The Last Sequence
Suffocation is a horrible feeling
Sodium Thiopental. Pancuronium Bromide. Potassium Chloride.
I admit quickly enough that those words twist my tongue into knots but fortunately am sharper of wit than tongue. Believe me when I say that those alphabetical soup type of words are just as lethal as a bowl of poisonous soup. Few people look those words over as I do these days. Those tongue twisting words are the names of the chemicals administered to anybody executed in Texas. Likely those poisonous chemicals are death to me as soon as the State of Texas has it’s way.
What can be done once my fate is certain but to know indeed. With curiosity then I look those words over to uncover what they truly mean. I would rather the truth and to be informed of the method and sequence to the final moments of life. I wonder how it will feel and what words will escape my lips. Not sure what thoughts will dominate the moment, however, right now Sodium Thiopental come to mind.
Sodium Thiopental is the first chemical used in the actual sequence of execution. Once this chemical is administered, I will lose conscious. This lethal chemical, Sodium Thiopental, is an ultra short acting barbiturate.
Medically it is used to induce rather than maintain anesthesia during surgery. Unless the Sodium Thiopental fails to be effective for some reason, I will be unaware of my surroundings.
Pancuronium Bromide, the second lethal chemical to enter my bloodstream is meant to paralyze my muscles entirely and to collapse my respiratory system. Internally my body will sense the flood of chemicals and struggle vainly to fight them off. Gasping several times, my lungs will collapse. I will be in the process of dying.
Potassium Chloride will be the final and fatal lethal chemical administered. Its purpose is to cause cardiac arrest, a massive heart attack. On average, it takes 9 minutes for these fatal chemicals to produce the expected results, I will then be pronounced dead.
I have sat and thought about the sequence of events that will lead to the of me, physically. I’ve also considered equally what I could possible experience during every satge of the execution. What I know, in fact, is that on my appointed day of execution, I will be strapped to the gurney in Texas’ death chamber. The sequence will begin and truly what thoughts will race through my mind, my thoughts should slowly fade as the first chemical takes effect and I lose conscious.
If you could see me, I would appear to be peacefully asleep. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Recently I read a sworn statement by Dr. Mark Heath, an anesthesiologist, concerning the chemicals used in an execution.
He state that the anesthesia used, Sodium Thiopental will crystallize once it comes into contact with another chemical such as Pancuronium Bromide. What this means is that I would suddenly wake as the paralyzing chemical takes effect. Awake, I will be fully aware yet unable to express the agony my body must surely feel.
Suffocation is a horrible feeling if you can imagine yourself desperately trying to breath while unable to even budge. It would seem to most that I am peacefully asleep but the moment that I gasp my body will be frantically fighting for survival. For me, time will take on the appearance of non-existing. A slow torturous execution will be unfolding before your unknowing eyes if you can still see me peacefully asleep.
Lastly, and not un-cruelly, the third chemical activates all the nerve fibers in the veins delivering the maximum amount of pain possible as it firmly takes hold of my heart and stops it completely. These are the final sequence of events to a condemned man’s life. When the time comes this is the truth of it.
By Rogelio Reyes Cannady
Death Row Inmate, TX, USA.
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