Dear Editor:
RE: Not a private matter, Jan. 5.
I have never written a letter to a newspaper before, but felt compelled after reading Jack Moesker’s opinion on medical assistance in dying (MAID).
I can only assume he has not witnessed a dearly beloved one suffer, in agony and die, which my 64-year-old sister did on Boxing Day. She got the news of her pancreatic cancer in October, the day she retired. She worked 45 years at the University of Guelph – mainly in the OVC department. She had so many hopes and dreams for her future: travel, gardening, time with her beloved dogs. Instead she spent weeks at Grand River Hospital, General Hospital and finally Groves Memorial Community Hospital.
Before her death, my sister Susan moved in with us in Fergus. We were all hoping with chemo treatments she would have months, maybe a year to live, but it was not meant to be. For those two weeks I saw her suffer with severe back and stomach pain. She could hardly eat or keep food down. She steadily lost weight. Then Susan developed thrush, which made eating and drinking extremely difficult.
By her second week with us she could hardly talk, would try to sleep but pain kept her awake. Then Susan developed sepsis which weakened her more. I would have tended to her for months, but her pain was too great and no amount of medication helped her.
When Susan knew she was terminal, she had MAID put into place. It is not a “sign here on the dotted line” decision. At least two doctors had to interview her and a nurse was present. She had decided in October when she got her diagnosis MAID is what she wanted if the pain was too unbearable and it was a terminal case. Witnesses cannot be family members, so there is no coercion.
I am personally grateful there are doctors and nurses, who although they take an oath to save and preserve life, they realize what if there is no quality of life to preserve.
I will close this very personal letter by saying that my sister died from her cancer on Boxing Day, but was going to have MAID right after Christmas.
Linda Shaw,
Fergus