Voluntary Assisted Dying / Euthanasia for Tinnitus Patients (Pegasos Swiss Association, Switzerland)

I am a nurse. Years ago I took care of a young man who attempted suicide with a gunshot to the head... something went wrong and he was brain injured, living in the hospital for several years.

You are better off learning to cope with tinnitus/hypercussis.

 

Do you remember any details on that one?
Such as did he try to do it from the outside in?
Do you know which caliber he used?
Honestly those are the only 2 things I can think of, which could cause somebody to botch that one.

I can't fathom that anyone would survive a shot from inside, through the roof of the mouth by anything 9mm and up, as the escaping gases would literally blow most of the brain out through the back of the skull.

Maybe he tried to use a 22 or a pellet gun?

 

This must have been traumatic. I admire your strength. Your profession demands guts. In reality each suicide attempt carries the risk of failure with detrimental consequences. Personally I am in shambles due to this major worsening. I am not an advocate of suicide. This is not what I dreamt for life. But I do understand the urge of doing it, due to chronic conditions that literally steals every good part of living. My tinnitus is severe. I was suicidal during the first couple of years. 3rd year I was still miserable but gradually I managed to cope. I think the key part of it was that I could still do a few things, such as socialising with a few close friends that remained (in houses - not bars/clubs of course), I found an alternative professional route, I could sleep, I could do a few excursions. Now that hyperacusis kicked in and my ears are complaining even to normal soft sounds and normal speaking, the beast is taking away the few little things that I was left with. So although I am not an advocate of suicide, I do consider it. It's like being on a ledge. Should I jump on the front or should I jump on the back. Both choices are free falling. Leading a miserable life with tinnitus & hyperacusis or killing myself and find peace? Again I say I did cope before. I don't think I can cope this, but on the other hand I can't kill myself too. I do think of my mother and of the possibility of failure - leaving me with more problems. The dilemma is out of this world. I never ever imagined that my life would end up to this point. I do try to do my best. At the moment I miss so much my father who died recently. He did make me feel to believe. I can't stand crying anymore in my room, watching out of the window. The world is out there and I can't be part of it because of this untouchable sickness.

There are so many good people in this forum, with so much potential. It pains me to read their struggle and the robbery of their lives. For the lucky ones that symptoms are mild to moderate, thus coping or even the ones who recovered, I envy them and I do wish for them to remain this way, because no person deserves this kind of torture.

 

My own tinnitus is very loud, permanent, intrusive, severe.
Electric shaver loud - remember my video.
The only help towards acceptance has been the words and philosophy of Eckhart Tolle.
Okay - that boring word ‘Mindfulness.’
All I can say is that it does help me.
Best wishes
Dave x
Jazzer

 

Excuse me, but the “exit bag method” is bullshit.

 

Is it? I'm interested to read your opinion. It does sound as it can go easily wrong. But the concept is valid.

 

Why?

 

Ah ok thanks @vermillion. How are you doing these days? Still wishing for a magic wand like the rest of us?! I see you now have hyperacusis... how did that happen? x

 

Hey @Vicki14 long time no talk.

I was doing relatively okish... But I guess hyperacusis is my fault. I used a topical laque for a fungi infection on my toenail. Actually that was extremely silly because treating that toenail is how I possibly acquired tinnitus in the first place. Back then it was the pill fluconazole. This time it was a topical laque of tioconazole. I guess I'm pretty sensitive to all the -azole type of drugs. I shouldn't have touched that in the first place. I just thought that a topical agent would not be of an issue. Apparently I was wrong. Bottom line a toenail ruined my life.

 

@vermillion Omg! That’s absolutely nuts! How on earth could that topical lacquer cause hyperacusis?!!!! Wow! How crazy are our ears!!!! I’m so sorry to hear that. Hyperacusis can ease up some, so hopefully yours will.... this tightrope of tinnitus eh? Xx

 

It's my assumption given that it was the only thing I did differently. No noise exposure plus I protect my ears. It sounds crazy. I don't know. I'm lost!

