{"id":11546,"date":"2024-03-04T13:04:13","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T13:04:13","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"Vermont-medical-aid-in-dying-Portsmouth-NH-54145233\/","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/?p=11546","title":{"rendered":"Planning the end: Barbara Filion\u00a0looks to Vermont for medical aid in dying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion and her daughter Marsha Filion enjoy a quiet morning on their front porch in Portsmouth with their neighbor\u2019s dog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion and her daughter Marsha Filion enjoy a quiet morning on their front porch in Portsmouth with their neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion and her daughter Marsha Filion enjoy a quiet morning on their front porch in Portsmouth with their neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion enjoys a quiet morning on her\u00a0front porch in Portsmouth with her\u00a0neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion enjoys a quiet morning on her\u00a0front porch in Portsmouth with her\u00a0neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion enjoys a quiet morning on her\u00a0front porch in Portsmouth with her\u00a0neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion enjoys a quiet morning on her\u00a0front porch in Portsmouth with her\u00a0neighbor’s dog Buddy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Barbara
Barbara Filion indulges in her favorite chocolate-flavored ice cream straight from the tub in the comfort of her Portsmouth home.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>

Barbara Filion made her way carefully to the kitchen, sidestepping furniture, making sure her footing remained steady as she opened her freezer stocked with tubs of chocolate ice cream swirled with white chocolate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best!\u201d she declared, digging her spoon into the container and savoring each bite of her favorite flavor of the brand she passionately mispronounces as \u201cMillamook\u201d as a mid-day treat. \u201cI can never tell myself to stop!\u201d <\/p>\n

With each spoonful of ice cream, Filion\u2019s face lit up with delight. But as soon as she stashed the tub in the freezer, a familiar pain began to creep back into her body.<\/p>\n

Her stomach ached. Her bones hurt. Her body felt fatigued.<\/p>\n

At 82, Filion has battled metastatic bone cancer for 14 years. The disease has gradually sapped her strength and left her bones brittle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really scary. I\u2019m scared of a fracture the whole time,\u201d Filion said, pointing to her femur as she sat in the living room of her Portsmouth home. \u201cI\u2019m scared of that every day.\u201d <\/p>\n

She doesn\u2019t want to be confined to the bed for months, waiting for death to slowly arrive. She wants to end her life soon, on her own terms. What she\u2019s been longing for \u2013 medical aid in dying \u2013 appears to be within reach with a trip away from home where these procedures are illegal to neighboring Vermont where laws are more permissive to end-of-life decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am ready. I\u2019m totally ready,\u201d Filion said, as she and her daughter, Marsha, prepared for their first visit across state lines to discuss her decision to legally obtain prescription drugs for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives.<\/p>\n

Considering choices <\/h2>\n

Vermont joined the other few states in allowing people with terminal illnesses to self-administer life-ending drugs in 2013, and last year, they became the first state in the country to adopt legislation allowing the option for qualifying patients, regardless of the state they legally reside.<\/p>\n

Multiple states, including Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, New Mexico, Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, California, and Hawaii, have death-with-dignity laws. The term relates to self-administering a lethal amount of drugs prescribed by a physician, as opposed to a doctor administering the drugs directly, which is euthanasia.<\/p>\n

Initially, Filion pondered the idea of traveling to Switzerland, where physician-assisted dying has been legal since 1942. Vermont\u2019s new law allowing non-residents to access the practice presented a new option, which came as a relief to her and her family.<\/p>\n

Traveling to Switzerland would cost around $11,000. In Vermont, according to Patient Choices Vermont, a nonprofit advocating for end-of-life options, the costs for the drugs are $750. Other costs need to be factored in, including transportation of a body back home.<\/p>\n

For each step in the process, from doctor appointments to obtaining prescriptions and taking the medication, everything must be done in Vermont. If Filion decides to take the medication at home in Portsmouth, it could cause legal complications for her family or the doctors back in Vermont.<\/p>\n

Since December, Marsha Filion has been diligently attempting to reach someone in Vermont to understand the logistics and procedures for her mother. It wasn\u2019t until February that she finally made contact with someone and successfully scheduled her mother\u2019s first appointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is cumbersome. That\u2019s if you even get through to anybody,\u201d said Marsha, who is the executive director of the Hospice Help Foundation. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like they\u2019ve made this available without realizing how great the need is.\u201d <\/p>\n

The drive to Vermont may only take a couple of hours, but the journey involves far more than mere distance. Before an out-of-state resident considers the option to end their life, there are several aspects to be considered.<\/p>\n

