12 March 2012

Another broken night with a painful foot. I couldn’t say exactly where the pain was coming from but it was fairly excruciating at times, although once I was up and dressed it was fine, no further pain.. I think the medical profession are just as foxed as I am as to the cause but I will raise it once more with the pain consultant at Addenbrookes when I next see him.

In a landmark decision, reported yesterday, the High Court decided a patient suffering from ‘locked in syndrome’ who wants the ‘right to die’ may have a full hearing, where medical evidence can be heard.

Tony Nicholson, who is paralysed, and wants a Dr to be able to lawfully end his life, will now be able to proceed to have his case heard. This 58-year-old man from Wiltshire suffers from what is known as ‘locked in syndrome’ following a stroke in 2005, and is unable to carry out his own suicide.,

He has been seeking legal protection for any Dr who helps him to end his life. The Ministry of Justice argued that making such a ruling would change the murder laws

Following the judges ruling, that his case can proceed, Mr Nicholson’s wife Jane, read out a statement from her husband on a BBC radio programme. It said

“I’m delighted that the issues surrounding assisted dying are to be aired in court. Politicians and others can hardly complain with the courts providing a forum for debate if the politicians continue to ignore one of the most important topics facing our society today. It’s no longer acceptable for the 21st-century medicine to be governed by the 20th century attitudes to death”.

Mr Nicholson who communicates through the use of an electronic board or special computer, said before the ruling that his life was “dull, miserable, demeaning, undignified and intolerable” he went on to say that “he just wants to know that, when the time comes, he has away out”.

(Locked in syndrome is a condition in which the patient is mute and totally paralysed except for eye movements but remains conscious.) This condition is something that I have long since feared might happen to me, i.e.. having a massive stroke and being left ‘locked in’, totally incapable of doing anything for myself but with my brain as sharp as ever, screaming to get out! Mr Nicholson says that if he cannot be handed the necessary liquid , without risking action against the person does , then is any option is to starve himself today , which apparently is not a nice way to go

 Mr Nicholson claims that to deny him the right to choose is an infringement of his human rights under the Human Rights Act which protect his right to live and therefore, by implication, the right to choose when to die.

All this must strike a chord for those patients with MND. We all have a pretty good idea how we will end up, in effect, physically paralysed, maybe breathing through a tube in the neck (a tracheotomy) and fed through a pipe in the stomach. With differently in swallowing and bringing the patient’s speech becomes almost indecipherable except for his loved ones who care for him every day. Although this is not strictly’ locked in syndrome’ the endgame is not so very different. It is for that reason that the outcome of this case may well have implications for MND patients.

Jane ‘the sheep’ came to babysit me for the early part of the afternoon and then Paul’ the computer’ turned up to check on the menu system is running. I had to admit the Dragon was going pretty well certainly 100% better than it was in its final state on the last laptop. There are still some minor problems with the commands and a correction box with which I can certainly live in the Dragon people themselves cannot come up with a solution.

I heard from Richard yesterday, by e-mail, that he has sorted out the problem Google and hopefully my blog is up and running normally. He has also asked Google to remove they warning on each of the sites and hopes this will be achieved shortly. The only outcome for me is that I might me slightly restricted on what videos I can include at the end of each entry but this is a small price to pay for a more secure site.

I have just checked my sights on Google and I’m pleased to say that the warning that’ this site may contain a virus’, has now been removed.

Finally, to show that we do not take ourselves too seriously, click here to see a little joke entitled Paddy died.