Links to interviews about Meg's use of Assisted Dying legislation (aka Death with Dignity)

• 12/11/15: Fred Hutch interview about Meg's cancer: youtube video
  
• 9/11/15. (very brief)  Interview with British ITV News, prior to the House of Commons vote (it failed)

• Next most recent (11/3/14) is this interview on CCTV, a cable TV news station from the Chinese government. Here is the text (and video) link:
  
  

  http://www.cctv-america.com/2014/11/03/terminally-ill-woman-goes-through-with-physician-assisted-suicide

  
  

  My segment: http://youtu.be/kvjxYrLsScw

  
  I get to talk about the arguments in favor of Assisted Dying, and the flaws in the opposition's position.

  
  

  The other video  segment:  http://youtu.be/g1wA4bmLzYY

  
  
  

  CCTV America is the American division of CCTV News, the English-language news channel run by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television. It is based in Washington, DC and manages bureaus across North and South America. The service employs a mix of American, international and Chinese journalists and produces Americas-based programming with a focus on Asia for CCTV News.^[1]

  
  

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCTV_America
  
  
• Very informative was this long (nationwide)  Canadian Broadcasting Company radio report from March 2013. Here's a printed version
  
  
  http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/how-20-years-has-changed-the-debate-over-assisted-suicide-1.1334158
  
  
  and here's the 13 minute radio report; my bit starts at 10:00
  
  
  http://www.cbc.ca/thehouse/2014/01/17/house-additions-assisted-suicide/
• October 2012 Canadian TV Interview (~ 3 mins, and text) : http://bc.ctvnews.ca/how-might-doctor-assisted-suicide-be-implemented-1.989506
• May 2012 NPR radio segment about the release of the statistics for WA use of Death with Dignity legislation in 2011 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=151900341
• National Death with Dignity blog post http://www.deathwithdignity.org/2011/10/18/megs-death-dignity
• Compassion and Choices video about their services  http://compassionwa.org/about-us/  This is the group who aided Meg in her journey. I appear at about 3:30

Other links about Assisted Dying legislation;

• A very comprehensive and cogent Washington Post opinion piece, from a former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine

Here's a British "Dignity in Dying" briefing paper.

Other Ways to remember Meg

If you'd like to remember Meg by donating to something other than (or in addition to!?) the Brain Cancer Walk (previous post), here are a few suggestions:

• Compassion and Choices Washington helped Meg use the Washington Death with Dignity Act: it would have been almost impossible to do without their advice and the remarkable services of the volunteer assigned to us. Here's their donation page.
• The National Death with Dignity Center is working to expand the services available in Washington and Oregon to other States. Our story was featured on their website. They would welcome your support.
• I have found great comfort and support at a local grief support non-profit, The Healing Center of Seattle. They would surely welcome your support.

Seattle Brain Cancer Walk: September 22nd

 We had a team, Club Meg, in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk in 2010 and 2011: Meg walked with us in 2010 but was confined to her bed in 2011. This year, rather than running our own team, I am inviting you to join me in supporting "Zeb's Bunch", a team run by a woman I met at our brain cancer support group. She's doing very well and she and her many friends will bring great enthusiasm to the event.

To go straight to my fundraising page, click here or to DONATE right now, just click here

Below is Elizabeth's story, in her own words:

As most of you know, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor on April 25, 2011. I am happy to report that after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the tumor has not shown any signs of growth. Thankfully, for now, I am stable. I am back at work part-time and have been working on regaining my energy and strength. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my family during these difficult times.

Once again, I am coming to you for help. On Saturday September 22, I am participating again in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk so that I can give back to the Brain Cancer community that has supported me during my difficult diagnosis and treatment. Last year, we raised nearly $30,000.00 toward finding a cure for this awful disease and this year we hope to exceed that goal. I would love for you to join my team, Zeb's Bunch. My team page is here: http://community.swedish.org/page.aspx?pid=313&tab=0&frtid=904
Only 22,000 people in the US are diagnosed with brain cancer every year. This is HUGE event in every patient's life but the number itself is so small that Big Pharma currently does not have a SINGLE brain cancer drug in its pipeline - (excuse the cliche) an extremely hard pill to swallow when you are fighting this. But business-wise, it makes sense. In my heart I have accepted that it is up to me to do all I can to save my own life.

The money raised by this event goes directly to Brain Cancer research conducted by Dr. Greg Foltz. He is a dedicated, caring, very hopeful and brilliant doctor who I truly know is doing everything he can to cure brain cancer. I want to give him as much money as he needs to get this done!

Please join my team and then ask 10 friends to give $10 each - you are at $100 already! I know we can do this! If you can walk with me and my team, I would love to see you there. If getting up early on a Saturday isn't your thing, please consider making a donation. Everything counts in this fight.

Six month update

Meg took particular joy in the unfurling of fern fronds, and often pointed them out to me. I have spread some of her ashes under each of the ferns that she planted in our backyard.

Meg died October 1st, so 6 months would have been April Fools' Day, which seemed inappropriate. But it was also the first Saturday in October, so 6 months brought us to Easter and Passover (and 1 year will bring us to our favorite small town parade, Granite Falls Railroad Days).  The Saturday I spent on my first date since 1979 (hints below, details later) and on Sunday I attended a delightful lunch and a wonderful dinner!

I've been quashing the desire to share with you every little bump along my road to emotional recovery and every little misadventure in my attempts to take over the great variety of tasks around the house that I (blush!) took for granted, did not fully appreciate, and never thanked Meg adequately for. On the latter point I'll merely note that the taxes are done (Turbotax rather than Meg's #2 pencil), the grass is mown, the house is cleanish (Roomba!), I'm neither gaining nor losing weight, and I am eating my vegetables and fruit.

