Oscar protest heads-up

[pop goes the weasel]

Not Dead Yet was planning to protest MDB (and The Sea Inside) outside the Kodiak theater at 2 pm Pacific. Has anyone heard anything on the news about it? My bet is that the MSM will refuse to acknowledge NDY's protest.

http://www.notdeadyet.org/

[Sugarbleus]

1. Haven't heard a thing...but did watch a bit of the program. Then

I started sending in emails to talkshows discussing Eastwood's film. It was the best/least I could do.

Keep us posted if YOU hear any news... I'll do the same.

[Sugarbleus]

2. Wow, just checked the link you provided. Very interesting..

I bookmarked it. However, I have one question about something I read there, maybe you can explain it for me.

I am NOT against the right to die issue. Like I've posted in here a few days ago, a very ill friend of ours just died from complications of MS and throat cancer. It was HIS decision to NOT continue with chemotherapy for his cancer. He believed he'd led a fine life, lived long (60+ years) and with MS couldn't stand the cancer treatments on top of that too.

He chose to stop the cancer treatments, was given a 2% chance to live a short while........but he lived for TWO YEARS. He died on Feb. 13 '05

A friend of my sister, a bit senior than she, had won the a battle with cancer earlier in her life--she was not otherwise disabled ever. She had 20 some years of remission with which she lived it up. He husband died at one point, then her cancer came back. This woman chose NOT to take any further treatments. They loaded her up on drugs, made her comfortable. She moved into my sister's house and into a lovely room prepared for her there. She came to see me at the seashore with my sister, they camped out at Big Sur one more time, and then in six months the woman gave up her last breath and that's the way she wanted it. She was some woman too. Quite the life of the party, outspoken, strong, independent, from the "beat era" ....very, very interesting. She is missed.

So, how does the "notdeadyet.org" feel about this? How do you feel about this? I want to be sure I'm on the right page when I share these ideals with other friends and family in the disabled community here.

Thanks, SB

[DemBones DemBones]

3. I believe everyone has the right to refuse medical care

for themselves. "Million Dollar Baby" is a bad example of a disabled woman getting someone to kill her -- as a person on a ventilator, she could have legally obtained an order to have her ventilator shut off, so it was just about drama. Disabled people are unhappy about the movie because it suggests that a young person who becomes a quadriplegic has nothing to live for. And it's a crip snuff film.

The Terri Schiavo case is upsetting because Terri never put her wishes in writing and how anyone can trust her husband is beyond me.

But the cases you describe are of people older than Sciavo or Swank's character in MDB, and both were cancer patients. The woman I think should perhaps have tried another round of treatment -- perhaps she gave up too easily, perhaps she was depressed due to her husband's death and unwilling to try. The man had MS as well as throat cancer so it's easier to see why he decided "No more." Then again, the woman had gone through cancer treatments before and that could cause a lot of people to say "No more." When it comes right down to it, we're not obligated to try to live forever. And having our last days be as painfree and peaceful as possible is important.

(BTW, the Catholic Church opposes suicide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia, but it also says that Catholics may morally refuse extraordinary treatments intended to extend their lives. I agree with that position.)

[Sugarbleus]

5. Thank you, and Pop, so much for this insight....

This whole awareness movement that brings light to this subject of "better dead than disabled" is a new one for me. The things I've learned are SHOCKING. It never occurred to me to even see it that way before. I appreciate your bringing this to my attention.

After reading posts on the subject some days ago; following up by going to some of the links provided and chatting back and forth with you folks...I'm just STUNNED. It's so clear to me now that there IS a trend towards the expedient termination of life that isn't "normal".

As I write this and after having asked my previous question, I think back on an event that took place with one of my family members about 2.5 years ago that easily fits into this trend to "give up" on those with disabilities and/or the poor and sick.

I won't go into long detail but to say that my S.O./ex hubby disabled with left-side hemiplegia went to the hospital for pneumonia one day and ended up in ICU overnight w/ renal failure and in a light coma. By the time I got there I noticed the doctor's attitude was nonchalant about using heroic measures to save him.

Long story short, it wasn't until I made NOISE about the WORTH of this man...to me and to the community...that the care he received began to step up and he pulled through..

UNBELIEVABLE!! They would have just let him DIE!

Also, for the record. S.O. has made me his medical power of Attorney and we've written down the terms in which he does not wish to be resuscitated. I made sure those terms were only the very, very, last resort in case of verifiable non recovery.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. That is scary, Sugarbleus, and yet I'll bet it's rather common.

