₦airaland Forum

A cancer patient's decision
to die
By Anthony Zurcher
Editor, Echo Chambers

Brittany Maynard says 1
November is the day she
will die.
The 29-year-old was
diagnosed with terminal
brain cancer in January,
after suffering from
debilitating headaches for
more than a year.
Following months of
treatment, and a
progressively worsening
prognosis, Ms Maynard
decided she had to change
course.
"After months of research,
my family and I reached a
heartbreaking conclusion:
there is no treatment that
would save my life, and the
recommended treatments
would have destroyed the
time I had left," she writes
in an opinion piece for
CNN.com
.
She adds that as her cancer
progresses, it could lead to
excruciating pain, despite
the strongest palliative
medication.
"I could develop potentially
morphine-resistant pain
and suffer personality
changes and verbal,
cognitive and motor loss of
virtually any kind," she
writes.
"Because the rest of my
body is young and healthy,
I am likely to physically
hang on for a long time
even though cancer is
eating my mind. I probably
would have suffered in
hospice care for weeks or
even months. And my
family would have had to
watch that."
She and her husband
moved from California to
Oregon, one of five US
states where physician-
assisted suicide is
permissible. Once she had
established residency and
proved that she had less
than six months to live, she
obtained a prescription for
life-ending medication.
She says she plans on
using it on 1 November,
two days after her
husband's birthday.
Ms Maynard has shared her
story with Compassion &
Choices, a nonprofit
organisation advocating the
passage of euthanasia
laws, and began a media
campaign, including a
YouTube video in which she
and her family explain her
situation.
At one point in the video,
Ms Maynard reaches in to
her purse and removes two
prescription bottles,
presumably for life-ending
drugs.
Brittany Maynard says in a
YouTube video that she
plans to die on her own
terms
"I know that it's there when
I need it," she says.
The video has been viewed
more than 5.6 million
times.
She says that she feels
relief knowing that she has
the option to die "on my
own terms" - and wants
others in her situation to
have the same options.
Ms Maynard's campaign
has once again stirred
debate over the morality of
physician-assisted suicide
and its prospects for further
legalisation in the US.
"Maynard may not go
through with her plans on 1
November (statistically,
most of those who get end-
of-life prescriptions don't
use them, though nearly all
report feeling peace of
mind with the pills in hand)
," writes Meghan Dawn in
the Los Angeles Times.
"But because she shared
her decision, all of it, with
the world, her legacy will be
a crucial contribution to the
conversation about how we
live - and end - our lives."
Bioethicist Arthur L Caplan
says that Ms Maynard's
story has the potential to
change the way many
people - particularly
younger Americans - view
the issue.
"A whole new generation is
now looking at Brittany and
wondering why their state
does not permit physicians
to prescribe lethal doses of
drugs to the dying," he
writes for NBC News.
"Brittany is having and will
have a big impact on the
movement to get measures
before voters or
legislators."
The ground on which the
physician-assisted suicide
debate rests could quickly
shift, he says, much as it
did on the gay marriage.
Matt Walsh, writing in the
Blaze , agrees that Ms
Maynard is "a very
compelling spokeswoman
for suicide". He says,
however, that he is
concerned by the almost
universal praise she ha
received in the press and
social media for her bravery
and poise.
"I am terrified to think that
my children will grow up in
a culture that openly
venerates suicide with this
much unyielding passion,"
he writes. "If you are saying
that it is dignified and
brave for a cancer patient
to kill themselves, what are
you saying about cancer
patients who don't?"
Several people with
terminal diagnoses have
also come forward to offer
a critical take on Ms
Maynard's decision.
"The hardest part of a
terminal diagnosis is not
knowing the timeline,"
writes Maggie Karner, who
has also been diagnosed
with aggressive brain
cancer.
She says, however, that
public policy on physician-
assisted suicide shouldn't
be centred around "hard"
cases like hers and Ms
Maynard's. The power of
life and death should
remain in God's hands, she
writes.
"Death sucks," she says.
"And while this leads many
to attempt to calm their
fears by grasping for
personal control over the
situation, as a Christian
with a Savior who loves me
dearly and who has
redeemed me from a dying
world, I have a higher
calling. God wants me to
be comfortable in my
dependence on Him and
others, to live with Him in
peace and comfort no
matter what comes my
way."r
Kara Tippetts, who has
written a book and blogged
about her experience with
terminal breast cancer,
penned an open letter to
Maynard in which she asks
her to reconsider her
decision.
"Suffering is not the
absence of goodness, it is
not the absence of beauty,
but perhaps it can be the
place where true beauty
can be known," she writes.
"You have been told a lie.
A horrible lie, that your
dying will not be beautiful.
That the suffering will ber
too great."
She says that doctors who
prescribe life-ending
medication "walk away
from the Hippocratic oath
that says 'first, do no
harm'."
She concludes: "I get to
partner with my doctor in
my dying, and it's going to
be a beautiful and painful
journey for us all. But, hear
me - it is not a mistake -
beauty will meet us in that
last breath."
Under Oregon's 1997 Death
with Dignity Act, 1,173
people have requested
prescriptions for life-ending
drugs, and 752 have used
them, according to state
records .
Ms Maynard says she plans
to record video testimony
for the California
legislature, which is
considering a similar
physician-assisted suicide
law.
If events transpire as
planned, her message to
the lawmakers likely will be
delivered posthumously.

