Ashley Treatment Redux
Kathryn over at Ryn Tale's helped relay an article about a version of the "Ashley Treatment" being considered in the UK. Take a read both of Kathryn's reaction and the original article.
Here is the comment I left on a petition the original article linked to. Share your thoughts/comments when you have time:
"For my part, voluntary surgery and treatments aren't voluntary if you don't consent.
My three-and-a-half year old daughter recently had her left ovary removed due to a tumor. The doctor suggested we might review the idea of removing the other at another time and started discussing the pluses and minuses (the pluses included no menstruation: apparently a plus if you experience a cognitive disability).
Everyone underestimates our daughter's wants and level of understanding (including us sometimes). Unless medically necessary, we would never consider such a procedure. She deserves the right to live an independent and full life. It's my job, as her parent, to protect that right, not to remove it."
I could vent more - much more. In Hannah's case, we trust and like this doctor. I think he was trying to give us a positive way to view removing the other ovary if it came to that down the road for truly medical reasons. But I still had to stop him and let him know, emphatically, that we'd try to do everything else first to preserve Hannah's options/choices as she grows older.
He understood, but I'm still glad we had The Talk.
-- Dad
Comments
Ok -I am really shocked that your doctor suggested that at all. Also, the ovary produces many, many important hormones that you daughter needs to be female! Never mind the whole fertility issue. Women who have had both ovary's removed have significant issues with hormone imbalances. It's one thing to remove it because of a malignant tumor (benigh tumors not so much). But it is certainly another to remove it just because she is cognitively impaired. Good for you sticking up for her.
Since when did mentration become a bad thing? In ancient times it was considered sacred. This is mysogeny at it's most subtle.
Posted by: Kathryn | October 10, 2007 07:56 AM
I agree. I brought up Ashley's case specifically in our discussion with this doctor and emphasized that Hannah needed to be able to make her own choices (life, sexuality, whatever) down the road.
After quietly absorbing this, he moved on to discussing treatments & maintenance in the future (rather than removal).
All that said, the equation of eliminating menstruation as a "plus" for a girl with a cognitive disability got me more than a little wound up....
Posted by: Rob at Kintropy | October 10, 2007 08:33 PM