I was quite ready to die (after stage 4 dx), but I thought "What the heck, let's give it a go. I've always been curious what it is like."
It turned out to be much less horrible than I expected and nearly five years later I'm still alive.
I thought the same, until I got cancer (stage 4 even, so the chemo wasn't curative). I don't know if I was lucky or it was the type of chemo, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. It's been nearly five years since diagnosis and I'm very happy I got treatment. Considering the fact that I have incurable cancer, my life is spectacularly good!
My "secrets" are motivation and time. I was very motivated to change my diet and changed my life to make sure I had the time (and energy) to cook a real meal every day. I also treated it (almost obsessively) as a quest to improve my cooking skills (and probably taste too) to use as little processed additives as possible. On average I eat more than 500 gram of vegetables a day now and really enjoy it.
Edit: I also only drink water and one cup of decaf coffee with almond milk a day.
I'm not considered terminally ill yet by most "official" definitions (you have to have months to live). I'm lucky to have a cancer that so far response to treatment to slow it down substantially.
This is relevant to the discussion because it means I'm more or less in the same position as the non-terminally ill people you are talking about. In my locale there are euthanasia laws, but they require that I suffer unbearably before euthanasia is allowed. I do not like this prospect one bit. I'd much rather die before reaching that phase. So the reality is that people's discomfort with death will potentially cause me great suffering. This makes this discussion very personal to me. Even though it might seem to you my situation is substantially different.
It is horrible if people are forced into MAID because of monetary issues, but that should obviously be addressed by improving their financial support, not by taking away the option of MAID.
I have incurable cancer and I'd really like to die on my own terms. Why should that be hard? Today it is still way too hard in most of the world (including in countries that have MAID).
Also, it's not just about it being "hard". Sure I could blow my brains out, but I'd like to have the option to die with my loved ones by my side without traumatizing them (or getting them in potential legal problems).
(Not trying to score sympathy points)
I got diagnosed with metastatic cancer (incurable). Five weeks later (while getting chemo) I quit my job. I was a workaholic software developer. I haven't programmed since. Best decision I ever made and I'm happy and enjoy life (with some limitations).
In my (unpopular) opinion trials for people with incurable cancer are quite predatory. You are supposed to participate to help science, not yourself. But in reality many people desperately cling to anything that gives them hope.
Agreed (except the part about the patient paying for clinical trials). After I got diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer last year I was asked to participate in a immunotherapy trial. I declined as a wasn't about to spend the next two years (that could very well be my last) going to the hospital every three weeks to be poked and prodded.