We learned the hard way long ago that a hospital patient needs someone to advocate FOR him/her because hospital personnel have their system and going along with their system can endanger a patient's health. A family member often has to be the squeaky wheel. Sometimes a patient can "squeak" for himself but even if he's able to, will the nurses/ doctor listen? They really can be appallingly careless and callous about listening to patients. I think they must count on most patients not knowing what's what, especially if a patient is being given any drugs for pain.

Good for you for being the squeaky wheel and getting the grease to save your SO's life!

[Sugarbleus]

8. Thanks. I've tried to advocate for S.O. many times...

Unfortunately, the docs don't "like it" when I go in. I've had them bark at me, ignore me, talk down to me....and others who've gone in to help S.O. with doc.

The Doc who was in attendance when the above thing happened pissed me off to no end. We fired him. He was also the Doc who REFUSED to help S.O. when he was having suicidal thoughts; I felt he should be hospitalized but the doc refused. In the hallway, the docs nurse pulled me into a stairwell to tell me secretly what I options I had. She said if I mentioned her name, she'd never speak to us again and/or deny what she said. She told me, if S.O. didn't improve, to take him to the emergency room and they would have him admitted to mental health for a 72 hour watch.

As it turned out, S.O. DID swallow a bunch of pills and drink a couple bottles of Chloral Hydrate syrup and started to go under when I heard him choking from the other room (I stay up late on this damn computer). I pulled him over the bed so his head was towards the floor and he wouldn't aspirate then called 911. I found the bottles of Chloral Hydrate that this SAME Dr. had been giving him, even though I told him to STOP IT several times!

When S.O. was admitted and pumped, they put him into ICU before they sent him to mental health ward. Guess what?!!!!!! Another Doc, after talking to his primary doc, TOLD S.O. something to the effect: You just wanted attention, couldn't get it any other way??? Yelled at him for trying what he did, then sent him to mental health. I COULD NOT believe it!!!!!

Well, as I said, we fired his primary but now he is seeing a QUACK who is nothing more than a pill pusher. This quack won't refer him to urologist for prostate tests, won't keep him in hospital like other MDs have when he gets his Asthma attacks w/respiratory complications, won't send him to Dermatologist for scabby psoriasis.....S.O. had to go over his head but that only works once in awhile. THERE ARE NO OTHER DOCS taking Medicaid. These assholes are going to let him SUFFER and possibly DIE. I'M the one who has to move his current quack off the dime to sign the proper documents that S.O. needs for various issues. It's a mess. And this is suppose to be a "Progressive" community.

Most of the docs around here treat people that way UNLESS they have a great healthcare plan.

"Squeaky Wheel"?...lol I'm more like a hammer and anvil these days.

[pop goes the weasel]

4. I pretty much agree with Dembones on this

Anyone in the US has the right to refuse treatment and accept the consequences. There is a real danger, however, that disabled people are encouraged to seek death in order to not be a burden on family and society at large. Current social policies destroy entire families who are trying to support a loved one with a disability, and forfend that you should be on your own with a disability! The disability doesn't even have to be what most people consider profound to be economically and emotionally exhausting when there is a lack of social support.

You describe friends who sound as if they were upbeat and content in their final months. It doesn't sound as if they made their decisions during a state of depression or untreated pain. If they had, wouldn't you be mad that their pain or depression hadn't been treated, that their lives were considered so insignificant that no real attempt make their lives more comfortable was made?

[Banazir]

6. This might answer your question

From the front page of notdeadyet.org:

People already have the right to refuse unwanted treatment, and suicide is not illegal. What we oppose is a public policy that singles out individuals for legalized killing based on their health status. This violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, and denies us the equal protection of the law. Some bioethicists have even started to argue that intellectually disabled people are not persons under the law. That hasn’t happened since slavery was legal.

[Sugarbleus]

9. Wow, I went to read at the Ragged Edge...

Great stuff in there. I wrote to them as well. Asked a few questions.

I saw that book: MAKE THEM GO AWAY. I'm ordering it. I sent S.O. down to local bookstore to see if they had it. They didn't but knew exactly what it was and were happy to order it for us.

While he was there, he noticed several county vans offloading elderly and disabled folks in front of the Cineman to go see MDB!!?? I don't know why he didn't go up and ask someone what the deal was...I can only wonder. Hopefully, they were there to protest!!

S.O. also said there was a young guy at the "Club" (a name they've given to the nursing facility his friends live in) who asked him if he wanted to go see MDB. S.O. told him NO and tried to make the guy understand it wasn't the type of flick he supported. Not sure he got the message across to this kid in the exact sense. I"m trying to convey what's going on in DU here and with the D rights movement..so he's getting info second hand. He can't type or read very well other wise he'd be doing this himself.

Just thought I'd share that little bit of info with ya :hi: