Some people express a sense of peace that they can “stop fighting” and describe feeling euphoria or pleasant light-headedness.
Since VSED is a natural process of dying, individuals can have a range of symptoms and experiences. The dehydration from VSED affects the kidneys and the heart, and the other organ systems in the body begin to shut down. Some individuals have periods of alertness throughout the process up until death. In many cases individuals eventually cannot be roused and remain in an unconscious or coma state. Mental alertness is replaced by longer and longer periods of sleeping. Weakness or dizziness may occur suddenly, which is why 24-hour care is recommended once the fast begins. Once they begin to feel light-headed and weak, movement requires assistance in order to prevent falls or accidents. In the first few days of the fast, some people may remain as active as before but many soon will become weak, fatigued and increasingly sleepy. The exact process of dying from VSED unfolds in a unique way for each person and depends on physical, mental and emotional circumstances. What Is the Process of Dying From VSED Like? Information has been compiled based on the experiences of other Compassion & Choices’ clients who chose this option, and from the findings of several small research studies of hospice patients who stopped eating and drinking as death neared. The following general information is provided to inform those who may consider this option and should not be considered legal advice that applies to your specific situation. Supreme Court has affirmed the right of a mentally capable individual to refuse medical therapies, including food and fluids. A determined and well-informed individual with significant caregiving and hospice support can successfully choose this end-of-life option. This option, sometimes known as VSED, can be chosen by a decisionally-capable adult who has the physical ability to eat and drink but consciously refuses foods and fluids in order to advance the time of their death. A person may choose to control their own dying by making a conscious decision to refuse foods and fluids of any kind, including artificial nutrition and/or hydration.
Others may decide that they are simply “done” after eight or nine decades of a fully lived life. Many people struggle with the unrelieved suffering of a chronic or incurable and progressive disorder.
Painless ways to die free#
Free will and the ability to choose are cornerstones of maintaining one’s quality of life and dignity in their final days.
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