Husband, Wife Cite Health Problems



POSTED: 5:01 pm EST January 5, 2005


CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Authorities say a prominent Cheyenne couple who committed suicide over the New Year's weekend apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning.


The bodies of Ethan and Helen Levine were found Tuesday at their Cheyenne home after authorities and at least two media outlets received obituaries for the couple in the mail.


The couple had written their obituaries themselves.



The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle of Cheyenne and the Casper Star-Tribune quoted copies of the obituaries as saying they died together "through united self-deliverance."


Helen Levine was a local columnist and a former spokeswoman for the state Health Department, and she supported "death with dignity."


In a letter to several friends, the couple said they had grown tired of dealing with health problems. Ethan Levine was 50 and had multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Helen Levine was 73 and had heart disease.

http://www.nbc17.com/news/4051214/detail.html

:devil

Err ok

Think she ever felt guilty for robbing the cradle?:rolleyes:

I doubt she did hun.But I think that Err ok....sums this one up perfectly....People are plain wierd.

I think thats sorta neat, considering I always figured thats what I'd do in a similar situation.

What inspired you to make a thread about this story?

Ibudin

Well eh.. at least they had it all planned out.

What inspired you to make a thread about this story?


I was working a 12 hour shift on my UTA (Unit Training Assessement) weekend for the AFR. I am on a light duty waiver since my lower back microdiscectomy, I was in front of the computer. Thought it was interesting...... blah blah blah..... Ya didn't find it a good read? :(

:devil

It's sad.....really really sad.

Hey, I'm all for death with dignity. More power to them for going out the way they wanted to, rather than wasting away and being a drain on their families.

/agree Giena

I don't think there's anything 'wrong' with what they did, and at least they left a note of explanation for whatever family and friends they may have had. As someone with a degenerative disease myself, I fully plan on checking out when I'm no longer capable of self-care or my quality of life becomes unacceptable, and I don't think it's anyone's business but the individual where the 'line' is there.

And just out of curiosity, can someone tell me what happened with John Ashcroft's striking down of Oregon's assisted suicide law? Has that made its way through the courts yet? Talk about sticking your nose (morals, what have you) into someone's business...

Regards,
Nydia

Not that I am nor profess to be religious but I will toss this bone out.

Some would say that suicide is an unforgiveable sin in the eyes of God.

I'm more concerned with the example it sets for other people. "Life treating you like shit? Well, it's A-Okay to commit suicide folks!" Granted I have very little respect for anybody that would even consider suicide, but y'know...last thing I need is to be late to school because some fuck decided to end it all in my driveway.

Plus I don't think most insurance companies will dispense compensation in the case of suicide, so now their families have to fork over the cash for a funeral.

Isn't there a law against this sorta thing? Or is that only if you fuck it up.

But yeah, from a religious standpoint, killing yourself is no different then killing your friend because he asked you to. Murder is murder.

But yeah, from a religious standpoint, killing yourself is no different then killing your friend because he asked you to. Murder is murder.
Wouldn't forcing someone to remain alive and in pain constitute torture? How does the religious standpoint answer this question?

If this couple already arranged for their funeral expenses and otherwise prepared for the well-being of any family members they may have, then more power to them. They considered this a death with dignity, and I'd certainly not gainsay them.

Religious aspect in that only it's considered in some circles as unforgiveable...in that you say "God please forgive me" but then you take your life kind of thing and aren't able to truly ask for forgiveness of your sins. It's a belief thing of course.

Taking your own life is homicide any way you slice it, and I do agree with Vhex it sets a shitty precedent.....especially for teenagers who seem to struggle with suicidal thoughts.

True it's your life and suffering is not something anyone should have to endure and quite frankly I do not know what I would do were I in their position. Although, I tend to be optimistic and hope that better practices, therapy, and cures can be found with time. But again I'm an optimist.

Religious aspect in that only it's considered in some circles as unforgiveable...in that you say "God please forgive me" but then you take your life kind of thing and aren't able to truly ask for forgiveness of your sins. It's a belief thing of course.
Here's a question: Can you not ask for forgiveness posthumously? I'm not aware offhand of anything saying you can't (but there might be some bit of Scripture addressing the question). I'm not sure what "truly ask" means.

As for setting a precedent among troubled teens...it might. It might not. I've not studied suicide that intensively (at least, not in ~15 years), but it's rare for people to cite an influence when they commit suicide outside those directly linked to their problems (2 examples do come to mind: Kurt Cobain, Christian martyrs). But that is really distinct from two older persons who suffer daily and what they decide to do about it.

After watching my grandfather die of Lou Gehrig’s, its hard to imagine anyone dieing a worse death than he did. I wouldn't of blamed him one bit if he put a shotgun to his head and pulled the trigger. Nothing like one year being 180 pounds and cutting down trees to two years later being a 80 pound skeleton drowning in your own spit.

Ibudin

I think its kind of beautiful... And MS is a terrible diasese, I understand them for wanting out of the pain together!!

