Good move by the court. To deny physician assisted suicide as a treatment option for terminal illness is a violation of patient's rights.

I actually tried to call the Compassionate Choices number on Thursday to see what needed to happen to put this back into effect.

one always - always - has the right to defend oneself.

I don't see this as any different. If you're going to do it, you're going to do it. Laws don't matter to you.

It is easier to force people to eat oatmeal than to prevent them from ending their lives if they so choose.

and most likely you are suffering 24/7. They have already made it almost impossible for a dying person to get two doctors to approve it since they are worried about lawsuits. I never understood why it is considered humane to put pets down when they are very sick and won't recover, but it is the opposite with people. I have the feeling it is due to all the religious nuts who want to control everyone else since they think are always right and know more than everyone else.

my family, but no one has found a way to keep brain cells alive. Both my parents developed dementia in their mid 80's. My Dad passed away in his sleep 3 years ago, bless his soul, and I'm sure it was a blessing for him. My Mom began showing signs 4 years ago and our family has spent the last 4 years in Court and half of us don't speak to the other half. Some family members went to court seeking a conservativeship in the early phase because they thought she was making poor financial decisions. The year long process divided us up because we wanted to keep her in her home, and those seeking the conservativeship said she needed 24 hr supervision. They told the court and the court appointed people whatever they had to get control of her person and her estate, and then moved her 60 miles away and out of her home on the first court date when the judge awarded them a temporary conservativeship after telling other family members she could stay in her home if they didn't contest it and now they make all the decisions. The relationship between siblings will never be the same again. In California, the cost of my Mother's court appointed attorney comes out of her estate. If we wanted to contest it we have to hire a lawyer and pay for it ourselves. To hire an attorney to contest my siblings actions starts in the $25,000 range, and the lawyer has no incentive to curtail costs.

I believe that I should have the right to terminate my life myself, or have instructions in my medical records that would allow someone to assist me in ending my life if I were to come down with dementia and couldn't deliver the fatal dose on my own, rather than being made to linger on until nature takes it's course. As far as I'm concerned, nature took it's course the day my mind stopped working properly, and my short term memory was gone, and I was no longer the person my family knew. I should have that right to make that decision for myself in advance and designate someone willing to help me carry out my wishes.

Switzerland has such a program, and if the US doesn't get it's act together, I guess I'll chose Switzerland if and when that time comes.