Feeding Tube Debate


I'll be honest and say I JUST DON'T KNOW. Both sides have convincing arguments. Parents want their child to live as long as possible (like I would); husband doesn't think she is living (and she isn't really).

The best thing to do is now that this issue has arisen is, let us WRITE DOWN WHAT WE WANT. That way, there is no debate. Scratch that. There will always be debate by the family, but you will avoid this type of litigation.
 
A living will is the key. The husband says they discussed the issue and she didn't want to be kept alive. We'll never know if that is true because of her condition.

On the money issue, Schiavo's husband was awarded $1 million dollars in 1992 from a malpractice judgement, $700,000 was placed in a trust for Terri Schiavo's care. I wonder how much of that moeny is still around.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be kept alive and I don't think - in fact, I know I wouldn't keep a close family member alive. I haven't had to actually make that decision but there was time when my brother and I came close to having to do so.
 



:(

The bottom line is that there really is no good end to this story.

Until yesterday, I honestly thought that she was not only receiving nutrition from a feeding tube, but I also thought she had helped breathing (pardon my ignorance). Once I found out the truth, I thought, "how cruel." Although I told my family there is no way in hell I want to be kept alive like that, you never know what you hope for when knocking on death's door.

If she was on a ventilator, I would say remove it; if a person can't breath on his or her own, its time to go on home. But come on, what they're doing is kind of cruel. Think about how you feel when you are hungry as all get out: you feel weak, nauseous and sometimes you get a headache. It is predicted it will take TWO WEEKS for this woman to die. TWO WEEKS!!! Imagine going without food or water for two weeks. It's not like quick eutenasia. I don't care if she is a veggie, I'm sure she can still feel that type of pain.

I feel bad for the parents and the husband, but either way it goes, I don't see this ending very well.
 
Thousands of Families Facing Similar Decisions

At any one time, as many as 35,000 Americans ? up to 10,000 of them children ? are in a persistent vegetative state similar to that of Terri Schiavo, medical experts said Friday.

Every week, tens or hundreds of families across the country must make the same wrenching decision that Schiavo's husband and parents have been fighting over for more than 10 years, but the decisions are typically made in a much less public forum..........

A persistent vegetative state is something different, "sort of like being in an awake coma," said Dr. David A. Goldstein of the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Patients' eyes are open, they have sleep-wake cycles, and it often appears that they are interacting with visitors, which makes it hard on families.

The brains of such patients are functioning only at a very rudimentary level, said Dr. Kenneth V. Iserson of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson. They cannot feel pain, express themselves or receive communication. They may have grimaces or smiles or other facial movements that look like they are reflecting emotions, but "there really isn't a significant relationship with the outside world," Goldstein said.

........http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-medical19mar19,1,3192014.story
 
The starving truly sickens me. I can't stand to see someone hungry. Smacks of cruel and unusual punishment. I don't know what I would do in this case but I'm starting to lean towards kidnapping my child from the hospital and risking the jail time. It definitely makes my heart hurt thinking about my son starving to death because his wife doesn't think he's a functioning member of society any longer. ACH! I just don't know...just saying prayers for strength for both sides.
 
They say she's not brain dead but come on now...she has NO brain functions. It amazes me how Congress can step up to reinsert the feeding tube yet they continue to support the death penalty and abortion. Seems like an oximoron to me. Let's keep someone dead alive and make the living people dead. But that's just my theory...
 
This is pure POLITIC's on Congress part. :shame:

The idiot's that interfeared in this after 7 years, 9 state and federal judges, and the FREAKING SUPREME COURT, are nothing more than VOTE PANDERING SCUM. THEY MAKE ME :sick:

STAY OUT OF PEOPLE'S PRIVATE LIVES. :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
 
I think that the husband's wishes need to be obeyed. She is on assisted living. I told my parents that I would hate them it they did that to me.

I have been having conversations with family members on certain medical situations where I want them to put a bullet in me.
 
Before I was against removing the tube. However after really reading about the case and her condition, It should be the husband's decision. However I disagree with the way its being done. Instead of starving her to death, they'd be better off euthanizing her.
 
They say it's 350,000 other people in this very same condition. Why are they blowing up this particular case. Could it be finicially motivated????? HHHHMMMMMMMM
 
NASTYNUPE said:
They say it's 350,000 other people in this very same condition. Why are they blowing up this particular case. Could it be finicially motivated????? HHHHMMMMMMMM
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we were discussing this same theory. what makes this case so special?
 
I don't think it is financially motivated. Most of the money has been spent already. When she first took ill Mr. Schiavo was awarded over a million dollars to care for his wife. Well, most of that is gone if not all exhausted.

This case has garnered so much attention because the parents have been making noise about.
 



Who's footing the bill for all of these lawsuits? I wish they would have protested the 2000 election results as much as this case.

cat daddy said:
I don't think it is financially motivated. Most of the money has been spent already. When she first took ill Mr. Schiavo was awarded over a million dollars to care for his wife. Well, most of that is gone if not all exhausted.

This case has garnered so much attention because the parents have been making noise about.
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Now that it looks like the parents have exhausted all appeals do you think they will try and sue the husband for neglect or wrongful death?
 
silentrage said:
Now that it looks like the parents have exhausted all appeals do you think they will try and sue the husband for neglect or wrongful death?
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Yes I expect they will file a wrongful death lawsuit. It's just a matter of time.
 
Dr. Sweet NUPE said:
If that's the case then the decision should be her husbands. ...Like I said earlier I have told my family if something like this happens let me die. I don't want to be a burden on anyone....also...I have a DNR...DO NOT RECESSITATE (sp).
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To Dr. and everyone else out there...this situation is beyond that of a DNR. This is about incapacitation to NORMAL function. The only thing that this woman cannot do to prolong her life is to EAT. Her organ function is just fine. Were she simply in a coma, she would be fed with no questions asked by anyone. So, if what you really want it should you come to such a state, put it in writing in a living will. Since a living will is a legal document, BE VERY CAREFUL HOW YOU WORD SUCH A SECTION BECAUSE IT WILL BE CARRIED OUT EXACTLY LIKE YOU STATE IT. Be very explicit about what state(s) of health where you would want feeding stopped and any state(s) where you WOULD want feeding to continue.

The bottom line is, if you want that level of control, be sure to take all of the decision-making out of the hands of your loved ones and the courts. That is a difficult thing to accomplish because something new is bound to happen that we are not thinking of today.
 
The husband has the say in this case. If she were single, the parents would have the say.

I hope everyone gets a living will - so they can have their preference.
 
The living will is going to cause lawyers to make lots of money this year. I believe there are some web sites that provide free living wills documents so people can make thier choices and keep goverment out of your person life.
 
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