Medical experts have stated that someone in her persistent vegetative state feel no pain and have no emotions....nothing.

As my daughter (RN with hospice experience) just commented...Terry Shiavo is already clinically dead.

 

That is exactly it. We do not know what her wish is. If the husband is a man of character above and beyond anyone's reproach, it may never have reached this point but his demeanor on this whole issue has been quite controversial. Do we have irrefutable evidence or proof or documentation that states what Terry Schiavo's wishes are? If we do, we must respect her wishes but such is not the case. Her condition as is does not warrant such drastic measures in my view. I really can't see what is so bad about giving her parents who gave birth to her to do what they can for their daughter. If you put yourself in her parents' situation, would you be able to pull the tube and let her starve and dehydrate to death? If you do, then that is your business but her parents do not wish that. We ought to have some respect for their desire to care for her. There is an intrinsic value to human life regardless of how people define quality of life. I believe in the end, her parents will know they have done all they could and if Terry Schiavo does expire due to removal of feeding tube, then those who are directly responsible for will have to answer one day. The judge, the congress and the president are all involved in some way but are not responsible for what has happened. Only one person knows what happened on that fateful day in Schiavo's apartment.

 

There is one point where I agree with Mike Schiavo--if I was denied physical therapy, visits from loved-ones, basic dental care, a wheelchair, or even allowed a radio in the room (as Mike has denied Terry), I'd want to be put out of my misery too. Probably. Maybe. Never mind.

BTW--why was her therapy stopped soon after he won the malpractice lawsuit? Hmmm.

Here's an interesting legal perspective:

http://www.nationalreview.com/mccarthy/mcc...00503221329.asp

 

Here is what I came across that sheds some light on vegetative state written by Dr. Ron Gleason.

Terri Schiavo is, according to some sources,

 

Only in a country with the freedom and economic plenty that we enjoy here in the U.S. is the "moral" and "philosophical" angle of this debate an issue. In most areas of the world she would have been dead years ago. And it would ahve been much worse than she is currently enduring.

I think that I'm going to drop out of this debate now. While it is true that no doctor can state with 100% certainty that Terry will not feel pain during this time or that her brain damage is irreversable I think that is a "straw man" argument. They couldn't make those statements about my father either. At the end of the day that made no difference. What made my father a person was gone and there was no way to bring it back, no matter how much I wanted it to be so. I also know that no one, not her parents, not Congress, not the President, nor the doctors or lawyers or judsges know what is in the heart of Terry Shiavo's husband. Only him and God. I think that it is despicable that people are making judgments of him based on half-truths, hearsay and outright lies. Fox New Channel has been running an almost continuous blitz on this matter featuring Terry's family and their friends and supporters. I even had to turn off Fox and Friends this weekend and I love watching that show. I am sick at heart to see someone systematically destroyed over what should have been a matter between him, his wife and the medical community. And for all those of you who want to label this guy just remember..there were a lot of leaks about how sleazy and shady that poor 9 year old girl in Florida's father was until they caught the child molester who confessed to her murder. God help anyone who's husband/wife/child dies or is harmed if there is someone out there with an axe to grind and the ear of the media. That's all.

 

Being cooped up in a body that won't respond to any commands must be maddening. I imagine that she is living a real hell.

I hope she passes away peacefully.

Terri, may you one day, RIP.

 

Jeff- I can also relate personally to this. After my father (79) had a triple bypass in 1986, he had multiple unexpected complications and spent the next 20 days in the CCU. Eventually we had to make the tough decision to stop any heroic measures b/c kidney failure had set in....on top of the heart problems. We might have extended his life by allowing dialysis, which would then have been a lifelong ordeal....IF he came through the other problems. He slipped into a coma and died in a few days

I'm glad that no one passed SPECIAL EMERGENCY legislation to force us into dialysis; the doctor allowed the family to decide how to proceed. If this right wing campaign continues, the grim reaper and Senator Frist will be together....sitting at everyone's bedside at the end of life

 

[QUOTE=paS2K,Mar 22 2005, 08:41 PM] I'm glad that no one passed SPECIAL EMERGENCY legislation to force us into dialysis; the doctor allowed the family to decide how to proceed.

 

Well, the Federal appeals court refused to approve the reinsertion of the feeding tube, so it appears Mrs. Schiavo will finally pass on. Personally, I think the vast majority of Americans will breathe a giant sigh of relief, if for no other reason than this very long ordeal is finally over.