A hospice team needs to ensure the individual\u2019s comfort, provide support for the family and also call the time of death. Suitable accommodations must be found where the individual can receive medical aid in dying, which could mean arranging a friend\u2019s place, securing a home-stay, or even booking a hotel room catering to these needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of people call very interested in the option of using medical aid in dying but often when they consider the practicalities, it\u2019s been a big factor for people actually coming and using it,\u201d said Betsy Walkerman, president of Patient Choices Vermont.<\/p>\n

Vermont has been welcoming to out-of-state residents with some AirBnB rentals and even a suite at a hotel providing reliable options.<\/p>\n

\u201cHome is home. She could be in our home if things were different, which is why she didn\u2019t want to go to Switzerland in the first place,\u201d said Marsha as she looked for her place in Vermont for her mother\u2019s last day.<\/p>\n

Live free or die <\/h2>\n

Since Vermont extended the end-of-life option to out-of-state residents last year, at least 600 individuals from New Hampshire have visited the Patient Choices Vermont\u2019s webpage for non-residents<\/a> between May and December, according to the nonprofit.<\/p>\n

Crossing state lines for end-of-life care options may soon change<\/a> for New Hampshire residents if House Bill 1283<\/a> is passed during this year\u2019s legislative session. The bill would add New Hampshire to the growing list of states that allow medication-assisted dying for state residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no reason they should have to,\u201d said Betsy Walkerman, president of Patient Choices Vermont. \u201cThey should be able to rely on their own doctor who they\u2019ve known for a long time and be able to be in their own home.\u201d <\/p>\n

The bill would allow individuals over 18 years of age with a six-month prognosis to live to self-administer medication to end their lives. To be eligible, individuals must receive verification from two healthcare providers that they are mentally sound and are not coerced, among other criteria.<\/p>\n

Even if a patient is terminally ill and fulfills all the criteria, eligibility hinges on the ability to self-administer the drugs and voluntarily keep them down, which worries Filion as time goes by.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s getting more and more frail. She\u2019s really fearful of an undignified death, that she has no control over where her disease takes control of her body, as opposed to her taking control of her death, \u201d Marsha said.<\/p>\n

Quality of life <\/h2>\n

It wasn\u2019t an impulsive decision for Filion; it was a culmination of years battling cancer, each day taking a toll on her once-able body.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 14 years, she has seen her quality of life go downhill just like many, many seniors or older people. She reached a point where she really wasn\u2019t getting much joy from her life,\u201d said Marsha, who supports her mother\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Even simple tasks, like bending down to put on socks sent sharp pains through her ribs, while cataracts clouded her vision. Accepting her condition, she said she doesn\u2019t want any more surgeries.<\/p>\n

She longed for the independence and vitality of years past, reminiscing about the laughter of her grandchildren and the joy of running alongside them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was for a while faster than they were,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Now, her steps are measured and slow to avoid any mishap that could fracture her bones and confine her to a bed.<\/p>\n

Last week was Filion\u2019s first step in receiving the end-of-life medication \u2013 seeing a Vermont doctor for a medical consultation to determine if she is eligible to receive medical aid in dying.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just still want to make sure that this is the right thing for her. It\u2019s easy when I\u2019m talking about it and I say I would want something like this. But when you really are faced with a limited number of days, it\u2019s hard to say goodbye to life,\u201d said Marsha.<\/p>\n

Once she receives the medication, Filion will hold the power to decide whether to take it or not.<\/p>\n

Filion vividly recalls the initial shock on the faces of her doctors in New Hampshire when she shared her decision. They initially tried to talk her out of it. But soon they came to understand her reasoning and stood by her choice.<\/p>\n

For those like Filion, it is a means to eliminate the suffering that even hospice cannot alleviate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to stay until Marsha\u2019s birthday in March. But I don\u2019t know. I am so rundown,\u201d Filion said, glancing at her daughter, seated across from her in the living room decorated with memories and artwork collected over the years.<\/p>\n

Marsha replied softly, \u201cYou don\u2019t need to wait.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Barbara Filion made her way carefully to the kitchen, sidestepping furniture, making sure her footing remained steady as she opened her freezer stocked with tubs of chocolate ice cream swirled with white chocolate.\u201cThis is the best!\u201d she declared,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":553,"featured_media":11547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_newspack_byline_active":true,"_newspack_byline":"by [Author id=553]Sruthi Gopalakrishnan[\/Author] Monitor staff","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[534,8],"tags":[132,9,505,286],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[506],"class_list":["post-11546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homebox3-cm","category-news","tag-end-of-life-option","tag-health","tag-paywall","tag-portsmouth-nh","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/43057270-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/553"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11546"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11548,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11546\/revisions\/11548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11546"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fnewspack_spnsrs_tax&post=11546"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcoauthors&post=11546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}