My name is Jeanette Hall, and I reside in the state of Oregon, USA, where assisted suicide is legal. Our law was enacted via a ballot initiative that I voted for.
Prior to the enactment of our law, I had been in favor of assisted suicide for several reasons. Firstly, I had no previous health issues. Secondly, I had the support of loved ones and friends, who encouraged me to seek this option. Thirdly, I used my favorite aunt as my reason why assisted suicide should be legal. My aunt was a formidable woman, a lawyer, and I observed her decline, a protracted process marked by her cancer. In retrospect, I recognize that my primary focus was on her physical appearance, which had deteriorated significantly. I was convinced that I would never allow myself to become as emaciated and ill as she was. This was my rationale at the time our law was enacted.
On July 17, 2000, I was transported by ambulance to the emergency room of Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland, Oregon, due to excessive blood loss. I had been scheduled to see a doctor (OHSU colon doctor) at the time of my admission to the ER. The medical personnel were attempting to stabilize my condition when my physician entered the room and prepared to inform me that the biopsy results indicated squamous cell carcinoma and that I had colon cancer. I was subsequently informed that the tumor was inoperable and that the only viable treatment option was chemotherapy and radiation. Without this treatment, I was given a prognosis of survival of approximately one year.
That week, my life appeared to be coming to an end. I was in and out of the ICU with a tube down my throat, and I was consumed by fear. I was afraid of losing my job, of being unable to care for my mother with dementia, of hospital bills, and of ending up just like my aunt. My hope turned into despair, and I prepared to die before the suffering got worse, since I was determined not to have chemotherapy or radiation.
Subsequently, Dr. Kenneth Stevens (OHSU radiation oncologist) entered the room, expressing his opposition to physician-assisted suicide. I am grateful to all the Dr. Stevens of the world, who are there to offer hope when it seems to be absent. He engaged in a debate with me, attempting to persuade me to consider living instead of dying. He ultimately succeeded in bringing me back to reality with the question, “Don’t you want to see your son get married?” At that time, I was unaware that I would eventually become a burden to my son. I believed that he would be better off without seeing me suffer.
I am grateful that Dr. Stevens worked with me and helped me change my mind about physician-assisted suicide. If he had not believed in this option, I would not be alive today. Without the option of physician-assisted suicide, I would not have been able to hold my mother’s hand at the end of her life, as indicated on the death certificate, due to Alzheimer’s disease.
It is beneficial to have a Dr. Stevens in one’s life. He was instrumental in my recovery two years ago when I suffered from seizures and was unable to speak or swallow. It is important to recognize the value of life and to encourage others to persevere when faced with a terminal illness.
I oppose assisted suicide.