Guest guest Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 In reading today's earlier digest I have more and more thoughts about Terri Schiavo... RH if you had to witness your mother's death as slow and agonizing through withholding feeding, then she was much more alert than Terri and for your suffering I am truly sorry. I have worked at two faith based hospitals and one public one and all the patients I dealt with were kept calm but alert if their condition warranted it. Everyone was able to say goodbyes to families if they wanted and only one man asked that he sleep. Ativan under the tongue,dissolves with two drops of water, there is no need to swallow and no fear of choking but there is calm and peace while still remaining alert. Children who are dying of cancer will point blank ask if it is going to hurt to die...compared to what they have already been through you can honestly say no, death is peaceful BUT if the cancer hurts more they are reassured that pain meds are ready. The greatest fear of patients and their families is pain, avoiding unnecessary suffering, once everyone agrees that there will be comfort, that becomes the main focus. There are many ways Terri can attain comfort if only the family would stop fighting. NONE of them are considered active euthanasia. The MO members need to really look and think about the issues R/T this case. Going before Congress is a horrible precedent...getting government involved where a panel decides someone's health fate is worse than horrible. All of you realize the nightmare of insurance...do we need another governmental body telling us what our end result should be...they already give many of us a cap on coverage or exclusion of conditions!!! We need to be very cautious with this as it sets up the rest of us for a possible downfall. What if it is voted that resuscitation is allowed only once and life support of only 21 days? What if it takes 22 days for your insurance to approve an internal defibrillator? This has all come about because " life support " can now keep someone going indefinitely...way past what early doctors ever dreamed possible. The only persons involved in your health care decisions should be you, your doctor and your family and all decisions should be documented. Debra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 The question isn't " how much care is reasonable " or " allowed " , the question is point blank " does an unfaithful spouse have guardianship of his wife for matters of life and death? " . Very good point. This is basically what the case in Florida is about although it raises the other questions about life support. Most people I believe would say he has no right in her guardianship because of his actions. But what would be the answer if he were a faithful husband? I cannot answer that legally or otherwise but know in my own case I would not want to be kept alive. Janet Sample Re: opinion-OT My mom was at home, and had no IV or medications. I believe my dad thought hospice care wasn't an option, a nurse came in every day to check her pulse, but no meds. Perhaps they thought she'd only last a week or less, but... Are you implying the starvation process is short and painless? Perhaps my mom was the exception, but it was months of no food, and only water to wet her lips. I find it interesting that many are like " the government shouldn't be involved " when the government's been involved for a while, through the courts. The question isn't " how much care is reasonable " or " allowed " , the question is point blank " does an unfaithful spouse have guardianship of his wife for matters of life and death? " . Take care, RH > In reading today's earlier digest I have more and more thoughts about Terri Schiavo... > > RH if you had to witness your mother's death as slow and agonizing through withholding feeding, then she was much more alert than Terri and for your suffering I am truly sorry. I have worked at two faith based hospitals and one public one and all the patients I dealt with were kept calm but alert if their condition warranted it. Everyone was able to say goodbyes to families if they wanted and only one man asked that he sleep. Ativan under the tongue,dissolves with two drops of water, there is no need to swallow and no fear of choking but there is calm and peace while still remaining alert. > > Children who are dying of cancer will point blank ask if it is going to hurt to die...compared to what they have already been through you can honestly say no, death is peaceful BUT if the cancer hurts more they are reassured that pain meds are ready. The greatest fear of patients and their families is pain, avoiding unnecessary suffering, once everyone agrees that there will be comfort, that becomes the main focus. There are many ways Terri can attain comfort if only the family would stop fighting. NONE of them are considered active euthanasia. > > The MO members need to really look and think about the issues R/T this case. Going before Congress is a horrible precedent...getting government involved where a panel decides someone's health fate is worse than horrible. All of you realize the nightmare of insurance...do we need another governmental body telling us what our end result should be...they already give many of us a cap on coverage or exclusion of conditions!!! We need to be very cautious with this as it sets up the rest of us for a possible downfall. What if it is voted that resuscitation is allowed only once and life support of only 21 days? What if it takes 22 days for your insurance to approve an internal defibrillator? > > This has all come about because " life support " can now keep someone going indefinitely...way past what early doctors ever dreamed possible. The only persons involved in your health care decisions should be you, your doctor and your family and all decisions should be documented. > > Debra > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 The question isn't " how much care is reasonable " or " allowed " , the question is point blank " does an unfaithful spouse have guardianship of his wife for matters of life and death? " . Very good point. This is basically what the case in Florida is about although it raises the other questions about life support. Most people I believe would say he has no right in her guardianship because of his actions. But what would be the answer if he were a faithful husband? I cannot answer that legally or otherwise but know in my own case I would not want to be kept alive. Janet Sample Re: opinion-OT My mom was at home, and had no IV or medications. I believe my dad thought hospice care wasn't an option, a nurse came in every day to check her pulse, but no meds. Perhaps they thought she'd only last a week or less, but... Are you implying the starvation process is short and painless? Perhaps my mom was the exception, but it was months of no food, and only water to wet her lips. I find it interesting that many are like " the government shouldn't be involved " when the government's been involved for a while, through the courts. The question isn't " how much care is reasonable " or " allowed " , the question is point blank " does an unfaithful spouse have guardianship of his wife for matters of life and death? " . Take care, RH > In reading today's earlier digest I have more and more thoughts about Terri Schiavo... > > RH if you had to witness your mother's death as slow and agonizing through withholding feeding, then she was much more alert than Terri and for your suffering I am truly sorry. I have worked at two faith based hospitals and one public one and all the patients I dealt with were kept calm but alert if their condition warranted it. Everyone was able to say goodbyes to families if they wanted and only one man asked that he sleep. Ativan under the tongue,dissolves with two drops of water, there is no need to swallow and no fear of choking but there is calm and peace while still remaining alert. > > Children who are dying of cancer will point blank ask if it is going to hurt to die...compared to what they have already been through you can honestly say no, death is peaceful BUT if the cancer hurts more they are reassured that pain meds are ready. The greatest fear of patients and their families is pain, avoiding unnecessary suffering, once everyone agrees that there will be comfort, that becomes the main focus. There are many ways Terri can attain comfort if only the family would stop fighting. NONE of them are considered active euthanasia. > > The MO members need to really look and think about the issues R/T this case. Going before Congress is a horrible precedent...getting government involved where a panel decides someone's health fate is worse than horrible. All of you realize the nightmare of insurance...do we need another governmental body telling us what our end result should be...they already give many of us a cap on coverage or exclusion of conditions!!! We need to be very cautious with this as it sets up the rest of us for a possible downfall. What if it is voted that resuscitation is allowed only once and life support of only 21 days? What if it takes 22 days for your insurance to approve an internal defibrillator? > > This has all come about because " life support " can now keep someone going indefinitely...way past what early doctors ever dreamed possible. The only persons involved in your health care decisions should be you, your doctor and your family and all decisions should be documented. > > Debra > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.