Source: m.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-29576003

Very true.

Once had No 7-9 traits in just one lecturer in my department. We only wished he would drop dead and reduce our frustrations. If wishes and curses were effective...

majekdom2:
The best way to protect you is by making you successful just as he is.... he is not protecting you by leaving properties for you to inherit you may not be able to manage his business as he would. which may still fail in your hands leaving you with nothing but you will be able to manage yours.

Don't you gerit that this is more than acquiring wealth whether d man is dead or alive?

NifemiOlu:
OP didn't say 'benefits' of being a legal wife as you've clearly explained. Of course it's very good in cases of 'recognition and claims'. But OP is implying a case of divorce.

because Op used a case of divorce does not mean shez wishing for one. It's just an example out of many.

If a man loves/want me enough to marry me, he would go d extra mile to protect me.


Some men see their wives like acquired properties or girlfriends they did some big favour by marrying them. This is called abracatabra. #What you see is what u get#

Got tired of reading some stewpid n senseless comments/questions. Nevertheless, @ sweetmelon, mcow etc, I salute your courage!

Some women are their worst enemies. Try helping them and u are in for it.

Your post is very explicit but some will rather derail, frustrate and insult you just to justify their actions.

As for d men, why would they pay for something they can have for free? Or u prefer they sign d dotted line and give those dumb women some power? I guess not. So u see why they come up with irrelevant excuses?

I believe the two usages are correct depending on how you organise/arrange/present your name(s).

Let's take the big shots' names as example:
1. My name is Barack Obama, GEJ, BRF, Jennifer Lopez etc.
2. My names are Obama Barack, JEG, FRB, Lopez Jennifer.

Did you note the patterns?

A normal name order is First name, Other name, Surname (not refering to filling of forms here). The term 'First name' is a good indicator. Your identity which is singular accommodates the three names starting from the first name.

BUT, when you alter the order, it becomes your names (in no particular order). As such, you could say, my names are....

PROCTOR: Thanks op it will be useful for me when i get out of the country.Not in NIGERIA dear
wherever u find urself,create happoness and passion

That's the spirit. If not, you will keep jumping from one frying pan to another, until you land in the blazing flames.

Still/yet to know if i have ever found the right career. I fall in love with any career I find myself in and I put in my best.

The next motivating factor is the pay and the environment i.e. psychological and physical. Any other thing apart from these-then it's the wrong career for me.

Good news.

May this compassionate gesture continues and extend beyond Pa Akinkunmi to other worthy heroes.

Excuse me sirs. I caught some ladies staring at d guys on this thread.

Permision to fling them out...

Godmystrength:

Lol. Agree with you It will seem as if your palms are on fire until you/your palms get used to it.

Loved grinding bell pepper for my granny wt dis stone. But grinding ogbono and melon seeds-my worst nightmare.

My mum still pulls the stunt on me and my immediate elder bro when she visits. She kept one with us at home.

Logicalmindy: How would they aspire to be great in life?, when their female Nigerian counterparts who are breaking records is being bashed of being loose, husbandless and prostitute e.g Chimamanda, Genevieve, Linda Ikeji, Rita Dominic etc

You re so right. Most Nigerians are idealists and not realist. Try to be well educated and be career minded it will still be these #teamidealists# that will criticise you.

It's a wonder the bishes are married wt powerful rides from their hobbies why d career woman is workring her butt 4 her boss who is spending on one lazy butt.

The comparism is baseless. One is concered about people while the other is concerned about pocket. How do you compare two people with different vision/mission?

No comparism abeg. Btw, didn't know a person's wealth or success is determined by the things he/she flaunts. Na wah for my generation o.

Blueeyedboi: 55555......ur last sentence was stupiid.....shows your level of exposure....anyways he's muslim en can take more than one wife as his religion stipulates.

I don't ve insults for you but just to bring to your notice, that your response, says a lot more about you than mere stupidity.

