~ finding the right voice ~
The original publication of Final Exit stunned the nation by offering people with terminal illness a choice on how - and when - to end their suffering. It helped thousands by giving clear instructions to doctors, nurses, and families on how to handle a patient's request for euthanasia. In the wake of court cases and legislative mandates, this revised and updated second edition goes far beyond the original to provide new information about the legality of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and a thoughtful examination of the personal issues involved. It has become the essential source to help loved ones and supportive doctors remain within existing laws and keep a person's dying intimate, private, and dignified. With deep compassion and sensitivity, it spells out why a living will may not be sufficient to have a person's wishes carried out - and what document is a better alternative. It updates where to get proper drugs and exactly how to carry out the quickest, most peaceful way to make a final exit. Finally, it gently talks to a person considering self-deliverance about alternatives, planning, and the means to make every death a "good death" at our time of greatest need.