Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking: My Wife's Ordeal (VSED)

Raymond D. Smith, Jr. has released a new book describing his wife's (Anne Albright Smith) ordeal with VSED in October-November 2020.

Anne was diagnosed with cortico-basal syndrome (CBS). As her abilities decreased below a tolerable level, she decided that she would VSED. Her sister had used VSED some years earlier in New Hampshire. Anne was in New Paltz, New York. She was 87 years old.

The book has two main parts. The first half is a biography and love story of a 60-year marriage. The second half is a day-by-day (even hour-by-hour) description of caring for Anne for eleven days during the VSED process. 

Smith is not a fan of VSED, charging it as "drawn out, uncomfortable, painful, and grossly unpleasant to you and your loved ones." He describes himself as holding "white hot fury" that VSED was the only means available by which Anne could hasten her death. He calls for New York to legalize MAID. On the other hand, Smith admits that he and Anne did little research of planning before undertaking VSED.

In our just-released book, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely-Available Option for Hastening Death, we offer clinical and other guidance on VSED that should permit other families to have a better experience than Raymond and Anne.