Aside from that, I believe we are entitled to our opinions. We may not be living in the same region you know. I live in Lagos and I realized the Yorubas get married earlier than people from my tribe. Next time, read btw d lines.

Back to the thread, If the poster believes that he or his bride cannot wait any longer, who are you to judge him? Having it all does not guarantee the success of marriage.

As for Islam and polygamy, you think the bride is ignorant of that possibility?

Live and let others live. Society will not be the standard for my lifestyle or the choices I make in life talk much of a nobody like you.

Congrats OP. May God take you and your bride to the next level, and also give you wisdom to live and make the right decisions in life.

Yoruba guys/men keeping it real since the days of boys2men.

ayomidegambari: Dem mad ni...dey want same treatment as regular student does. Dem no match abeg.

For your mind abi? See full time product with dis kind mentality.

I ve never seen anywhere in the world where being a part-time student means being a 2nd class citizen.

Nija factor at play again. I respect everyone as long as you are sound intellectually.

TeamclicksAir: you wanna pass by miracle?

People when want pass by miracle no go protest say make u give them quality education abeg.

These greedy lecturers are ready to collect anything to pass anybody. The students have woken up and realized they are being short changed and their future will be ruined if they don't fight for their right.

We should commend rather than condemn them for a just cause.

wellmax: What's wronwith these students? theyy want Ŧo take the LASG for granted

The last time I checked, Gov BRF is still the Visitor of LASU. As long as they no come protest for the front of your house or in the street causing trouble, they are good to go.

Deepfreezer: let me tell you. even before christ came. there re men who did what God wanted. men who served him. but they don't hv the gift of prophecy or gift of healing. I can't call myself man of God. rather I'm a child of God.
becareful what you say about Gods anointed.

I smell mediocrecy here.

1. Before Christ, Elijah and Elisha could both heal permanently and prophesy more accurately than your 'men of God'. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and a whole lot of other prophets in the bible prophesied.

2. I am God's Anointed as a believer/a spiritual Isrealite. Read below:

Psalm 105:6-15.
6 O ye seed of Abraham
his servant, ye children of
Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God:
his judgments are in all the
earth.
8 He hath remembered his
covenant for ever, the word
which he commanded to a
thousand generations.
9 Which covenant he made
with Abraham, and his
oath unto Isaac;
10 And confirmed the
same unto Jacob for a law,
and to Israel for an
everlasting covenant:
11 Saying, Unto thee will I
give the land of Canaan,
the lot of your inheritance:
12 When they were but a
few men in number; yea,
very few, and strangers in
it.
13 When they went from
one nation to another, from
one kingdom to another
people;
14 He suffered no man to
do them wrong: yea, he
reproved kings for their
sakes;
15 Saying, Touch not mine
anointed, and do my
prophets no harm.

Study your bible regularly and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. Break loose from pastors that make you believe that they are the mediators between men and God.

2Tim 2:5 KJB
For there is one God, and
one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ
Jesus.

We no longer need high priests or 'men of God'. All true believers, preachers/teachers are men and women of God.

May He find us all faithful and worthy on the last day.

tinajohn: This man is terrible at telling lies. TB Joshua barely has time for his own wife to steal another wife. If he wanted to get back at TB Joshua for revenge of, he should have taken a different angle so that people would more likely believe his story. Kayode we all know you before you became pastor and we all know what a compulsive liar you used to be. I was hoping that the name or 'tag' pastor would have changed your lying nature. Well if at least one dumb person believes your fake story it would be worth it right?

Your post just suceeded in proving that most of the allegations against your ministry are true.

How can a sane 'Man of God' tag a terrible liar with the name pastor and make him the head of over 2,000? Classical case of the blind leading the blind.

Deepfreezer: asked them ooo. God will punish anybody that is fighting his church and the people of God. they are re out to destroy the image of the man of God.

I am sure you and God had a jolly chat where he told you he made Jack a 'Man of God'. If Jack is a Man of God, what are you? A man of Satan? I tot that was what I heard you say.

John 1:12 ASV
But as many as received
him, to them gave he the
right to become children of
God, [even] to them that
believe on his name.

1Pet 2:9
But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the
praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light.

God was talking about all true believers/Christians. Unless you have another revelation outside the bible.

BABE3: What are you talking about? In which part of the planet s this true?



Oscar postorious is about to walk free and his girlfriend didn't even attack him.

Don't know about Oscar and his late gf. All i am saying is:Just because you were slapped, is not enough reason to disable or murder the person.

You will definitely go to jail on planet Earth. Don't know d one you mirgrated from.

nora544: I read in an other newspaper from nigeria that there could be victimes with Ebola and i hope that this is not tru, you know what this means when it is tru.