My emotional recovery is due in main part to the tremendous support and care I continue to get from all of you, and for which I can never thank you enough (without risking a run-on sentence). You may recall that the Swedish Hospital brain cancer caregivers' group transitioned into a widows' group, and that the widows graciously voted to invite me to join them. They support and encourage me, and demonstrate how life can go on despite what we had all been through. At the suggestion of a hospice social worker I started attending grief support groups at a local non-profit (the Healing Center). There I find support, understanding, acceptance and the realization that it could have been a whole lot worse (slim comfort but, sadly, true).

It's also where I found the date mentioned above, another recent widow. And that's enough to burden you with for now. I'll try and stay in touch occasionally if I see you actually reading this. You might care to mention to others that I've broken my long silence...

More memories of Meg

Posing after Meg's last (?) performance with the Clarinet Choir

Slide-Shows

• Clarinet Choir reception after November 20th concert
• Reception after October 23rd Seattle Philharmonic Concert
• Remembrances of Meg written at the receptions 
• Slideshow of Meg's life, shown at the receptions

Or just browse the galleries.

Videos

• Nimrod, Enigma Variations, Sir Edward Elgar. Clarinet Choir
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire, J.S. Bach. Clarinet Choir
• Simple Gifts, Aaron Copland. Seattle Philharmonic
• Short sample of Kesselgarden, the Klezmer duo who played at the first  reception.
• Another taste of Kesselgarden

Or just browse the videos.

Remembering Meg in words, music and pictures

On the corner of the stage
during the concert

On October 23rd (her 58th birthday), the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra remembered Meg during its Fall concert, by playing a piece of music that was very dear to us. That evening Meg's friends and colleagues hosted a self-catered reception in her honor at Fred Hutch.

This coming Sunday her fellow members of the Northwest Clarinet Choir will present a concert in her honor, featuring works that Meg played with the clarinet choir and was particularly fond of as well as an arrangement of a piece, Blithe Bells, that the choir commissioned in her honor. A reception, to which you are all invited, follows the concert.

Vicki and Jean hard at work

The October 23rd reception was masterfully planned and overseen by Vicki Halper, wife of my boss (Gerry Smith, who provided the wine) and much of the work was done by Meg's sister (Caryn) and mother (Jean), who came up for the weekend. All the rest of the hard work was done by our colleagues at the Hutch. Everything went wonderfully and we all had as good a time as we could, considering the occasion. I hereby thank them all for their efforts.

Below are links to sets of pictures that you might enjoy. Click on any picture in a set to enter a slideshow, and navigate via the onscreen white arrows which appear when you mouse over it. Clicking on the "slideshow" option on the lower left gives you a self-running slideshow, with larger pictures but without any captions I might have added.

Slideshows

See all the writings here

• Here is the set of ~ 300 photos of Meg's life which was played at the reception. Photos came from Meg's mom, from our albums and from my computer. Meg was in great part responsible for the show, as she had made prints from the better of our pictures, and put them in chronological order, with great annotations, in a series of albums. It pleased me to see people enjoying the pictures, both in the cafeteria and in the lecture theater.
• We provided poster paper and pens at the reception and, after Caryn's urgings, many people wrote thoughts and reminiscences about Meg. Here are pictures of each sheet and of each individual note. Many thanks to everyone for their stories and thoughts.
• Finally, here are pictures of the reception, including shopping and preparations!
• You are more than welcome to browse through the other photo sets on my iPhoto gallery. If you become my Facebook friend, you can "enjoy" even more pictures, including our assorted camping trips.

Movies

• As noted earlier, I video recorded the Seattle Phil's tribute to Meg: here's a link to it. Details on the previous post.
• The Klezmer duo that performed at the reception, Kesselgarden, features Carl Shutoff on clarinet, who was a very early member of Meg's clarinet choir, and who donated his services for the evening.  Here's a brief video from the evening, and here's another one, and here's a link to their CD.

Thanks again to everyone for making this bittersweet occasion so memorable. I hope to see you at the Clarinet Choir concert and reception at 4 PM on Sunday Nov. 20th. at Woodland Park Methodist Church, 78th & Greenwood.

Meg's birthday cake from the reception, made by a Hutch colleague. A list of  some
of her published protein structures, her name spelled out in amino acids, and a clarinet.

Clarinet Choir Concert and Reception to remember Meg

A clarinet choir (no surprise) is a musical group consisting entirely of clarinets! The sound of the ensemble is often likened to that of an organ. Even unmusical Andrew has made that connection.

Meg was one of the founding members of the Northwest Clarinet Choir, and played with them from their inception in 1990 until her brain cancer diagnosis in December 2009.  She rejoined the group in September of 2010 and played with them until 2 days before her 2nd brain surgery in late March of this year. 

The choir's next concert is dedicated to Meg's memory and will feature pieces Meg has played with the choir, pieces she particularly liked, and an arrangement of a piece she selected for the occasion. The choir will also perform "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations, which is often used to remember musicians. Meg remarked on its quiet, understated nature when she and I heard it at the memorial concert for George Shangrow.  Meg and the choir performed on George Shangrow's live concert preview show on KING-FM ("Live, by George") a number of times.

As noted above, the concert is at 4 PM on Sunday November 20th, at Woodland Park United Methodist Church, 78th & Greenwood.  Please join us for the reception after the concert for  food, drink, chat, memories (and another chance to see the Meg slideshow or to write down your memories of her).

Meg served as the choir's librarian for many years