Migraine Murder- not a fun post

Today is a very sad day. The local media is all abuzz with a triple murder that ended in a suicide. The dad shot his 19 year old daughter because he couldn't stand to see her in pain from migraines anymore. He had watched her become more and more debilitated by the disease and couldn't stand it as she slowly had to say goodbye to the things she loved the most like her music career.

Following that, he killed her mom as he didn't want her to have to learn of her daughters death. He then shot his sister to save her from the pain and shame of it all.

Details are still emerging, but it seems this family had fought very hard to get her the help they could for her migraines. She had lost so much and they felt that the healthcare system was letting them down.

I'm really shaken by this and have so many mixed emotions.

What an awful story!  

Given the whole string of events it seems like far more than mercy killing however. It sounds like dad was mentally ill himself. 

Still very sad news.

I can't disagree with you. I mean, you don't kill a series of people to stop someone's suffering. The whole thing makes me so sad.

Not exactly just a mercy killing imo, more like he was mainly feeling helpless and frustrated with our medical system which keep turning his daughter away and treating her like and addict when she needed morphine shots.
It was said in the first news on Global News.
And it's true. our system is worse and worse over the years.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/randy-janzen-facebook-post-an-apparent-confession-of-killing-wife-daughter-sister-1.3066803
http://globalnews.ca/news/1987107/ihit-takes-over-suspicious-fire-investigation-in-popkum-east-of-chilliwack/

really sad. I am shaken, too.

Risa

I can't shake this because she was fighting the same fight you and I are here in this corner of the world. Same system, same crappy disease, same treatment by the system.

I know what you mean.
 In yesterdays (The) Province is an article about this tragedy, and the comment made by certain psychologist involved with the case
made me seeying red:

Still, Boyd said he would be hesitant to classify the Janzen case as a possible mercy killing.

"The fact that a person has severe migraines is seldom a reason to take their life as an act of mercy," he said. "That seems rather farfetched."

Excuse me? seldom a reason??? Farfetched????
while I do not condone the killing, I know firsthand how traumatic, agonizing  migraine disease can be,
how horribly a migraine patient can be treated by a medical establishment particularly by ER personnel,
and how useless all the available treatments can be.

Don't tell me it's farfetched a father killed his daughter because he couldn't stand anymore watching her suffer.
the rest is just an avalanche.
It doesn't mean he was right in the head, true, but OH YES,  it is absofuckinglutely FETCHED migraine can be as horrible as the whole story sounds.

Risa

I just read the article and am having the same response. Clearly that psychologist has never had a series of migraines.

Not even one I suspect.
 M
I don't like this guy Boyd  tone.  his obvious lack of education on the subject combined with  flippant remark  is degrading to all sufferers whose life, like mine, was robbed, ruined  by migraine in every aspect. what does he know what is like to have agonizing migraine,
let alone day after day, month after month, year after year - a big fat  zero.

It's the worst combination that can be out there, somebody who thinks is an authority but in reality lacks important parts of  knowledge.
Unfortunately, it's bad for those who counts. Like us...

Risa

You should write an article to the paper providing this point of view on how significant the suffering is and how often the medical system fails us.

Migraine girl, you are right, I should have had, but this is not  good time for me because a dear friend of mine died  a few days ago of cancer.
(perhaps you remember, 7 years ago I asked for prayers for a friend with brain cancer? sadly, she just passed away)
Yesterday was her funeral. I can't believe she is gone. just can't. we were both immigrants, both from the same city in Poland
and we knew each other since we were 18 y.o, so considering I am now 58 and  26 of those  we shared  together here in BC
- it's quite a hunk  of time together, isn't it, eh?...
It is not often that friends, when emigrating independently,  end up together in foreign country, ya know.

So I apologize but I am not quite up for debating with newspapers even if I understand it is important and I should,
but  I just don't have the spirit to do so,
I am so sorry..

Risa

Risa,  so sorry to hear about the death of your friend.  I am sorry for this loss.it is a reminder that Life is a precious gift and we must continue to try to make the most of it that we can.  And there is no time like the present to cherish our friends.

Thank you MG.
As it happens, another friend who  I know also from Poland (by a strange twist of fate, there is quite a number of us childhood friends and acquaintances who, sometimes unknowingly of each other, all  ended up  in Vancouver, BC!)  will have a b-day gathering on Monday.
(In Canada this upcoming  Monday  is Victoria Day, a holiday).
And look at life, here we will be quietly celebrating the  life of one friend while I am sure at one point reminiscing  the passing of  another..

Risa

So sorry to read of your loss! Hugs my friend!