this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
331 points (97.2% liked)

Futurology

1852 readers
76 users here now

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

In a first, an American woman used a suicide pod to take her own life. The process took place in Switzerland. It's done by pumping in only nitrogen gas, so the person will lose goes dizzy, loses consciousness and eventually dies. Enter futurama memes.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 181 points 2 months ago (6 children)

As sad as this topic is, this is a much better way to go than a prolonged miserable painful death where you suffer the last months of a terminal disease.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Terminal or not this is a human way of accepting death.

Imagine your an old 70+/ 80+ couple that are ready to go but together. You can hold your spouses hand, spend time with family, and say your final goodbyes while you are still mentally functioning. Not a burden on anyone or heart broken after losing your partner.

To me, this is a great alternative to dying alone in a cold "retirement home." I know it is not for everyone but, my partner and I have talked about as an option.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I would rather do this than suffer through dementia, if it comes to that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Its such a difficult topic to write about. You shouldnt glorify it but you also have to respect peoples wish to die. Putting that sort of sincerity into text is hard imo, but the article did a good job at it. Weird that they arrested the photographer tho :/

I cant imagine a much more peaceful way to go under her conditions.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I found it became a lot easier after my dad took almost three days to 'die' after he could no longer really live with his lung, throat and shoulder cancer. I get that dieing sucks ass, but if the alternative is dieing really really slowly, assisted death is really beautiful. Too bad our doctor had moral objections, which is fair for them, but it wasn't to us. We did not have this nitrogen capsule, we just had to wait it out and let our loved one gurgle themselves to death.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

My grandmother chose to spend the last of her time “at home, with dignity.”

We (mom and siblings) lived with her, and got to experience the whole thing. I will spare you the details, but it was not dignified.

I will never put another person through that in my life. Not even hospital staff. If I ever receive a terminal diagnosis, I’m immediately going to begin planning my exit - likely in a similar fashion as above.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I am very thankful for the hospice nurses assigned to my Grandma, who was doomed to a similar fate to your Father, had they not mercifully increased her dosage of pain meds until she passed.

It's really sad that there aren't better end of life options, and we need to rely on the Mercy of whatever medical staff are assigned to care for us at the end of our lives. At least here in the US.

My condolences to you and may your father rest peacefully.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You're allowed to kill yourself in Switzerland, but this capsule uses nitrogen which violates chemical laws.

There are drugs that you're allowed to use.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The laws are clearly outdated. Drugs for lethal injection frequently fail and cause much more pain and distress. Nitrogen has *no downsides." It's like the fact that it's a gas makes people crazy.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'm being downvoted and argued with for explaining the situation I have no control over

lemmy, the place where opinion is more important than facts

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I'm not arguing with your statements, I'm arguing against the content therein. Also, it's not a productive comment to tell people discussing the ethical benefits of a reform to human euthanasia by saying the obvious, which is that it isn't yet legal.

And for the record, I didn't downvote you. That information is public. The flag of Israel probably isn't helping in that regard on Lemmy.