Suzanne's Doctor-Assisted Road To Death

Suzanne — my dear friend Danielle's daughter — was diagnosed with Pick's Disease, a rare form of dementia similar to Alzheimer's, when she was 57-years old. While medication can delay the progression of the disease, there is no cure for Pick's Disease. This condition progressively and inevitably robs patients of their independence and cognitive awareness. Being a very independent individual, Suzanne didn't like the prognosis much and wanted to die a humane death before her disease took her dignity away. 

She opted to set up a "statement of intent" declaring her wishes in the early stages of the disease, while she was still able to make legal decisions for herself. She discussed her wish to die in dignity with her partner at length. While nobody likes the thought of their significant other dying, he understood that Suzanne did not want to live her last days in a daze, completely dependent on him and the healthcare system. After a lot of discussion, he was very supportive of her choice. The next step was a discussion with her family doctor. Family doctors are always the first line of care in the Netherlands. They make key decisions together with patients, and refer to specialists only when necessary.

Suzanne's doctor was happy to help her reach a dignified end and prevent further suffering at the point where her life quality rapidly declined, but another doctor had to be found to approve Suzanne for physician-assisted suicide. In her case, this was a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist talked to Suzanne in private, without her partner, to discuss her wishes and to make sure euthanasia is truly what she wanted.

When the moment came that Suzanne found she could no longer play the piano, or remember her musical pieces, or even be alone at home any more because she'd wander the streets in confusion, or take care of her personal hygiene, she and her partner decided it was time. She still had lucid moments, but Suzanne had had enough.

Suzanne was surrounded by all her friends and family on the day of her death. It happened during one of her relatively good days, and she threw a party. Everyone had a nice time, though the atmosphere was melancholic. She folded a hundred origami cranes to give to her loved-ones, and she did manage to play a short piece on the piano. 

See Also: Alzheimer's Dementia: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Then, her mom, husband, and the two doctors went into a small side room that had been specially prepped. The doctor first administered a sleeping drug, and then the injection that caused her death. It only took about 10 minutes, and she went into her death smiling. She was 59 years old.