 

Absolutely bizarre! Shows how fragile our hearing systems are!!! x

 

Indeed...

 

Years ago I was doing panoramic X-ray for young man in his late 20s.

Image came up showing large radiopaque area on his left cheek which was visibly only slightly disfigured.

I immediately thought that something went wrong with X-ray machine but it turned out it was a failed gunshot suicide and he had metal plate inserted in cheek area.

 

@ajc

Did you make more progress learning about Pegasos?

 

I tend to think my tinnitus is getting louder, Dave, but things like the shower etc
still mask it. If your tinnitus is electric shaver loud then I really don't know how you cope. But you do. Mucho respect man.

 

If you watch my video “Dave’s Tinnitus Story” on YouTube, you will understand my situation.

I have an adorable wife, kids, g/kids, pussycats etc... I do not want to leave them - and so I have found ways to cope.
If a shower masked it I’d be in comparative heaven.

Best wishes buddy.
Can I ask whereabouts you are in the U.K.?

Dave x
Jazzer

 

We're in a village close to Stansted. Whereabouts are you?

 

We are in Warlingham Surrey,
about 5 miles inside the M25 at junction 6.

 

Be kind to yourself, lots of living for you to do yet. I try to find humour in my situation... sounds corny but it works for me. I may even get a stand up comedy act together some day about Tinnitus since I have been creating so many jokes about it that I keep to myself... I will just have to figure out how to keep the audience from clapping and hurting my ears...
Maybe I will try a comic strip.

 

Not traumatic for me... for the poor fellow that tried suicide but ended up a vegetable... yes, very traumatic. Just made me think of suicide differently.

 

Now that I think of it, being a vegetable is not that much different from "living" with severe or catastrophic tinnitus.

The person in vegetative state might actually have a slight advantage, as he/she may not even be aware of themselves anymore.

A person with tinnitus is very much aware, as every millisecond of their existence is a waking nightmare.

 

Most people in comas are aware. They have brain activity light up in response to simple math problems.

Researchers thought it was just the noise lighting up brain activity, but irrelevant noises did not light up brain activity the same way as basic math problems did or family members talking to them.

https://sciencenordic.com/ethics-fo...pleasure-and-pain-like-the-rest-of-us/1455987

 

But can you imagine being not able to communicate, paralyzed and be very aware of your tinnitus? That's my worst nightmare.

 

That I don't know much about.
I would think that some are and some are not, depending on which part of the brain is compromised.
Either way, I think I would prefer some form of unconsciousness over this horrid existence.

 

Good thing I already live in Switzerland. In the case it becomes necessary, there's Pegasos or a bazillion mountains with a couple hundred meters free fall...

 

Yes that would indeed be a nightmare.

Not because it would be that much different from my current situation, but because another suicide attempt might not be possible anymore.
Not without help anyway.

Unless of course somehow I made sure not be kept alive ahead of time, if such situation ever occurs.
I'm heard this stipulation could be somehow added to one's last will?

 

@Harley

Yes, precisely. A failed suicide attempt would take away even the slightest chance to end it for good. I don't know how it is in your country, but where I live, I don't think, that it could be arranged to be helped to get you out of misery even if your will or suicide note stated that's what you want. And I wouldn't want anyone I love to end up in jail.

 

I have relatives in Switzerland, such a beautiful country. My mother (passed on) had immigrated from there as a young woman. Very forward thinking to have these clinics. But I am pretty sure they are accessible to everyone from other countries.
It does not sound as though they are any further ahead in the game of treatment for tinnitus.

 

We have Novartis and they're approach doesn't seem to go anywhere currently (CGF166).
And yes, assisted suicide is generally accessible also to foreigners. We have this term called "suicide tourism". It's only natural, since there's a demand for passively assisted suicide but we're among the few countries offering it.