...but where would one draw the line? My recent hospital surgery required at least the asking (twice) if I had a Living Will. (Yes) That is a good thing, IMO. But many many young people such as Terri don't (and obviously didn't) have one. I seem to remember she was in her 20's when whatever happened to her, happened.
There is much we don't know about the case, at least yet, and about the husband. Why hasn't he divorced, especially if he is living with someone else, and has 2 children with the person? What happened that she had to have a food tube and not food by mouth?
I wonder if she is on State Aid now? Why wouldn't her husband let her parents take care of her if they wished?
The woman who wrote the article below writes from her heart about the situation with her Mom, and asks questions about how we handle elderly and disabled....and we should all remember bad things like this happen to children as well.
'She Won't Feel a Thing'
Making the decision to remove a feeding tube from a terminally ill patient will haunt you, even when it's the right thing to do.
By Diana Keough
beliefnet.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>My mom was terminally ill. Terri Schiavo is not.Though her brain has been damaged, her body is nowhere near the terminal shutdown in which food and water become immaterial. Removing Terri’s feeding tube is nowhere near the same scenario as that of my mom. In fact, removing Terri’s feeding tube sets a scary precedent and seems to say being disabled makes you a non-person.
But as the courts and the governor of Florida continue to argue about Terri Schiavo's case, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that everyone of us could face similar agonizing choices some day. What is the difference between giving up and letting go? A few hours before my mom died, I whispered in her ear, "It's ok for you to go." She had fought so long, put herself through so much. I honestly wanted her to rest. I was so tired of her suffering too.
But after she died, I remember yelling, 'I lied! I don’t want you to die! Come back!”I had thought that ending her pain would also end my own. I learned quickly how wrong that was. It was just the beginning. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< |