With the way these people are acting, anything is possible.

Just heard on TVC News that journalists were barred at the church's entrance gate. They were only able to get info from passers-by and neighbours.

Wonders shall never end. Aint nobody pulling wools over our eyes.

Lovine: http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2014/09/12/none-dead-at-synagogue-building-collapse-church/
NO death in the Synagogue

The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), said on Friday that no one has been confirmed dead following the building collapse that occurred near the main church auditorium in Lagos.

‎The media department of the church explained that contrary to media reports, no one is trapped in the rubbles.

The church said those who were injured are being cared for, adding that it would come up with a statement soon.

Prophet T.B. Joshua was not available for comments, but the media department of the church said efforts to determine what caused the collapse of the six-storey building at about 1:00 p.m. is ongoing.

Synagogue-church

The church said officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) cordoned off the site while rescue operation was ongoing.

Journalists, the church said, would be taken to the site when it is safe for everyone.

it would be recalled that Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone, said at least three persons were feared dead and 15 injured earlier today while responding to questions from newsmen at the scene.

Big LIE! What is SCOAN hiding that its officials are preventing the journalists from doing their jobs? I smell a dead rat.

The people deserve better than this.

Jack is a man of God. No Jack is not a man of God. Leave them to God to judge.
Nigerians runing after the ministry of men since 1200BC

Corinthians 3:1-7 (NIV)
The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I
could not address you as
people who live by the
Spirit but as people who
are still worldly—mere
infants in Christ. 2 I gave
you milk, not solid food,
for you were not yet ready
for it. Indeed, you are still
not ready. 3 You are still
worldly. For since there is
jealousy and quarreling
among you, are you not
worldly? Are you not acting
like mere humans? 4 For
when one says, “I follow
Paul,” and another, “I
follow Apollos,” are you not
mere human beings?
5 What, after all, is
Apollos? And what is Paul?
Only servants, through
whom you came to believe
—as the Lord has assigned
to each his task. 6 I
planted the seed, Apollos
watered it, but God has
been making it grow. 7 So
neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is
anything, but only God,
who makes things grow. 8

GO WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION AND STOP BEING WORSHIPPERS/FOLLOWERS OF MEN. THESE MEN WILL ALSO GIVE ACCOUNTS OF THEIR LIVES - EXCLUDING YOURS OF COUESE!

So so sad. May the souls of the dead find rest in Abraham's bossom.

Hmnn! Jesus and the early disciples moved from place to place spreading the goodnews, healing and delivering the oppressed. Our modern day pastors/GOS busy building empires to accommodate ...?

God's dwelling place/temple is our body/heart. A zillion years of sleeping in churches does not change a damn thing, if your heart is un-inhabitable by God.

MizMyColi:
Both of them should be sorry for their disgraceful acts, but he should be more sorry for reacting to such extent.

On point.

If a man gives you a rib-breaking punch and you retaliate with a murderous blow, it's no dispute that you will be convicted for murder irrespective of who attacked first.

Lagos State University External System (LASUES) was established in March 2002 by the University Senate and the Governoring Council, to operate the various part-time programmes approved by the University Senate on its various campuses with the expectation that its operation would not be truncated by strikes and lock-outs.

However, less than 12yrs later, those who bought into this 'noble vision' are full of regrets, depression, stagnation, etc. as a result of some of the following reasons:

1. A 5yrs course could extend to 7yrs;
2. Sometimes, the result grade earned for a particular course may be different from what's recorded on the student's profile;
3. Poor records keeping/ management on the part of the administrative staff members which has earned some unfortunate students extra year;
4.Delay or no issuance of certificates years after graduation;
5. Delay due to strike action in the main campus etc.

The above and some unmentioned issues were some of the reasons why the LASUES was ordered to stop addmission till further notice.

Recently, students wererr prevented from writing 2013 harmattan semester exam (in late 2014) because they have not paid their school fees. I bet you would agree with me that the Management has a right to prevent debtors from writing exams; but not when the students have causes not to pay.
1. There are courses sat for but results not yet seen (extra year thingz? Extra money. Lol).
2. Those who graduated as far back as 5yrs ago are4 yet to be issued 'To Whom It May Concern' talk much of Certificate. (Why won't I go and start all over with the little I have now?).
3. LASUES will be completely shutdown in 2016 (rumored) yet the mgt is not in a hurrry with its curriculum.

I could go on and on but time won't permit me. One thing is certain: those who wasted the resource, energy and time of these helpless, powerless, voiceless, but invincible youths won't go unpunished in this life and beyond.

In the meantime, I believe the just and fair thing to do, is to let these students to write the long-awaited examination in peace.