit-networks-ted.html A few days ago I wrote that Ted Goodwin, one of the Final Exit Network assisted suicide defendants, was a mainstream figure in the assisted suicide movement. He certainly is that. But I made an error by writing that he had resigned as vice president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies. As far as I know he didn't. He resigned as head of the Final Exit Network. That means he is still in line to be the World Federation's president starting in 2010. Mea culpa. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232370 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2232370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232372&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fintervention-and-prevention-proper.html The assisted suicide movement has the media eating out of the palm of its collective hand, by often getting reporters to adopt their lexicon--the euphemistic "aid in dying" as opposed to the accurately descriptive "assisted suicide"--and writing as if suicide were a necessity--even though the cases from Oregon show that almost all assisted suicides involve fears of loss of dignity or of burdening others, etc. And the media virtually never mention that proper hospice care includes intervention and prevention whenever a patient requests to end it all through suicide.But some in the medical professions still understand the ethical and truly compassionate practice of medicine and nursing. An article in Oncology Nursing News about a continuing medical education class encouraged me. From the sto... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232372 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:59:00 +0100 2232372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232374&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fhospice-organization-reacts-to-fen.html The other day I posted about how a lawyer for one of the Final Exit Network defendants said that hospice is just assisted suicide in slow motion. This is dangerous demagoguery that could convince people not to seek the benefits that hospice can provide. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has now issued a press release rebutting the baseless charge. From the release:"Hospice compassionately cares for people who are near the close of life--but hospice isn't about how you die, it's about how you live. Hospice and palliative care focuses on how dying persons and their loved ones live each day, providing comfort and guidance along the way," said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. "The quote from that news article demo... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232374 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:54:00 +0100 2232374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232545&cid=t_172116_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F02%2Fwashington-state-allows-assisted-suicide%2F Those who are terminally ill with less than 6 months to live no longer have to travel to a foreign country or hope they can find a medical practitioner in Oregon who will look the other way and let them die with dignity. Washington state has become only the second U.S. state to allow assisted suicide, otherwise known as a death with dignity law. It’s meant to stop the prolonging of a life simply because we can — medical technology and advances making it possible. But we still have a ways to go, as the law doesn’t mandate such prescriptions when requested by a patient. Doctors can opt-out of the law’s requirements, meaning one has to doctor-shop to find a physician willing to write the deadly prescription. In fact, entire hospitals will be banning the practice: Und... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232545 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:00:44 +0100 2232545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227114&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fworld-federation-of-right-to-die.html I knew the assisted suicide crowd would try to make the four defendants in the assisted suicide of a man who had been treated successfully of cancer, but was undergoing difficult reconstruction surgery and needed a hip replacement, into some kind of civil rights-type heroes. Toward this end, some assisted suicide promoters have labeled them, "The Georgia Four." Meanwhile, the Board of Directors of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies has issued the following statement, demonstrating that the movement does not want to limit assisted suicide to the terminally ill:The Board of the World Federation of Right-to-Die Societies is very concerned by the recent arrest in Georgia of its Vice Chairman, Ted Goodwin, and others. Many of us have known Ted for several years and regard him as a m... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227114 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:18:00 +0100 2227114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227115&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fman-who-died-in-accused-final-exit.html John Celmer, the man whose death is the subject of the Final Exit Network assisted suicide criminal charges, was not terminally ill. Indeed, he had apparently beaten his cancer. From the story: John Celmer was making what his doctor considered “remarkable progress” last spring after two surgeries to reconstruct his jaw.The 58-year-old Cumming man faced hip replacement surgery for arthritis, but he appeared to have won a battle against head and neck cancer. Then, he was found dead."His doctor was shocked," said Forsyth County Coroner Lauren McDonald III. "He said he shouldn’t have died." McDonald said an autopsy confirmed that Celmer, who smoke and drank, was cancer-free at death; the man had died from asphyxia suffocation resulting from the inhalation of helium. The death was ruled a... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227115 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:23:00 +0100 2227115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227116&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Flawyer-for-final-exit-network-slanders.html Assisted suicide advocates pretend that they support hospice, but their work undermines the entire concept, or at least, twists it into something that would be unrecognizable by its creator, Dame Cecily Saunders. But now a lawyer named Michael Kaminkow, who is defending two of the Final Exit Network assisted suicide defendants, has gone so far as to slander hospice. From the story: "Whatever happened here is no more than what happened in a hospice," said Michael Kaminkow, an attorney representing two of the network members arrested Wednesday. "In reality, a hospice is a suicide. It's just a little slower." Shame on Kaminkow. First, hospice isn't about causing life to end. It is about alleviating suffering and promoting human community and dignity for people with terminal illnesses and thei... