Assisted Suicide | Harriet Scott's Story | Last Right Series

my name is Harriet I'm 72 years old I grew up under the illusion that if I stayed physically fit and active and kept my weight down that you would always be okay and how could it possibly change me I was diagnosed with liver cancer about three years ago about two months ago that diagnosis is terminal and the oncologist at that times that you have one or two weeks or up to two months to live when I first meet Harriet Scott in early June she's determined to prove her cancer doctor wrong she intends to die according to her own timetable she spent her whole life in the driver's seat in control she wants to die that way too I think was pretty calm about it I was like okay I need to prepare and get things ready and organize my affairs and I think he had much less of a reaction than most people would really I mean that when why I don't know I can't explain it maybe I didn't anticipate it online at this borrowed time Harriet a wife a mother a self-described gym junkie wants to die as she lived not dependent on anyone even if that means ending her own life my wish is that unnatural death without a lot of pain and if that's not possible from in a lot of pain that there unable to relieve that I would think about doing something about that myself it's a position she's arrived at after witnessing her mother suffering I watched my mother die bone cancer for six months in agony in the hospital that was about 38 years ago this is a woman with terminal bone cancer wasn't even coherent she's comatose but they didn't want to give her enough morphine that she would become addicted to the drugs it was it was a bizarre world then and I don't want that to be my end it troubles Harriet deeply that in Canada no one can assist her dying even if that's what she wants I've thought about stockpiling medication and where I might get this medication and that type of thing some might argue that that's a pretty brave step does it be contemplating that really I don't know is brave I think it's realistic I don't think I've spoken with people think it's a really cowardly thing to do so it's it's all over the map everyone has their own opinion and whether it's right or wrong I I don't want other people making that decision for me I want to be in charge with my own decision-making I don't think anyone has the right to tell me what a counter can't do as friends dropped by to express affection or sorrow Harriet refuses to deny her death or sweep it under the carpet they sent me the forms in November and they sent me all the things to do like canceling your credit cards your library cards anyway all of it oh you must do I am NOT so telling you right you actually have it than Ramona's give it down what you have little Costco and I'm done with it so it's 31 years that we've known each other and we play so many tricks on you when we were exercising to thoughts of death and dying you're just so pragmatic I think it's so foreign to our society it's just incredible she talks about like we had lunch two weeks ago and she said well girls I can't get together next week because I'm going to attend my cremation and it's almost surreal the whole thing is but a few weeks later her pain is still manageable and she's surpassed what she calls her best before date when her oncologist predicted she would die what comes after death do you think nothing nothing I think it's this over it's something over you've lived your life and it's over I don't think I'll have to pay for all the sins I've committed and all the bad things I've done I think it's just over it's my belief she does worry about her husband Ron who suffers from Parkinson's disease but since her diagnosis is terminal life for them has been peaceful even serene it's been going on for two and a half years now really and so I think I did a lot of the grieving and it's kind of a nice time now this last two months time but it's it's really nice as nice as it is Harriet knows the law against assisted suicide she's torn between savoring these last weeks and days or ending her own life while she's still physically capable and I need to do something while I can still do something physically without involving or including other people I don't want to put anyone in that position and that's not what I want I want to live up until I absolutely can't anymore I don't want to dial in them having a good day but because I feel I can do it physically you know I didn't want it to have to come to that point I had the assurance of knowing that I have assistance then I could wait I wouldn't want to sneak around try to get drug to say or you know be nice it would be a good thing if it were just we were just able to call the doctor and that was it yeah I wouldn't look forward to doing that myself but I would do it I would never want to put him in that position that's my dilemma weeks later that dilemma is no longer hypothetical Harriet is exhausted her homecare nurse is upping her painkillers yeah I'm on the fence all patched and they'd increase the dose time to occasionally the last increase was about a week ago and they're talking about upping it again it's in the back of my mind that I have to do it I will that's what I'll do if I begin to have uncontrollable pain then that's what I'll do I'm determined for that I don't want to suffer I don't have that kind of courage but before she can make that decision choice will be taken out of her hands weeks later she wakes up in the middle of the night screaming from pain in her belly she's rushed to intensive care her husband and sister-in-law Peggy a retired nurse have been at her side ever since she's expressed to me that she could probably get some sedative of some kind like nebby tall and and end it and that people shouldn't have to you know go through that sort of thing is what she was indicating but to hear Harriette get to that point I knew how bad the pain was and that saddened me to think that she had to have that much pain as you can see it saddens me if you want pain medication three hours I can give you some more how was your pain right now fortunately Harriet has an informed advocate in Peggy and pain relief is readily available well I'll definitely leave a note for the nurse tonight that even if you're sleeping to give you the but any chance of dying at home or in a hospice slipping away so scary at one more time it's all about this thing is happening too quickly and I haven't gotten everything done no it was the bits I couldn't say angry it was a bit and noise wasn't happening according to my plan that was a bit scary thinking wow this is really really going to be the end I always thought it'd be a bit scared at the end today doctors will decide whether one last procedure may by Harriette sometime enough time for her son who lives in Europe to get home she's very focused she's very independent and she might be the rudder in the relationship right now so it's hard because my brother is ill too so we all will have to really be there for him as well and you know this is a an emotional day because it's a decision-making day so I've become the sister-in-law not the nurse today a few nights later Harriet calls me come to the hospital she says to film what may be a final scene she's in palliative care and losing blood if we don't come back again what would you like people to know I'd like them to know that there are options and I would like them to vote for choice and British calm yeah I'd like to vote for for the right to die with dignity like them in four states never I reckon is appreciative of it based on what has happened with you with you why why do you so strongly want that message I think it's important for faithful to come after me it's a generational thing I think it's gonna be handed down the attitudes just like the pro-choice thing I think people come to accept after all that people can make free choice have free will I've always been big on that even now Harriet's will her need for control is formidable she won't call for her son Adam to make the trip until he completes a course he's taking her will to live and cancer are squaring off cancer has the upper hand there's no Flint it's kind of dance cuz he loves fear for the cremation for his father such a kind of orchestrated fitting together yeah dying the cremation he's gonna do a playlist for the service he's busy he's good at that even occupied it just his best began just a personal question yeah because at some point I'm gonna be sitting with my mom what for for when Adam comes what what he what do you want to share with them just that I love him which he knows it's one holding on the physical context you need me to talk a bit about the past so he isn't one to that I tend to keep wanting to apologize for bad parenting and the mistakes I just want Hagen holdin haven't be my child for a little bit longer and helpful know that we'll get through this he will for last hope a blood transfusion not may keep her alive long enough to see Adam it's a long shot but it works ten days later Harriet's family gathers including Adam his course complete arriving from Europe the very day Harriet had marked on her calendar and will put I saw the calendar I felt such a peace is complete in the end finding the peaceful death she wanted didn't mean going it alone one day later Harriet dies surrounded by family listening to the music she loves Harriet Scott died as she lived on her terms in her time her life a living lesson that having options doesn't always mean exercising them just give me choice Harriet said that was her plea Duncan McCue cbc news Bhagu

Channel: CBC News: The National

Views: 5,068,842

Rating: 4.7199492 out of 5

Keywords: harriet scott, cancer, last right, assisted suicide, parkinson's disease, health

Id: s_lR5uSemSE

Length: 15min 47sec (947 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 04 2013