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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 19, 2005 19:40:44 GMT -5
Has anyone here been following the story of this Florida woman who will die a slow death by starvation and dehydration unless we intervene?
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Post by littlepea on Mar 19, 2005 19:46:03 GMT -5
no, but i just looked it up on BBC Newsit's basically a debate on euthanasia - what do you think about it dianaholberg?
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Post by PhantomsPandora on Mar 19, 2005 19:57:13 GMT -5
Yeah sort of, and I don't know how to feel about it. All I know is with my recent ordeal, I told my parents that no way, no how, would I enjoy being trapped in a cage like a body is when you can't function. Especially for 15 years. It may come from being a daughter of a nurse who worked in nursing homes, but seeing all of those older people just suffering with these feeding tubes and then their children wouldn't come see them..just lingering in a cage not able to express themselves, it's awful.
I agree the husband is a jerk, but he may be right about her saying she wanted a Dnr.(by the way if this case doesn't prove anything, everybody when it's time to, write what you want and do not want done when the inevitable happens) I don't see anything wrong with Euthanasia, because it's a lot more humane than starvation which they're doing by removing a tube. As for her parents, I don't know how to feel, if they're living on a false hope that she'll get better or if they just want to love and care for her.
If I EVER suffer from a terminal illness and I'm in a lot of pain, I can't say euthanasia wouldn't cross my mind. I'd die in my sleep and it be a lot easier on my family.
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Post by Tigress on Mar 19, 2005 21:36:06 GMT -5
I'm with Pandora.
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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 19, 2005 22:09:48 GMT -5
Read this.I believe Terri has a right to live. She has not been suffering, and she has not required life support. Her case is extremely sad -- I pray we are able to intervene before she dies. Terri is a faithful Catholic. As such, her perspective is closer to mine than to anyone else's here. Were I in her place, if able (like Kate was), I would spend my days in prayer, in the Lord's presence... praying for the sick around me, and for those who don't know Him. Asking Him for strength and healing. Offering my suffering to Him. Singing, at least in my mind. (I'm sure that's why she loves music.) Kate says dying by starvation and dehydration is not painless or quick -- and she should know. She's been there.
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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 19, 2005 22:14:14 GMT -5
Actually, it's different than euthanasia. Generally, euthanasia is meant to end suffering by removing life support. Terri is not on life support, and there's no evidence of suffering in her case.
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Post by Tigress on Mar 19, 2005 23:31:24 GMT -5
I thought she was on life support at one time? (maybe I'm thinking of another woman). Anyhow, if there's no apparent suffering and Terri's parents want to care for her, I see no reason why they can't or shouldn't be allowed to. Screw the husband, he's 'moved on.'
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Post by PhantomsPandora on Mar 20, 2005 0:07:26 GMT -5
People have just as much of a right to live as a right to die peacefully if they can.
I didn't know Terri was Catholic, which kinda explains all of the fuss, no offense-it explains her parents opposition(just saying, religion's stance differs a bit depending on what you believe).
I agree with you starving her is wrong. And the husband and herself should have wrote down that she wanted a DNR if she should go into arrest. Also, as my mother being a nurse-this is important, she would not want to get into trouble for doing cpr on someone that went into arrest and did not want cpr.
At this point she's stable though..and she appears to be happy. I really don't know. Is it a function? Is Terri there anymore? I'm not sure, I can't make that call. There's some insurance money that the husband stands to get if she passes away. Some men are incredibly petty. And what happened to her did look shady to me. But I think she should just be in the care of her parents if they want to take care of her, as they interact with her so often(how many people in nursing homes get visits that are in Terri's condition, or any condition, not many, that I can tell you) .
I just have to do what I feel is best for me when it comes to the DNR or Euthanasia issue-it truly is a personal decision that must be well documented, everyone had better know about your wishes.
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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 20, 2005 15:21:51 GMT -5
Actually, Michael Schaivo did put a DNR order in her records, but it was several months into her ordeal. (Which raises a lot of questions.)
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Post by Tara on Mar 21, 2005 17:25:31 GMT -5
This case is so sad to me. I don't know where I've been lately when it comes to the news (you guys know I've stopped listening every once in a while). But I got a chance to talk about it and read some of the news stories.
My view is that if the person is not conscious at all and is literally dead (can't breathe on their own, etc. ), then I think it would be best to get them off...if they're on life support. The removing of the feeding tube is terrible. I don't agree with that.
But what if she's as brainded as the doctors say and she can't feel anything?
And some of you mentioned that she may be living as if she really knows what's going on. What if she doesn't?
I think it is best that when we write our wills, we should make these things clear. Don't leave anything out b/c things just get ridiculous.
What do you guys think of the government getting into all of this?
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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 21, 2005 19:55:37 GMT -5
Tara, I think it's appalling that it took an act of Congress to intervene. Our judicial system should have handled it... but for some reason they refused to allow reviews of Terri's case. As for Terri's awareness, just watch her in the videos at www.terrisfight.org -- she lights up with her mother... she can follow directions (though not very well). She's not as braindead as her so-called husband makes her out to be.
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Post by Tara on Mar 22, 2005 8:40:36 GMT -5
I thought it was the doctors who made that diagnosis. How long ago was that video?
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Post by PhantomsPandora on Mar 22, 2005 10:10:50 GMT -5
I personally do not know what it is like to be in the situation Terri is, thank heavens. I can't say what I'd do, but my recent ordeal scared me enough-I felt like I was no longer myself. I'm going through some red tape right now to get to a doctor, but I've improved since that time.
My parents and I got into a snit about euthanasia today because I basically told them what I told you all-so I'll just put it this way, if Terri's parents want to take care of her, let them.I don't know what motivated her husband to do the dnr after several months, maybe he couldn't stand to see her suffer. I think he's a cad of the worst level for dating another woman and all of that afterwards, but then again, I've never been in that situation where I"ve had to see a spouse go through that. So I couldn't tell you. Some are just like that-I had a great aunt that was dying of ovarian cancer and her fiance told her he didn't want to marry her now that she was sick, and he took her pain medication on the sly.
I can't tell you how I feel about this being such a media circus-it should have been privately handled so long ago, she should have been taken care of by her parents long ago, this took 15 years? If she can get the therapy her parents think she needs, well so be it, I just hope they don't get their feelings hurt.(just saying, we don't know what effect therapies will have, but at this point it really won't hurt to try)
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Post by dianaholberg on Mar 22, 2005 18:44:57 GMT -5
So glad you are doing better, Pandora.
Tara, I think the videos are from a couple of years ago. However, I haven't seen anyone say that her condition has changed notably in the past few years -- not even her husband. If she'd recently gone downhill, I'm sure he would be saying that.
He has always had doctors that will say she is PVS. Her parents have other doctors that say no. The videos are clear -- especially the swab test. She was not PVS at that time, so there's no reason to believe she is now.
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Post by Tara on Mar 23, 2005 9:44:50 GMT -5
I dunno. All I know is that if I were in that situation, I would want myself dead.
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