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227116 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:59:00 +0100 2227116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222383&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Firresponsible-advocacy-by-barbara.html There she goes again--meaning Compassion (Hemlock Society) and Choices head Barbara Coombs Lee--pushing the baloney that assisted suicide is only about preventing unalieviable suffering for the terminally ill. Worse, she engages in irresponsible demogoguery about proper care of dying patients. From her Huffington Post article: Let's be clear. The policies on end-of-life decisions in every state except Oregon, Washington and Montana are merciless and irrational. Dying patients are abandoned to their agonies and any talk of assistance in their dying occurs in hushed, confused tones. A decent society must do better.Well, that's not only fear mongering of the worst kind, but it is also a slander to the good work of hospice professionals, who most definitely do not abandon patients "to their ag... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222383 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:36:00 +0100 2222383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222385&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fi-am-now-associate-director-of.html I was recently asked to assume more responsibilities for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. I agreed and am now its associate director. This new gig will include speaking, writing, and media on the specific topic of euthanasia/assisted suicide. It will not affect nor limit my broader work on bioethics, animal rights, and human exceptionalism as a Senior Fellow in Human Rights and Bioethics with the Discovery Institute, which is not connected with the Task Force. Nor will it impact my consultancy with the Center for Bioethics and Culture. How fortunate I am to be affiliated with such good people and organizations.And please remember to keep in mind that SHS is my personal blog. The views I express here are my own and not necessarily those of the organizations w... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222385 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:38:00 +0100 2222385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222387&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fholding-plastic-bags-over-heads-of.html I have been following various aspects of the FEN activists' arrests. But this aspect of the story really caught my attention. SHSers will recall that I mentioned the book A Chosen Death in a previous post, and how its author Lonny Shavelson watched a Hemlock operative kill "Gene" by preventing him from tearing off a plastic bag she had put over his head.Well now, it appears that the FEN activists may have done the very same thing! From the story:At the Dawson County residence on Wednesday, [Ted] Goodwin [head of FEN and vice president of the World Federation of the Right to Die Societies] allegedly walked the undercover agent through the steps and demonstrated how he would hold the agent's hands to stop him from removing the exit bag, Bankhead said.The GBI said that after the death occurs,... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222387 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:57:00 +0100 2222387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222388&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fkevorkian-against-final-exit-network.html Jack Kevorkian, who painted the delightful picture above, helped kill people--other than Thomas Youk, who he lethally injected--via an assisted suicide machine in which the client flipped a switch opening the valve of a canister containing carbon monoxide. Yet, he has come out against the alleged approach to assisted suicide taken by the arrested Final Exit Network assisted suicide practitioners. From the story:Southfield attorney Mayer Morganroth said Kevorkian, once referred to as Dr. Death, believes a doctor should always be involved in any type of assisted suicide."Other than that, he's not allowed to express any views about the methods they use," Morganroth said Thursday. "That's a limitation on his parole. The only thing he can say is that he disagrees with the methods and one of the... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222388 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:53:00 +0100 2222388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222389&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fresisting-assisted-suicide-guidelines.html Compassion and Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society) has played a crafty game of pretense about the ultimate goals of its assisted suicide campaign. In debates (including those in which I have participated), in media interviews, in press releases, etc., its representatives have claimed that C and C wants only a very narrow legalization of "aid in dying," and that to be under strict regulatory control to ensure against abuse.Well, now that the drive to legalize assisted suicide has gained some traction, the ideological zeal of the group's leadership has caused them to go off that carefully tailored script. Kathryn Tucker is the legal director of C and C who got a sympathetic judge to impose a state constitutional right to "die with dignity" on Montana. As I noted in the Weekly Standard--co... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222389 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:12:00 +0100 2222389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222390&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Farrested-final-exit-network-activist.html In the wake of the arrests of four assisted suicide activists from the Final Exit Network, I believe an effort will be made to cast them as fringe characters within the movement.Don't believe it. One of the four is Ted Goodwin, who is the head of the FEN. Goodwin has been a stalwart in the movement for many years, to the point that in 2008 he was elected vice president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, the international umbrella organization to which most euthanasia/assisted suicide organizations belong. That means, had he not resigned just ahead of his arrest, he would have almost surely been elevated to the chair of president in 2010.The World Federation of Right to Die Societies doesn't advocate for restricting assisted suicide to the terminally ill. Its 2006 "Toronto M... