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Terri schiavo's feeding tube

T

Treaqum

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/18/schiavo.brain-damaged/index.html
Cnn took down the link of how she would die though. It was horrible. No innocent (non murderer etc.) should die of starvation over 10-14 days even if they don't know whats happening. They should at least take pity and letal injection or something. I know that if i was in that position and there was no chance of revival I would want to die but not via starvation. If anyone did that to me I would defy all laws of nature and man to haunt them till they went insane. Really quite a horrible way to die.
 
I agree. If euthanasia is so holy and merciful and "fast and painless" for terminally-ill pets, it should be for people too. I still don't see why euthanasia hasn't been lagalized for terminally ill human patients yet. I mean, if the patient (or another person, if the patient is unable to communicate) is in favor of it, it should be done. It's much more ignorant of human compassion to let someone die of starvation over 10-14 days than to put them out in a matter of seconds.
 
It's an awful way to die like the previous decade has been an awful way to live.  But how many other people will die of preventable disease and violence while politicians and the rest of us debate that poor woman's fate?  Nothing can be done for her, but something could be done for the rest.
 
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I think they should definately kill her via lethal injection too but since it's not legal I support taking the feeding tube out.
first of all, I do believe her husband is telling the truth and she did wish to die in that situation. secondly, the doctors say that she is in a persistant vegetive state (sp?). That means she doesn't think. she's basically just like a heart that has been taken out of their body... it may be able to react to stimuli and it may be alive, but without a mind that's worth nothing. But fine, let's just say that she is NOT in a PVS and that she is aware. obviously she can't do anything or she wouldn't be considered in PVS. basically the only thing she can do is think... I don't know about you but not being able to do anything would literally drive me insane. She has been like that for.. 15? years! she's not going to recover and while taking out the feeding tube may not be the best way to go, the possibility of suffering for 2 weeks is better than suffering for 15+ years like that.
 
Well they have not proved she cannot feel. Anyway you know when someone dies or almost dies they "float at the ceiling" and watching yourself dies would be worse then actual death. Imagine that for 10-14 days. I don't want this to sound religious but I will have to agree with the Christians that the spirit is freeroaming without a body or with a damaged body (If it escaped) and then you will watch yourself die. I would much rather die quickly then over 10 days time. I would support her death but I only support it when she dies quickly not over an extended lenght of time. You cannot know what her family goes through during the death cycle unless someone near you has died. Let me just tell you that it is horrible and you want it to end. I would not be suprised if her parents went insane and started trying to kill her quickly themselves. It feels like that sometimes
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Anyway you know when someone dies or almost dies they "float at the ceiling" and watching yourself dies would be worse then actual death
Click to expand...
there is no evidence for that. in fact, there's evidence that that ISN'T what happens. There was an experiment where they put a ... one of those things with letters going by with the red dots and stuff... know what I'm talking about? on top of tons of death patients' beds and when they reported that they had had a near-death experience like that, they asked them if they had seen the whatever-you-call-it and no one to this day has ever mentioned it (I saw it a long time ago... maybe they can see it but can't read the letters? the point is that if they were on top of their bodies they should have been able to read it)

and I completely forgot the evidence for this (hormones in the brain?) but when the brain is running low of oxygen (which means you are dying...), hormones(?) are produced and you start hallucinating. Makes sense if you ask me.
I'm guessing that they share similar experiences either because everyone's heard of "go into the light!" experiences and therefore see that, or because that's just what the hormones have on the brain. Just like different drugs have different effects on the brain and people share similar experiences about that.
 
and ANYWAY... no matter what happens with terri, she'd have to watch herself die sooner or later. Maybe since she's in a PVS she is constantly watching herself since her "soul" is gone already.

but of course I don't believe in that.
 
  • #10
You miss the point.  You say they should kill her by lethal injection.  Kill being the operative word.  It would be murder and not allowing one to just die because they can not function.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not saying what was done was right (or wrong) I am just explaining the lethal injection problem.  They can not assist her in her death because they do not know her wishes.  If she could make her wishes known this whole thing would be mute.  So the can not inject her and make it quick.  She will not know.  It is a very tough decision.  You have to feel for all sides.  The mother and father hold out hope, but her husband, who has remained her husband for the fifteen years that she has been in coma has given up hope and believes that this would be better for his wife.  That is a lot of love on both sides.  Both sides are trying to do what is best.  It's a heart breaker really.
 
