Posted on 01/18/2009 9:16:06 AM PST by wagglebee
Sophie Pandit breaks into a smile as she recalls a nervous meeting with Julie Walters last summer. The actress plays Sophie’s mother in a new film and they met after Sophie was invited on set during rehearsals. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t do your mum with a Brummie accent,’ Julie had said mischievously, by way of an ice-breaker.
Sophie knew her mother would have approved. Throughout her life, Anne Turner was known for unleashing her wicked sense of humour to diffuse tension in difficult situations. This never stopped, even in the hours before her death.
Last summer, Sophie, 44, herself an actress, her brother Edward, 42, and sister Jessica, 40, were approached by the BBC, who wanted to make a film about their mother’s extraordinary final years of life.
Three years ago next Saturday, Anne Turner, a 66-year-old retired doctor from Bath, made the journey to the Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Zurich to take her own life after being diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy – a rare, incurable degenerative condition similar to Parkinson’s that gradually destroys nerve cells in the parts of the brain controlling eye movements, breathing and muscle co-ordination, eventually leading to paralysis, making the sufferer totally reliant on others.
‘This was a future Mum refused to accept and on the day she was diagnosed, she told me of her intention to commit suicide,’ says Sophie.
‘We were horrified and deeply upset but as a doctor, Mum was under no illusions about the outcome of her illness. She was a fiercely independent woman and she could not face losing that independence or being physically reliant on others.’
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Sorry about the loss of your Dad.
Hospice would be the answer for me personally and my family.
Fortunately, Im currently working for a good one and have most of the time. I’ve now worked for about 6-7 different ones over the years.
We neither speed up the dying process or slow it down, we’re about quality of life, not prolonging it or ending it.
I would highly recommend anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness to get on hospice, and anyone with chronic pain to get on a palliative care program.
Your Dad sounds pretty typical and had the same views as my views...life isn’t worth living if it’s such low quality, but hospice will strive to ensure as much quality as possible without euthanization or suicide, there really is another option: HOSPICE!
I wouldn’t want people ending their lives just because they’re desperate, to me it’s 100% unnecessary.
On the flip side, it irks me when people keep older people alive on articifical feedings when they stop swallowing or quit eating, especiually against their will.
Excellent post!
Modern palliative care DOES make pain bearable, and I cannot express enough admiration for pro-life hospice workers like yourself. It is a shame that some in the hospice field have been duped by the culture of death.
Soothe, there is absolutely NOTHING worth ending your life over. Yes, the state of the republic and the world as a whole sucks right now, but WE can be okay regardless.
You are in my prayers.
Sounds like this would be a good time for a dirty joke. Darnit, I don’t know any! But I’ll see what I can do to help to distract you today.
I would disagree, personally.
1 Corinthians 6(emphasis added)20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Thanks guys. I seem to be successfully distracted today.
As is probably obvious, I'm not much of a religious scholar, nor are my spiritual questions very original or deep, just personally relevent.
I hope and pray that none of us is ever in the position she was faced with or would come to believe that suicide was the right choice.
I don't see that scripture as any suggestion of preordination or predestination or anything like that. God always protects our free will. Satan and his opposition are absolutely necessary for that free will to exist, else what would there be to choose?
Everything must have its opposite, or it is meaningless. What reward could there be in doing good if there were no other choice?
To me, that verse makes clear that we owe a great debt, indeed all that we have and all that we are, to the Lord.
I hope and pray that none of us is ever in the position she was faced with or would come to believe that suicide was the right choice.
Amen to that.
{{{{{I love you, Soothe!}}}}}
May you have 100 years of distractions ...
Chug, chug, chug ... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can .... I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN ....
Try watching the Food Network instead of the News ... cook your way out of the blues ...
Need any other suggestions?
Welcome back to FReepdom, FRiend.
Pegita
You're saying your against assisted suicide?
I believe I have been 100% clear that I am opposed to euthanasia and assisted suicide.
You're sure, right? Not likely to be swayed? Not wanting to put you on the spot, but just trying to sort out everyone's opinions.
Yes, I am 100% certain and I will not be swayed. I am curious what could have possibly made you think otherwise about me.
Thanks :)
Beautiful smile you have there ... made my day :)
Just waving Hi to you while surfing the cyberhood :)
I would like to thank you all for your kindness and for your prayers. I was able to distract myself for most of last week but things continued to get really bad. I drove into the city today with the goal of purchasing a short-barreled shotgun, then driving to the side of a road and shooting myself into a ditch. I was about 15 minutes away from achieving my goal when a series of incidents prevented me from arriving at my destination and fulfilling the objective. I don’t know how much longing that I can maintain sanity but today isn’t the last day.
Well a series of incidents might just be the Good Lord
trying to show you that you are needed just where you
are.
Jeremiah 29:11
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
I would encourage you: don't do what the weak do and give out when times get tough. Don't go wobbly on us!
Stay strong, my friend. PM me anytime.
This is from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. With more than 130 crisis centers across the country, our mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential.
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have placed a hedge of protection around Soothesayer ... may the Heavenly Host continue to thwart every attempt by the enemy to draw him into utter darkness, for we speak Life over him. Bring others alongside who can counsel and encourage and understand, for You are not willing that any should perish. Use us, Lord, in whatever way, that Soothesayer might know that burdens are to be shared ... that he might live. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may it be so. Amen ...
Here's waving at you, Soothe ... Call the hotline, FRiend ... please.
Pegita
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