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222390 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:47:00 +0100 2222390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222391&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fmore-declarations-of-non-cooperation.html Right is right and wrong is wrong--regardless of legality: Another hospital has opted out of Washington's assisted suicide law. From the story: Sunnyside Community Hospital will not participate in the state's new Death With Dignity Act that takes effect next week, a decision likely to be followed by other hospitals in Yakima County...In announcing the hospital's decision Wednesday, chief executive Jon Smiley said members of the board, medical personnel and local residents felt that "this act does not meet the standards of a majority of people in our community."Assisted suicide shouldn't meet the standards of any physician or community. That realization will take time to reestablish after decades of "death with dignity" advocacy. But this is a good step in that direction. If enough health c... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222391 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:15:00 +0100 2222391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222393&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fpower-of-love-is-power-of-life.html Day after day we are assaulted with the idea, fundamental to the assisted suicide movement, that some lives are not worth living and hence, not worth protecting from suicide. This advocacy, I believe, does not really promote liberty and freedom, but rather, endangers lives--of the elderly, people with disabilities and mental illnesses, and those with terminal or chronic diseases--by confirming their worst fears about their futures and their human worth.Contrary messages are sometimes made, as I strive to report here at SHS and elsewhere, but do not seem to penetrate as deeply as the "death with dignity" meme, perhaps because they require a deeper empathy and lack the power of repetition. Along this line, I think it is important to acknowledge the death of Christopher Nolan, a man profoundl... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222393 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:55:00 +0100 2222393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2204941&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fshs-in-telegraph-right-to-die-can.html After three rousing speeches and media appearances with David Prentice in Ireland on cloning and ESCR, I am off today over the Irish Sea to London, where I will speak Monday night in the Parliament Building about assisted suicide. Ahead of the event, I was asked by my sponsors to write a piece for placement in the UK Media. I was delighted that it made today's Telegraph. From my column:Imagine that you have lung cancer. It has been in remission, but tests show the cancer has returned and is likely to be terminal. Still, there is some hope. Chemotherapy could extend your life, if not save it. You ask to begin treatment. But you soon receive more devastating news. A letter from the government informs you that the cost of chemotherapy is deemed an unjustified expense for the limited extra tim... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2204941 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:26:00 +0100 2204941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200381&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fhawaii-shows-backbone-against-assisted.html The passage of assisted suicide in Washington is not yet causing a major revamping of the political field. Hawaii's assisted suicide legislation looks like it isn't going to make it this year. From the story: The Hawaii Legislature will not take up a proposal to allow assisted suicides in the state. House Judiciary chairman Jon Riki Karamatsu said Wednesday he will not hear a bill that would allow terminally ill adults to get a lethal dose of medication to end their lives. Karamatsu says advocates of the measure haven't pushed strongly for the bill to be heard this year. He says he's open to considering it in the future.The apparent lack of energy by advocates is a surprise. Perhaps, they had counted the votes and realized it wasn't in the cards. In any event, Rep. Karamatsu deserves congr... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200381 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:23:00 +0100 2200381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194766&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fmore-proof-that-assisted-suicide.html The culture of death brooks no dissent, I have repeatedly warned. That means the assisted suicide agenda, if it is widely successful, will one day seek to force all doctors to participate in the mercy killings of their patients--either by doing the deed personally, or referring them to a death doctor they know will write the poison prescription (or eventually, lethally inject the curare).More proof: Barbara Coombs Lee of Compassion and Choices (formerly Hemlock Society), is in a dither about the Bush conscience clause regulation that prevents employers from discriminating against medical professionals who refuse to participate in assisted suicide (as one example) on moral grounds. From her blog: That meddlesome regulation encouraging healthcare workers to obstruct needed treatment consider... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194766 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:28:00 +0100 2194766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194957&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F541851629%2Fivf-may-increase-risk-of-genetic.html Assisted reproduction is in the headlines again: today's NYT reports on a study that indicates that babies conceived through IVF may have a slightly higher risk of serious health problems. Here's the abstract for the scientific paper, in case you want to read more.So: in light of recent discussions about the Suleman case (specifically the question of whether there should be an enforceable maximum number of embroys that can be transferred into a woman's uterus), how much additional risk is too much? At what point ought the state step in? (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194957 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:39:07 +0100 2194957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2187657&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fhawaii-resisting-assisted-suicide.html I will be debating cloning, stem cells, and lecturing on assisted suicide for the next ten days. I have no doubt the term "human exceptionalism" will come up. In the meantime, I will check in here, too, with posts and reacting to what SHSers have to say. So please stay tuned and keep those comments coming. Onward! (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2187657 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:17:00 +0100 2187657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182386&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fcompassion-and-choices-seven-principles.html Compassion and Choices (formerly Hemlock Society) is the abundantly funded, prime mover and shaker for the assisted suicide movement in the USA. It unquestionably had a good year in 2008 with the passage of I-1000 in Washington and the imposition of a fundamental state constitutional right to "die with dignity" in Montana. It has now issued its "Seven Principles" to "improve end-of-life care and expand patient choices." A clear and literal reading of these "principles," demonstrate that the goal is an essential death on demand. From its press release: Our Seven Principles can help guide lawmakers and policy experts to remember what’s important, and make sure our health care system and its providers are putting the patient first: 1. Focus. End of life care should focus on the patient’s ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182386 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:46:00 +0100 2182386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182389&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fwhy-isnt-this-just-aid-in-dying-too.html A Canadian man is under arrest for assisted suicide in the death of his wife. She had no apparent illness. The couple were apparently suffering from very hard economic times, but precise details are not yet known. From the story:A 46-year-old Waterloo, Ont., man is scheduled to appear in provincial court Tuesday to face an assisted suicide charge after police found the body of his wife in a Thunder Bay motel Friday.Peter Bernard Fonteece has also been charged with criminal negligence causing death after his wife Yanisa Fonteece, 38, was found dead in a room at the motel shortly after 6 a.m. Peter Fonteece called 911, police said. Thunder Bay police released the name of the couple after it failed to locate Yanisa Fonteece's next of kin. The couple was unemployed and travelling west, possibl... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182389 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:17:00 +0100 2182389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167715&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F534519323%2Foctuplets-mother-speaks-out.html Nadya Suleman, mother of the recent octuplets born in California, has done her first interview with a major news outlet. (Although Suleman was seeking USD 2 million for the interview, NBC maintains that they did not pay her. However, that doesn't rule out "compensation" in other forms.) Unfortunately, Suleman's interview has continued to raise, rather than answer, questions. Foremost among them, for me, is her claim that she had six embryos implants per IVF procedure. This... simply does not ring true. Or at least plausible, if she was using a US fertility expert. Consider this: in order to have done so, this means Suleman would have needed to find, at age 26, a fertility doctor who would implant six embryos. ASRM guidelines are no more than 3 embryos for a woman under the age of 35, and t... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167715 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:30:40 +0100 2167715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2160295&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fnew-definition-of-love-help-your.html A San Francisco man named John West has alerted the media--in a book--that he helped his parents commit suicide. From the story: For attorney and author John West, his parents were lifelong sources of comfort, wisdom and pride. But West has been keeping a 10-year-old secret about his parents from everyone, including his two sisters, which he is revealing for the first time in a memoir called "The Last Goodnights." West helped his terminally ill parents commit suicide, a crime in the state of California, where the deaths took place. In revealing his actions, West acknowledges he could face prosecutionTen years later? Unlikely. In fact, the statute of limitations has passed.And here's some compassion: Though his parents had been active for most of West's life, their health deteriorated drama... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2160295 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:21:00 +0100 2160295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2149573&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fassisted-suicide-in-wyoming-neutrality.html One of the purposes of professional medical organizations is to stand up for proper ethical policies and laws. Lately, we have seen too many such organizations going "neutral," on assisted suicide. How an organization dedicated to defending doctors and patients can be indifferent to one of the most important ethical and legal controversies that affect their patients' very lives is beyond me. But when a judge in Montana conjured a right to assisted suicide out of her hat, the head of the Montana Medical Association shrugged and sniffed that his group wasn't even discussing the issue because it had "bigger fish to fry." The latest such abdication of responsibility was in Wyoming, and it resulted in an anti-assisted suicide bill being defeated in a legislative committee. From the story:The bi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2149573 Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:04:00 +0100 2149573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2141295&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fwyomings-new-assisted-suicide-bill-to.html Wonder of wonders, Wyoming has stepped up to the plate to outlaw assisted suicide. From HB 120 (no link): (a) A person who has knowledge that another person intends to commit or attempt to commit suicide and who does either of the following with the intention of enabling or facilitating the suicide commits the offense of assisting suicide:(i) Provides the physical means by which the other person attempts or commits suicide; (ii) Participates in a physical act by which the other person attempts to commit or commits suicide.The bill ensures that good pain control is not considered assisted suicide and that removing unwanted life-sustaining medical treatment is not threatened. Good for Representatives Davison, Brechtel, Jaggi, McKim and Petersen and Senators Cooper, Meier and Peterson for spo... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2141295 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:50:00 +0100 2141295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2134644&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fhere-come-assisted-suicide-bills.html Two states have had assisted suicide bills introduced; Hawaii and New Hampshire. Hawaii's law requires a suicide "monitor" to be present at the death--which in practice would often be an assisted suicide ideologue, such as the "counselors" who work with Compassion and Choices:Monitor required; form. (a) A qualified patient shall designate a competent adult to act as a monitor and who shall be present at the time of actual administration of the medication to the qualified patient and shall witness the event. The monitor shall have the power to act on behalf of the qualified patient to:(1) Stop the administration of the medication if it has not yet been carried out; or (2) Enlist medical assistance to attempt to reverse the effect of the medication if the medication has already been delivere... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2134644 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:08:00 +0100 2134644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125226&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Feluana-englaro-case-media-bias-and-non.html Readers of SHS have heard of the tragic case in Italy of Eluana Englaro, diagnosed for 17 years to be in a persistent vegetative state. Her father won the right in Italian court to remove her feeding tube, but has been unable, so far, to find a medical facility willing to dehydrate Eluana to death. That my have changed. Note the language in the following report, headlined "Clinic May Help Eluana End Her Life":A clinic in Udine on Thursday said it may be ready to help a woman trapped in a vegetative state for 17 years end her life in accordance with a landmark right-to-die ruling. Beppino Englaro, who has fought for more than a decade for a dignified end to his daughter's life, has yet to find a clinic prepared to carry out November's court ruling. The Quiete Clinic, which receives partial ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125226 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:48:00 +0100 2125226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115496&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fassisted-suicide-laws-will-never-be.html One of the things I have come to understand about the euthanasia movement is that the law will never be loose enough to satiate the appetite of the ideologically committed for death on demand. As one example, when the Dutch formally legalized euthanasia, the very next day the Minister of Health opined that suicide pills should be made available to the elderly who are tired of living but don't qualify to be killed. Similarly, suicide tourism would continue to Switzerland even if the UK legalized assisted suicide for the terminally ill.Then, there will always be people like Derek Humphry who has spent most of his adult life selling how-to-commit suicide kits and books. Now, he is promoting suicide "helium hoods." From his blog: Last Rights Publications' in Canada went out of business some ti... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115496 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:30:00 +0100 2115496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2110539&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Flet-death-bureaucracy-begin-in.html It is sickening to read the proposed bureaucratic forms that patients and their death doctors will fill out and send to the state when planning assisted suicides. Twenty years ago, people would have called me a total paranoid if I predicted this is what we would become. I wouldn't have believed it myself. Nonetheless, this is where we are as a culture. From the Proposed Rule Making document filed by the now ironically misnamed Department of Health:REQUEST FOR MEDICATIONTO END MY LIFE IN A HUMANE AND DIGNIFIED MANNERI, ______________________________________________________________________, am an adult of sound mind.First Middle LastI am suffering from _____________________________________, which my attending physician has determined is an incurable, irreversible terminal disease and which h... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2110539 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:59:00 +0100 2110539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2092488&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fswiss-assisted-suicide-group.html The Swiss Government is investigating the assisted suicide facilitating/tourist host group Dignitas for making money off of helping people make themselves dead. From the story:Dignitas, which is meant to be a non-profit organisation, is being forced to open its accounts to prosecutors in Switzerland and disclose how much money it is receiving from its controversial business of assisting suicide.The founder of the group is reported to have become a millionaire by helping at least 870 terminally ill people--an estimated 100 of whom were British--die. It is said to have taken as much as £61,000 from one woman, 10 times its usual fee.Swiss law allows Dignitas to provide patients with a dose of barbiturate and a room in which their deaths are filmed, to prove they administered the lethal injec... