This is an issue that I feel very strongly about. My grandma, which passed away recently, had a feeding tube. She had it for about a year and a half. I agree that a person with some quality of life should have a feeding tube. However, I cannot make an educated decision about Terri because I have not seen her. If there is no quality of life then I think the tube should NOT have been reinserted. This woman is pretty young and could live several more years in the state that she is already in. I know that if that was me, I would not want the feeding tube back. In my grandma's case she was more or less fine. She could hold conversations and liked doing things, but she couldn't swallow. No one would have considered my grandma to be in a vegetative state. However, if Terri is in a vegetative state, and has been for over 12 years, I think it is time to let her be at peace. I think is some cases the families are thinking about what they want as opposed to what their loved one would want.
If Terri cannot express her feelings, and has not been able to for over 12 years, then she has no quality of life. If the tube was removed her organs would systematically shut down; she would not starve to death.
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