  • #11
Yeah, politics can be very stupid. People don't understand that Killing isn't bad. It's why/how you do it that matters. They should allow killing for those kinds of situations that justify it. That way there would be less suffering (although nobody's sure if terri will suffer... but I'm sure some people that have suffered have been killed by removing the tube)
 
  • #12
What an awful case this is. Unfortunately, Terri's cerebral cortex is completely gone as evidenced by the cat scans. She is never coming back, and has no conscious thought.

However, society has not yet really confronted what will be a more and more common situation as we are able to keep people alive hooked to tubes for longer and longer. The ethical issues are monumental, and so infused with subjective moral importance that there are strong feelings on both sides.

And the bottom line is that there are no "happy" endings in cases like this. I think they're doing the right thing, as the case has been through every court proceeding possible, and it's time to let the system work. The law says that the guardian (her husband) has the call, and the court agreed with his statement that she didn't want to "live" this way. In many ways it's an intensely private matter, so I think we should let them deal with it the way they wish to. While her parents have strong feelings, they are not her guardian. She chose her guardian when she chose to marry her husband.

Besides, I know I wouldn't want to live like that.

Capslock
 
  • #13
I am a bit learry as to the motives of the husband considering that he has had a mistress since before she went into a catatonic or whatever state. He still remains with this mistress and has children with her and has been denied marriage until his current wife dies.

Alpha,
I may be wrong but you don't seem to have ever HAD to watch a human die over an extended period of suffering.

IN most cases I would agree with the court and the husband issue but in his case I think it is selfishness that is behind is actions. Though I personally have already made it known on paper and in words to my wife and family that I am under no circumstances to be kept artificially. Dehydration and starvation are intensely gruesome to watch beginning to end.

Joe
 
  • #14
I think many times in life morals and law stand on opposite sides of the fence and you must decide; Do you fear a judge or THE JUDGE. If you have no metaphorical judge then you have no worry.

Joe
 
  • #15
you're right. I haven't seen it. Have you?
or have you seen someone for YEARS (hey... i'm 16... 15 out of those 16 years she has been like that. almost my whole life!!!! my whole life just there doing nothing. just waiting for death.) go through that?
I would rather be burned to death if I was like that than spend my entire lifetime (minus one year... which I don't remember anyway. my earliest memory is when I was three) in that state.
and she said to her husband she'd rather starve/dehydrate than live like that too. Yet there she is... and she has been for 15 out of my 16 years of life. That is really hard for me to comprehend... spending 15 years just lying there!
 
  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Copper @ Mar. 18 2005,6:21)]You miss the point.  You say they should kill her by lethal injection.  Kill being the operative word.  It would be murder and not allowing one to just die because they can not function.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not saying what was right (or wrong) I am just explaining the lethal injection problem.  They can not assist her in her death because they do not know her wishes.  If she could make her wishes known this whole thing would be mute.  So the can not inject her and make it quick.  She will not know.  It is a very tough decision.  You have to feel for all sides.  The mother and father hold out hope, but her husband, who has remained her husband for the fifteen years that she has been in coma has given up hope and believes that this would be better for his wife.  That is a lot of love on both sides.  Both sides are trying to do what is best.  It's a heart breaker really.
Click to expand...
The husband just wants the money.. He goes to court to get like a million dollars to take care of her, and then when granted the money he wants to kill her.. why? For the money. This battle has been going on for a decade now. At least, from what I know.
 
  • #17
he has spent 10 years trying and he has spent tons of money on it too. I don't think he's doing this because of the money. Besides, even if he was that doesn't change the situation. I would still rather her tube be removed than her being like that. It's not about the husband.
 
  • #18
virtually all the money he has received has gon into legal matters to have it removed, theres verry little of it left
 
  • #19
How about the houss calling up suppenas in a latch ditched attempt?
 
  • #20
I have seen a starvation (I'd rather not go into details). No, I haven't witnessed a 15 yr vegative state. I personally would want death too, I just question the husbands motives. I think lethal injection or soldiers death is the way to go.

Joe
 
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