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2092488 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:13:00 +0100 2092488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2089881&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fjudicial-tyranny-in-montana.html When a very controversial ruling comes down from our rulers in black robes, it is customary that pending an appeal to the highest court, the decision be stayed--that is suspended--until the final decision from a higher court is in. But Montana's assisted suicide maven, Judge Dorothy McCarter, refused, dismissing a request for a stay of her ruling declaring a constitutional right to assisted suicide. This means because she believes in assisted suicide--unless and until a higher court intervenes--it is now legal for doctors to assist suicides of the terminally ill in Montana and there are no "protective guidelines." (Come to think of it, that's more honest, isn't it?) From the story:A judge here on Wednesday dismissed a request to freeze her own decision upholding Montana's right to physicia... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2089881 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:29:00 +0100 2089881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2078690&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Ffear-mongering-for-assisted-suicide-in.html Assisted suicide is not really about a "safety valve" against intractable suffering--that is just an assertion intended to soften the political ground, a cynical tactic intended to panic the public into supporting killing as an acceptable answer to human suffering. Scotland is the latest target of the international euthanasia movement, and true to form, the fear mongering is well under way. From the story:A DETERMINED group of pensioners have taken their right-to-die fight to the Scottish Parliament. Militant Retired have lodged a petition at Holyrood calling for a referendum on assisted death. The group's founder George Anderson said: "If I got to a stage where I was very ill, I would want the right to die to end my suffering. It's all about having a dignified death, rather than seeing pe... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2078690 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:11:00 +0100 2078690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073794&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fuk-prime-minister-gordon-brown-refuses.html Just as during the Kevorkian saga, some have claimed that the "cure" for "suicide tourism"--in which dying and disabled people fly to Switzerland to be made dead--has been legalization of assisted suicide. And just as in Kevorkian's day, family members and others have gone public, using their pain as a political weapon to demand that suicide killings of the ill and disabled be made easier so that family and friends can attend the demise in the suicidal person's home, rather than forcing the soon-t0-be dead patient to travel elsewhere to find someone willing to give them the poison cup. But PM Gordon Brown is unbowed. From the story:Gordon Brown has made clear the government has no intention of legalising assisted suicide. The prime minister said he was "totally against laws on that [issue]... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073794 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:54:00 +0100 2073794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073798&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fsuicide-counsellors-show-futility-of.html Jack Kevorkian was the ground breaker in modern times: A man made world famous helping people with disabilities, the terminally ill, and the existentially suffering kill themselves. For that, he now makes $50,000 a speech. In Australia, Philip Nitschke has counseled the suicides of people who were not close to being terminally ill, and even argued it should be available to "troubled teens." Ditto the suicide clinics in Switzerland, where the Supreme Court recently granted a constitutional right to assisted suicide for the mentally ill.In Germany, another one of these death fanatics has apparently set up shop. The government has obtain an injunction. From the story: German police have issued a temporary restraining order against controversial euthanasia advocate Roger Kusch, prohibiting him... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073798 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:13:00 +0100 2073798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073799&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fmontana-medical-association-cop-out-on.html The coalition against assisted suicide is made up of many branches that constitute a rare alliance among people on all sides of the ideological and religious/secular divides that are literally tearing this country and much of Western Civilization apart. Thus, disability rights activists--generally secular, politically liberal, and pro choice on abortion--work energetically with pro life activists on the issue, while agreeing to leave the abortion issue alone. Medical professional organizations and doctors--generally pro choice on abortion--work with Catholic Church on this issue, despite bitterly disagreeing on issues such as contraception. You get the drift.But I have been worrying in recent years that some physicians groups and doctors don't take this issue with sufficient seriousness--a... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073799 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:56:00 +0100 2073799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060837&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fassisted-suicide-for-fun-and-profit-in.html Kenya is a very poor country. But some among the assisted suicide crowd apparently see it as prime pickings for the well off in that country, with suicide tourism for profit being proposed. From the story:Kenya could become the first country in Africa to legalise doctor-assisted suicide if lobbying by a group of local and foreign investors succeeds in convincing lawmakers to make it legal for terminally ill patients to be assisted to die.Mr John Hurst, a British investor and the managing director of Dignity International, is the man behind the plans to introduce the Doctor Assisted Suicide (DAS) in Kenya. He says the logic behind assisted-suicide is that since the terminally ill patient will eventually die, it would be better to hasten their death to save the patient from pain and the fami... