Terri Schiavo - so sad :(

[aly]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/18/sc...ged/index.html

I think this is just so sad. It is especially upsetting that her parents and her husband don't agree on what should be done

[GraciesMommy]

This is very close to home for me....the job I have now as Registrar at our Jr High, I have because my friend, Tanya, had the same thing happen to her..that was 4 years ago. She is in the same boat that this poor girl is in EXCEPT that her husband has taken excellent care of her and now has her at home. She has to have 24 our care...he is totally tied down but he will not put her in a nursing home as even her own family told him they would not blame him. He said he married her in "sickness and in health" and he will not abandon her. I admire him. Since her predicament, she has had 2 grand babies..she can't even hold them but she smiles when they are around. Tanya was very outgoing...active in her 3 kids lives..her daughter was in beauty pageants and she always chaperoned...her son's in scouts and she was den mom...when she had the heart attack I was immediately placed in her job...and they held it open for one full year hoping for her recovery...and of course after that, I was made permanent...Tanya and I are good friends and I still go visit with her..don't know how much she understands or knows..but I like to think she knows when I am there. I know she does not want to be living in the situation she is in but I KNOW she would not want to die in the manner of starvation. She is never going to come out of it...she even looks like this poor girl...except red hair..but I can not imagine her husband ever even contemplating that kind of action..and he still hopes for a miracle some day..that is true love..that he will support her til the end...and not play God..and want to end her life in such an evil manner.

[Pit Chick]

I'm conflicted on how I feel about this situation. If she didn't want to be kept alive in that state, I can see where not forcing her to continue on like that is more kind when it comes to quality of life, but I don't like the idea of just leaving her to starve to death. It's one thing to take someone off of a respirator, they would never know it and they would just die on their own, but this is different.

Graciesmommy,
Tanya's husband is an exceptional man to stay by his wife like that and truly stick to their vows. Give him a hug for me next time you see them.

[caseysmom]

I have mixed feelings about this, my husband always says if that ever happens to him he wouldn't want to live like that.

Look at how humane we are with our pets...we watch people suffer for years...of course with our pets nobody is after any ulterior motives...like money.

[GraciesMommy]

The thing is the manner in which they have to die..starvation is a slow agonizing death..the body goes thru dehydration and organs shut down one by one...if it were just taking a person off life support, that is a completely differnt thing all together..I can see that being humane..but not removing a feeding tube and taking days to die..no way.

Pit Chick, you are right, Don is an exceptional man..I have seen him with her and how loving he is. It is amazing..he even gives her birthday parties and every one is invited..takes her to church and ballgames, etc. He has purchased a van that accomodates her wheelchair and takes her to the mall. He tries to give her the most he can socially. Insurance no longer pays for therapy so he does her PT himself plus pays a care giver to come in while he works and they also work with her. Her 2 sisters help where they can. Her mother is not able to help any more..she has some disability herself. But Don does the most part himself.

[caseysmom]

graciesmommy...Don sounds like an amazing man.

[Corinna]

After working with stroke patients who have been in the same state that she is in I know I wouldn't want to be trapped in side like that. They claim shes responsive , its not a satifing response. I couldn't be that way either hubby says the same after all these years can you imangine the frustration she feels (if she can) . I admire her hubby for fighting for her so long . Hes been offered so many ways to be let out of this. He must really love her to keep trying to help her out of this. My concern besides the other is the parents are so much older that who is going to be responable for her when they die?
Pam , I also admire your freind for taking care of his wife, if he is continuing her therapies that could cause a healing. They stopped Terris at least 10 years ago. Even if she ever did come to(so to speck) she would have a very long recovery and some would NEVER come back all the muscles have been atrophed .

[caseysmom]

Can they adminster large doses of morphine to alleviate pain? That seems the most humane way doing this.

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by Pit Chick
I'm conflicted on how I feel about this situation. If she didn't want to be kept alive in that state, I can see where not forcing her to continue on like that is more kind when it comes to quality of life, but I don't like the idea of just leaving her to starve to death. It's one thing to take someone off of a respirator, they would never know it and they would just die on their own, but this is different.

Graciesmommy,
Tanya's husband is an exceptional man to stay by his wife like that and truly stick to their vows. Give him a hug for me next time you see them.

I have to fully agree with you. (I was going to write almost the same exact thing)

[momoffuzzyfaces]

This entire thing really bothers me.
We went through something similar with my father. My step mother had sole say in what happened to him. She opted for taking him off life support.
He had signed a living will though. So, we knew for sure what he wanted. I still would have liked to have given it more time before they 'pulled the plug'.
I don't think that just because someone marries into the family, they should have sole say in something like this. The blood relatives should be considered too. Especially when there is no signed document by the person themselves stating their wishes.

The fact that her husband waited 8 years before he first decided to take her off life support really makes me think he just wants to get rid of her so he can marry his girlfriend.

I think if they do decide to kill her, they could at least be merciful and give her a lethal injection so she won't suffer for days and days. Starvation is a horrible way to die.

It breaks my heart that criminals in this country are granted a more merciful death by lethal injection than someone whose only crime was to be sick.

I personally think they should let her parents be responsible for her and put the tube back in. She is not in a coma and sure seems aware to me, from the tapes I've seen.

[Luvin Labs]

I'm so torn on this

She's breathing and heartbeating on her own, and I've seen the videos of her 'responses' (only impressive one was the swab one), but if I were in her spot I would not want to be like that for so long with all that time going by.

If only she had a LIVING will instead of her hubby saying that she said she didn't want this to happen to her then this battle wouldn't be so long.

I am a bit suspicious of her hubby. He's got another woman, plus two kids, yet won't accept her parents (or someone's) 1million dollars to give them custody of her and divorce her.

This case is the main reason my parents got a living will. Come to think of it, I need to do one for me as well.

[Oggyflute]

Wow, this is turning into a pretty sad day. I fervently hope I will never be placed in that situation, I almost was with my dad, but he ended up passing peacefully.
Pamela please pass on to Don & Tanya my families thoughts & best wishes. Don & Tanya have truly beautiful souls.

[petslover]

This is a sad situation. I really feel bad for her. In this lady's mind, I believe she knows everything thats going on around her. I just think Starving her is so wrong. This is going to painful for her. I just wish there was another way to do this. God Bless Her.

[Cincy'sMom]

I too have mixed feelings about this, but I do think letting her starve to death is beyond cruel. If letting nature take over and allowing her to die, is the right thing, I can't imagine how horrible a death it would be to starve to death. People have animals taken away from that for that reason, yet it is okay to do it to a human?

I also hate the political side of it. One of the lawyers today was yapping about Republicans and Democrats and how they should vote, and blah, blah blah.

[Cookiebaker]

They put dogs to sleep in the humane society more humanely than what they are doing to this woman.

My heart & prayers go out to Terri Schiavo's parents. I can't imagine how they must feel as they stand by and watch.