Death and Taxes
A Conversation with a Palliative Care Nurse
In a letter about the new US Constitution, Benjamin Franklin wrote:
“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
That quote seems fitting this week as we test the permanence of our Constitution, pay our taxes, and here at Pantsuit Politics, contemplate our own mortality.
In today’s new episode, Death with Dignity, Sarah and Beth discuss the expanding availability of physician-assisted death across the globe and what that means for us.
We always want to show and share our work here on the podcast, so we wanted to share this background conversation Beth had with our longtime listener and Executive Producer, Janice Elliott, who is a palliative care nurse in California.
In it, she talks about dying a process, what you have to do in California to access physician-assisted death, and the ways that caregiving, cost, and dignity play a role in those decisions. It’s a frank and fascinating conversation, and we are grateful to Janice for sharing her experience and to all of you for going there with us in this most tender of conversations.
Because this is a tender subject, I think poets and artists have been doing the work of transforming grief into art for a long time, so I also wanted to share this poem I heard earlier this year on the Poetry Unbound podcast:
“Neanderthal Dig” by Don McKay Poetry Unbound
Especially the second verse:
“What manner of wreath
might honour this death?
Some wing of language
entering earth?
Wherever you’re gone
may your spirit wander
wild as a swan
in the Vale of Neander.”
We hope you have the very best weekend available to you.
A Pick Me Up
Don’t forget that every Thursday, Sarah treats our Premium Subscribers to a Good News Brief, and on Wednesday this week Beth had More to Say About Creative Problem-Sovling.
Happy Birthday to Us!
You can still join the party with a virtual ticket for just $25. Watch the live stream from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center or catch the replay at your convenience.
A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors Substack, Fearless Finance, and Martha Bronitsky for making this milestone event possible!
Get virtual tickets or join the waitlist for in-person tickets at pantsuitpoliticsshow.com – we can't wait to celebrate with our incredible community!
Pantsuit Politics 10th Birthday Celebration
We’re celebrating 10 years of Pantsuit Politics with a live show you don’t want to miss! Join us on Saturday, July 19 for a fun and memorable night together as a community.
Martha Bronitsky, Executive Producer
Huge thanks to Martha Bronitsky, one of our first Executive Producers, for her ongoing support of our show, our work, and this community.
Something Nice to Take You Into the Weekend
Sarah and Beth shared some spicy thoughts on Blue Origin’s all-female space flight this week. But we have nothing but praise and excitement for Amanda Nguyen getting to experience microgravity and continuing her journey to space.
What We’re Reading and Listening To This Week
Sarah: This Is the Holocaust Story I Said I Wouldn’t Write (The New York Times | Gift Link)
Beth: You’re on Vacation. You Leave Your Kid in Your Hotel Room With a Baby Monitor. What Could Go Wrong? (Slate)
Maggie: “How to be Awesome – With Almost no Effort” (with John Green) (The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos) - I love this podcast (almost as much as Pantsuit Politics) and the hopeful effort to raise funds and fill the gap left by USAID aid cuts through Give Directly to help sustain treatment for people with tuberculosis.
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As a hospice nurse I appreciated this episode, but I was saddened by Sarah’s perspective regarding “starving” and watching someone waste away. It is a natural process of death and dying and feeding someone that is not physically able to swallow is very unsafe and will cause more harm. Also other avenues of nutrition and hydration via IV or tube feed also present a multitude of other issues and risks. It is more comfortable for someone at end of life to be more dehydrated. I am aware that as someone that is not a nurse or a caregiver for those that are facing end of life Sarah will not understand all the complexities surrounding end of life care. I don’t mean to be “judgey” or come down at Sarah for her comments. It just hurt my heart to hear her feel that way. End of life care is complex and not a one size fits all situation. I mean no disrespect nor do I intend to insult anyone’s intelligence. I appreciate all the work that the team at Pantsuit Politics puts into everything they do!
Keep doing God’s work!
Thank you for this, I was with both my parents when they passed, each was different. I took care of my mom with the help of hospice. I think mom would have chosen the EOL meds, had it been offered. Dad was in the hospital recovering from a stroke, where he lasted 2 mos of pure suffering. It’s a hard thing to go thru, I don’t know where I strength from.. well thank you God cause I did do a lot of praying ❤️