Re: U.S. House panel to seek to keep Schiavo alive

From: Sandi (sanditypes_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 03/18/05 

Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 15:43:56 -0500

> > I believe it has been removed for about six days previously. I just
> > cannot imagine slowly starving to death. To me, that doesn't seem like
a
> > merciful way to die.
>
> Is there truly a merciful way to die in a situation like this? Is keeping
> her alive showing mercy? I dont think it can be any different than being
> removed fron a ventilator. I'm sure that they do what they can to make
the
> person comfortable. When I had to make the decision with my mother, the
> hardest part was knowing she was going to basically suffocate and drown.
> They were wonderful in the hospital monitoring her morphine so that it
would
> be as painless and less scary for her. I think it actually shook us up
more
> than it did her. My heart aches for that family, but I truly believe the
> parents need to let go. I'm sure they have hope for miracles, but truly
the
> fantasy cant be very good for them to keep up with either. At least that
is
> my opinion.
>
> Maureen
>
My cousins called me to help make a feeding tube decision for my
grandmother. I had had little to no contact with her for all of my life,
felt that they were closer to her and more able to make that decision than I
was, and told them so. They did choose to remove the feeding tube, and I
certainly don't fault them for doing so. It sounds bad when you say "slowly
starve to death," but I'm not sure that a feeding tube alleviates the normal
feelings of hunger pangs, or that they continue past a certain point. If
someone is receiving fluids via such a tube, do they still feel thirsty? I
just don't know, nor do I know whether someone in a condition such as
Terri's would even notice if they did.

All sad and scary questions, but the bottom line to me is that if the law
recognizes one's husband as next of kin for these purposes, then that's the
way it is, and this has gone on for far too long.

Sandi