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060837 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:13:00 +0100 2060837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2055762&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fblog-post.html I have an extended piece in the Weekly Standard on the Montana judge declaring it a "fundamental right" do "die with dignity"--e.g. to poison oneself with prescribed drugs--which as I noted in an earlier SHS posting about this, may be the only time that an advocacy propaganda phrase was elevated in a court ruling to the status of a constitutional right.In the piece I point out that much of the decision is, essentially about metaphysical opinions and concepts. From the piece:A premise of McCarter's ruling is that people have the right to decide for themselves what constitutes "dignity" according to their personal beliefs. After quoting the authorities she relied on--which would be too long to reproduce here--I state:In essence, Judge McCarter ruled that the individual's right to act upon su... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2055762 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:59:00 +0100 2055762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046639&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fwhat-we-are-becoming-creating.html I have written about Philip Nitsckhe before. He is the Australian doctor who is obsessed with suicide machines and making sure that anyone who wants to kill themselves be able to do so, including--as he stated in an NRO interview--"troubled teens." With the new "professional" look of the assisted suicide/euthanasia movement, one would think that Nitschke would be in bad odor. He is not, of course, remaining a hero to the movement's death-on-demand grass roots and usually invited to speak at the seminars and contentions that are held around the world on making oneself dead.Now, Nitschke has made the news again--which seems is real raison d' etre. From the story:EUTHANASIA advocate Dr Philip Nitschke is in Adelaide to launch a death device – components of which can be bought from hardware ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046639 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:28:00 +0100 2046639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039810&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fdoing-swedish-radio-tomorrow-on-suicide.html Apparently assisted suicide is becoming a big topic in Sweden, and so I have been asked by Radio UPF, out of the University of Lund, to speak on the issue of "suicide tourism." They stated that opinions like mine aren't heard all that often, and so they asked for some of my time. I am, of course, honored, but wish my views were so ubiquitous that it bored people.For Swedish SHSers, the time is approximately 5:30 PM in Sweden, 11:30 East Coast Time (USA), and 8:30 AM, my time in CA. Here is the URL for Radio UPF. I think they have a listen live capacity for anyone else who might want to tune in. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039810 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:23:00 +0100 2039810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039816&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fuk-debate-over-assisted-suicide-rages.html It is interesting how some things never change. In the 1990s, Jack Kevorkian's death circus lit a wildfire of debate over assisted suicide, with the default position being that since "terminally ill" people are going to commit suicide because the suffering is sometimes so unbearable, let's legalize it--under controlled circumstances. It didn't seem to matter a whit that Kevorkian's clients--they weren't patients since they only sought death from him, not care--mostly weren't terminally ill and that some weren't even sick at all. That truth for some reason could not or would not be seen--and often still isn't.A virtually identical paradigm has developed today in the UK. Suicide tourism is taking the lives of people who are dying and disabled, who fly to Switzerland for suicide facilitated b... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039816 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:52:00 +0100 2039816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035516&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fswiss-suicide-tourism-kevorkianism.html The similarities between the "suicide tourism" ongoing in Switzerland and Jack Kevorkian's death circus are just too striking to ignore. Both involved depressed people with disabilities, people with terminal illnesses, and some people who are not ill at all traveling from their homes to be made dead with the participation of strangers. Both involved publicity hungry vultures, Kevorkian and Dignitas' Ludwig Minelli (among others), who use their ghoulish fame to push a death on demand agenda.Here's a difference: Kevorkian helped kill for free, while Minelli's group charges about $8000 to be made dead. On the other hand, Kevorkian's goal, as described in Prescription Medicide, was to conduct medical experiments on living people being euthanized, a proposed process Kevorkian called "obitiatry.... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035516 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:10:00 +0100 2035516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035845&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F483619437%2Fdignity-of-person.html The Catholic Church released their Dignitatis Personae on Friday, which is an update of the 1987 Donum Vitae. Dignitatis Personae is the most up-to-date view of the Catholic Church on assisted reproductive technologies, and it spells out clearly what and why the Vatican approves (or in this case, largely disapproves) of most modern reproductive options. It's been 21 years since Donum Vitae, and technology has made incredible leaps forward: IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, all kinds of surrogate motherhood, PGD, etc. And most of these leaps are condemned by the Church.It's my own personal opinion that it's necessary for everyone involved in bioethics to understand the Catholic position, regardless of your personal or professional inclinations. The Church has a powerful lobbying group,... