The Schiavo issue

[surfinmuse]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

... Can I just request here that I want MY feeding tube removed?...

Okay I just read up on this case, had to do a bit of catch-up. So it seems like she didn't have an "ADVANCE HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVE," right? I know a bit about this stuff since my sister works in Hospice and EOL (End-Of-Life) care stuff. I think the Advance Healthcare Directive (I think that's the proper legalese) is something included in your Living Will & Trust. Sounds to me like she didn't have one.

Then again, I'm wondering how fool-proof those are. I mean, if this entire fiasco of government intervention (though one is reminded that perhaps it started w/ her parents?) is any indication, maybe the parameters of one's healthcare directive can be challenged by an opposing party.

[BarTopDancer]

Sigh. Your spouse, your next of kin can't make the medical decisions.

Your Living Wills and Advance Health Directives can be ignored.

Your life and your death will be decided on by the government.

After all the government knows you best. They know what you'd want better than what you or your own spouse.

This is very scary. Very very scary. I have never been so scared of my government in my life.

[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Or we could just let her die and let God sort it out - provided she believes in God, of course

From what I hear, she does. And that's exactly what I keep coming back to. Her parents, who are supposedly Catholic, are keeping her in a permanently vegetative state in this life instead of letting her be with God in the next life.

Catholic dogma was mentioned way earlier in this thread. Here's the deal, Catholic dogma states to protect the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death. Terri Schiavo is alive due to a feeding tube, if the feeding tube is removed, similar to a situation where a respirator is removed, there will be natural death. Therefore, removing the feeding tube is acceptable according to "Catholic dogma."

Also earlier in the thread, someone mentioned that removing her feeding tube is similar to stopping feeding people who are spoon-fed. It's not, really. Spoon fed = ordinary means to keep someone alive. Feeding tube = extraordinary means.

It's all so sad to me. I certainly can't say that I would do the right thing if I was in her parents place.....or the husband's for that matter. They're all in my prayers.

And that this is all the result of an eating disorder....breaks my heart all over again.

[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

See, this is what puzzles me about Christianity and other heaven-based religions - If heaven is such a great place, why do you wnat to send the hienous of criminals there without pause, yet do your best to prevent loved ones from achieving it?

I totally agree.

[Name]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Sigh. Your spouse, your next of kin can't make the medical decisions.

Your Living Wills and Advance Health Directives can be ignored.

Your life and your death will be decided on by the government.

After all the government knows you best. They know what you'd want better than what you or your own spouse.

This is very scary. Very very scary. I have never been so scared of my government in my life.

It's a brave new world.

[Disneyphile]

I wouldn't mind this as much if she were "put to death" quickly and painlessly.

My main issue is that she's being starved and dehydrated to death - slow and agonizing. Normally, when the "plug is pulled" on someone, they stop breathing, etc. in just a few moments. But, to lay there suffering for days is completely inhumane. I wouldn't wish that on any of my loved ones.

[MickeyD]

About a week and a half before my grandmother died, she lost the ablility to swallow. She was in her eighties, had been diagnosed with Alzheimers for 8 years, hadn't spoken a word in 5 years, or moved a muscle on her own in about 2-3 years. Her eyes were still very expressive though. When she was afraid, you could see it in her eyes. When I'd come home from college, or when my dad would come home from work, her eyes would light up. When she was in pain, it was in her eyes. That last week or so, there was no pain in her eyes. None. Her breathing just became more and more shallow, then her spirit was gone. It was very peaceful. I'm no medical expert. I can't say that's how it is when everyone stops receiving food and nourishment. I can only say that was my experience when it happened with my grandma.

[scaeagles]

Do politicians make it a habit of stopping the "pulling the plug" when it happens all over the country on a regular basis? Ummm.....no. Perhaps it is because this case is different.

Anyone who says they know she wants to die is dillusional. No one can know. Unless you accept the word of one man. While comparisons are a-plenty here with support of the death penalty, I would not support the death penalty for anyone based on the word of one person.

[Name]

I will only go with my feeling. If I were in the position of living(if you call it living) with a feeding tube shoved in me, unable to communicate, unable to move about. I would rather die. Because the truth of it is, I would not really be living anyway.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Do politicians make it a habit of stopping the "pulling the plug" when it happens all over the country on a regular basis? Ummm.....no. Perhaps it is because this case is different.

You said a mouthful there. Read the GOP talking points about using this cooked up drama to unseat a Florida Democrat.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Anyone who says they know she wants to die is dillusional. No one can know. Unless you accept the word of one man..

That one man was her husband. Do you, or do you not, believe in the "sanctity of marriage"?