It's a surreal workday for Tory Plaisance as he shows a new employee around the warehouse at his SeaTac shipping company.
It's surreal because the new employee Tory is training is the person who will replace him when he is too sick to work.
"It just hurts when stuff is being taken away from you one thing at a time," says Tory.
Tory has worked as a shipping manager at Express Northwest for the past five years. He calls it the best job he's ever had, but he knows there are very difficult days ahead. He's training Jeannette Steiner, who is struggling with the emotions of the transition herself.
"There's times when there's good times and then it's like - it's not gonna be like this always. At one point it's gonna be me working here and he's not gonna be here. I just wish I could make everything better for him," she says, choking back tears, "but I can't."
The business of dying is a chillingly formal one. Tory's sister-in-law, Patti Plaisance, dutifully helps him through the "Death with Dignity" paperwork process.
"This is my way to show him I care and that I want to do something for him. And he's allowing me to do something for him," she says.
Tory has two doctors who have signed statements saying he has 6 months or less to live. Now he must find one willing to write the prescription for the drugs he may soon take to end his life. That could be much more difficult given the moral issues involved and the reluctance of many doctors to help a patient die.
Even so, laying the groundwork for death has been easy compared to the struggle of getting Tory's life in order.
Like a lot of people, Tory now owes more than his condo is worth, he has more than $50,000 in medical bills, and the IRS says he owes $3,000 in back taxes because of medical write-offs they rejected. Tory's family fears once he has to stop working, his bills will kill him before his disease does.
His sister-in-law is writing letters on his behalf asking for reduced payment plans, so at the very least Tory can keep his home, but the banks have been unforgiving.
"It wears him out. A lot of days he doesn't even want to get out of bed. A lot of it is his sickness, too but it's just a heavy weight on him," she says.
As for Tory, his will to live is wearing thin.
"My health is gone. My house is gone. My savings is gone. It just doesn't seem right for someone to die like this."
To add a comment, please register or login.