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035845 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:29:08 +0100 2035845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026820&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fmontana-assisted-suicide-advocate-made.html The media usually report the assisted suicide agenda by, basically, printing the proponents' press releases and pretending that it is objective news. But sometimes, it comes back to bite them, as when the PR is mendacious.Case in point: When a Montana judge legalized assisted suicide, the stories all contained a statement by the plaintiff in the case praising the ruling. The only problem is that the plaintiff died before the ruling came out. That required a low key correction: In a Dec. 6 story about a court ruling that doctor-assisted suicides are legal in Montana, The Associated Press erroneously reported that terminally ill plaintiff Robert Baxter said in a statement that he was comforted by the ruling. Baxter died Friday night and had been unaware of the decision issued Friday, accordi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026820 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:18:00 +0100 2026820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026892&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fassisted-suicide-and-voyeuristic-ghouls.html Albert Pierrepoint : was he sane?The voyeuristic ghouls will be tuning in to Sky tonight to watch some poor man with motor neurone disease commit suicide. I shall not be watching. Not that I am against it being shown. It is not for me, but yet I am nauseated by the faux out-rage of middle England, who condemn the broadcasting of the moment of death on television, and yet welcome the re-introduction of hanging. In our strange society it is, of course, perfectly all right to watch gruesome deaths in Straw Dogs, the Texas Chainsaw massacre and Spooks, because in those the deaths are “only” simulated. Let there be real deaths,  a massacre in Rwanda, or wherever, and the news broadcasts are sanitised. Middle England prefers the camera to turn away at the last moment. What hypocrisy.If I ac... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026892 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:29:00 +0100 2026892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026821&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fassisted-suicide-advocates-dont-really.html Kathryn Tucker, the lawyer for the euphemistically named Compassion and Choices, who won the trial court ruling establishing a right to assisted suicide in Oregon (and I contend, much more) has shown a bit of the real agenda behind the movement. In reacting to the victory, she suggested that the state would look to Oregon for guidance on death regulations, but would have to be less stringent. From the story: Attorney Kathryn Tucker--who brought the case for right to die groups--expects Montana to look to Oregon and Washington for guidance. But she says Montana will have more freedom. Kathryn Tucker: "Let's just take the example of the waiting period. In Oregon there's a minimum 15-day waiting period. That provision very possibly would not survive constitutional scrutiny because it would be... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026821 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:12:00 +0100 2026821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026822&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fwhat-we-are-becoming-children-proposed.html The Dutch seriously proposed permitting 12-year-olds to opt for euthanasia, and that was beaten back for the moment. Now, a new Scottish proposal to legalize assisted suicide would give the "right to die" to children. From the story:Children aged 12 or even younger could be given the right to assisted suicide under a radical new Scottish bill proposed by veteran MSP Margo MacDonald.The independent politician, who has Parkinson's disease, wants to bring legislation before the Scottish Parliament next year which would legalise assisted suicide.Launching a consultation on her proposed End of Life Choices (Scotland) Bill yesterday, Mrs MacDonald suggested that the age limit for people wanting assistance to die should mirror that for children who are allowed under family law to "choose a life" ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026822 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:33:00 +0100 2026822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2026823&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Ftabloid-voyerism-comes-to-assisted.html Media is so pornographic these days, and not just about matters sexual. A Brit tabloid has published photos from an assisted suicide, depictions taken from a soon-to-be-aired television show. From the story:It will be the first time an assisted suicide has been shown on British TV and will be sure to spark debate over the legality of the sensitive subject--as well as the controversial decision to screen it.The retired university professor and dad-of-two decided to end his life as his illness was crippling his body. Mr Ewert said: 'I am tired of the disease but I am not tired of living. I still enjoy life enough that I would like to continue but the thing is that I really cannot.'If I opt for life then that is choosing to be tortured rather than end this journey and start the next one. I ca... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2026823 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:21:00 +0100 2026823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021312&cid=t_172116_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fwed-better-open-our-eyes-or-this-is-our.html An elderly man has traveled to Switzerland for an assisted suicide, accompanied by his wife. From the story: Doctors from a euthanasia clinic held secret talks at Heathrow airport with a London pensioner before helping him die last week, the Standard has learned. A 90-year-old man named only as Chris--who was not terminally ill-died on Friday at Ex International, in Berne, after travelling to the Swiss capital with his wife on Tuesday.He is thought to be only the second Briton to die at the clinic, which until recently did not accept people from non-German-speaking countries. Chris, whose surname has not been revealed as he wanted privacy for his widow, had been planning to kill himself for about two years.He arrived in Britain in 1938 after fleeing Nazi Austria and went on to teach physic... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021312 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:03:00 +0100 2021312