Let Me Die Before I Wake

On March 1, 2009  Washington state’s Death With Dignity Law took effect,   giving terminally ill Washingtonians the right to commit suicide with the assistance of their physicians.    And just by conincidence on that same day I happened upon a copy of Derek Humprhy’s 1981 book Let Me Die Before I  Wake while checking in returns at work.

This is not an easy book to read and I found myself crying quite liberally at several points as Humphrey relates the stories of patients suffering great pain and choosing a course of what he calls “self-deliverance”.    The book also tells you in plain straight forward English just what drug combinations will be effectively fatal and discusses in some detail the legal and moral issues involved.    The law obviously has changed a great deal since this book was written.   (In addition to Washington,  Oregon has had a Death With Dignity law since 1999.)

I remember how very, very controversial this book was when it was fist published.  My father,  who eventually died of natural causes,  was an early purchaser of this book and strongly supported what at the time was often referred to as The Right To Die movement.     I also remember the intense controversy surrounding Dr. Jack Kevorkian who made headlines in the late 1990′s after helping a number of terminally ill people to commit suicide to escape ubearable pain.     If you are interested in the history of the assisted suicide movement,  Let Me Die Before I Wake is Recommended.    If your concern is personal, rather than academic I would urge you to call Compassion & Choices at 1-800-247-7421 to speak with a counselor.   Or click on the group’s name to visit their website.