Makes me think of the song Join Me with HIM...

I took a course in my college years titled "The Social Psychology of Death", and it was one of the few courses that really challenged me to examine positions and beliefs, and really spend some time thinking about the subject rather than going through the motions.

On the one hand, I find the concept of suicide abhorrent when looked at from the social perspective and the impact on friends, family, and society as a whole.

On the other hand, if told I am looking at less than three months to live, and will be facing escalating levels of pain and discomfort, it is an option that I cannot rule out (heading up to the boundary waters with some good music, a bottle of good vodka, and my pain pills is a scenario I could accept, after making complete arrangements for self and family).

It is the ultimate act of selfishness, regardless of circumstances:(

These people had lived their life. Who are we to tell them they can't end it with dignity. I have , unfortunatley been to a few suicide scenes and this is at least not nearly as gruesome as I have seen.
The last one was a guy that shot himself in the chest with a shot gun on his front lawn in front of his neighbors. That was hella grusome and really did hurt the peolple that had to witness it and the EMS people like myself who had to try to revive him. He was 82 years old and had prostate cancer. He had also just lost his wife of 58 years to a horrible death from cancer
While I don't agree with his methods, I believe he had the right to die. He was in horrible pain and had lost his wife.

If these people want to end their lives and do it in a relitively non intrusive manor then that should be their right.
Of course certain religions frown upon this. We aren't supposed to be able to decide what we do with our own lives, bodies, or deaths. The curch is suppossed to decide that for us. :cool:

I'm more concerned with the example it sets for other people. "Life treating you like shit? Well, it's A-Okay to commit suicide folks!"

Sure, if you massively oversimplify things. Unfortunetly that seems to be a popular thing to do in this country...

I'm totally against suicide, except in certain circumstances. When you know death is coming soon, and staying alive will be more painful to you and those around you then death, then I certainly understand. There are diseases that can do some horrible things.

I don't care enough about your opinion to do anything but over simplify shit.

Ok. Feeling a little snippy today? Too bad that didn't make any sense, unless ya write posts soley for me to read, ignoring everyone else.

That's Zehn's way of dealing with people who actually think about the topics they write about.

Pretty much yeah. Most forum posting is just intellectual masturbation anyways. I don't care enough about the subject, or honestly anyone reading it, to clairfy or expand upon ideas and/or expressions. Do you honestly care what I think...or are you just hoping you can tell everyone else what you think?

Maybe I'm just too pragmatic for my own good, but if you want to keep on railing and ranting about every issue that perks your titties, feel free to. I'll be over here continuing to not give a shit.

If these people want to end their lives and do it in a relitively non intrusive manor then that should be their right.

Bingo.

http://forums.ayonae.ro/images/reputation/reputation_neg.gifCouple Mail Obituaries ... (http://forums.ayonae.ro/showthread.php?p=78175#post78175)01-13-2005 06:47 PMAnd you're still an attention whore!



Yes!! Yes I am, fuck you! :D

:devil

Do you honestly care what I think...or are you just hoping you can tell everyone else what you think?
There are a lot of good discussions on these boards mixed in with the partisan rhetoric and posts about Gokuu's sister and what some people would like to do with her. They may not mean much compared to some other mediums of communication, but if you can honestly say you've never learned something new here, your head is so completely up your ass that there's no saving it. Personally, I see you as caring quite a bit about what's said here, enough that you jump into a lot of the discussions be they about gay marriage, religion, politics and whatnot. Then, after your points have been shown to lean more toward flawed than perfect, do your characterizations of "pseudo-intellectual debate" and "intellectual masturbation" and "not caring" show up.

So you can maintain your "I don't care" pose that no one buys for a moment, or you can learn from what's written here, even if you don't agree with it or end up learning more by going to source material. Or you can flip on porn and look for God, whatever helps pass the time.

I'll be over here continuing to not give a shit.

C'mon Zehn, you have a post count of almost 2000. I think ya care a little, or just like me, you're an attention whore. ;)

:devil

DiscW...best sig ever. That is all I have to say.

Learn? What's there to learn here? Nydia is your stereotypical teacher, DiscW is your typical save the whales pussy, Halo's your typical European. There's nothing I can learn here that hasn't already been covered in a 20 minute Simpson's episode.

The bulk, read 1700 or so, of my posts were EZboards posts, mostly back when EW and DW were going at it. And even when I ~do~ jump into conversations here and there, I usually (as in all the time) either try to take a lighter side or play the devil's advocate. Because honestly, if I wanted to see a bunch of pricks agreeing with eachother I'd have actually paid attention to Kivorn and Sanchek giving eachother rimjobs on the admin forum.

Now tell me...how does that make you feel?

My bad for bumping this, but I just noticed this....

DiscW is your typical save the whales pussy

....hahahahahahahahaha!

That is the first time I have ever heard that in my life, that was a good laugh, I have to thank you for that. And also a great example of how full of it you are. Thormir summed it up quite well.