Part 2: if you were the parent, would you feel it would be ethical to keep them alive?
As someone with half that list of health issues. I struggle everyday. Most people even family do not care they can leave, go eat, live life. I cannot. Nobody cares until it’s them. They will never understand, have the compassion, empathy, respect to even try to help you, not even to clean up after themselves for things that make you sick, (gluten issues and they leaves pizza crumbs and greasy pans all over counters and stove). Plenty of sorries to help their emotions feel better though. Nothing for you though. Not money to help with medical things. Not care to keep themselves in order. People do the bare minimum and the world is fine with it.
I don’t want to live like that, not as a parent, myself, or my family members. Shits hard. I don’t want to die or be dead so I’m not looking to OFF myself but fuck its hard to get through each day. It takes a solid, hard headed, self disciplined, never give up attitude to live like this. Yet you still fail to thrive and have any chance of health.
I am sorry you don’t have the support you deserve, even from family. That must make a difficult life even more so.
My wife has cerebral palsy and in the last 5 years has developed chronic back pain that has taken away what little mobility and dignity she had.
It has been upsetting to watch her decline. Doctors seemingly unable to alleviate her symptoms, but we keep trying.
I am head over heals in love with her. The disability doesn’t change that. I am there for her every need, day or night. We appreciate each other and spend all our time together. I wish you could find someone to do the same for you.
Part 1: No, that’s worse than death.
Part 2: Not my choice. It would be up to my kid. If they’re in a state where they cannot make a choice, then I would put them out of their misery, because the alternative would be worse for them.
If I knew about it and it’s not like an overnight change I think I will try to thrive. Most of that are manageable with some support. Imagine the brownie points I can have.
Also! I’ll learn how to wheelie.
If I’m the parent I’ll try to give them the best life. If it’s still unbearable for them then I’ll support them whatever they decide. Canada has MAID(medical assisted in dying).
Blind wheelies would certainly be impressive
Not even if you paid me
Yes, I think I would want to live.
I don’t think we can truly empathize with how strong our will to live is.
Also, I think questions like these tend to cause us to dehumanize folks with disabilities. (Edit: correction, I don’t think it’s the question that dehumanizes folks with disabilities, I think it is the thoughtless answer given by folks that tends to dehumanize)
Folks with disabilities absolutely can contribute to society. The most obvious example is Stephen Hawking. He could only move his eyeballs or something ridiculous like that, although I believe he did start off fully functional and slowly lost control of his muscles over time.
There’s the issue of ‘being a burden’ in family or caretakers, which is more an issue of health care in our society (USA here). It is not the fault of the disabled person that they need health care.
We are all a drain on society. No one lives in a vacuum.
No one is self sustaining, no one lives without the help from society without which we would all most likely die in a few weeks if not sooner.
Folks with disabilities are humans. It’s society’s job to take care of all humans. Period.
“If I died and went to heaven, I would sell my soul to the devil just for the chance to come back and stub my toe….” —— paraphrase from a line in a poem by Tim Seibles.
