... Ummm .. Bein' in the bidness, as it were:

As weird as it may seem, starvin' is painless. Her stomach hasn't worked in years, the tube is much lower in the gut. The dehydration actually causes a morphine-like daze. No, it isn't cruel and/or painful.

The points made about money are right on. It is a terrible shame to have health care come down to money, but modern technology with adequate money causes horrible suffering. IF she is in there (I very much doubt it), can you imagine the indignity? Being exposed while people you don't even like wash your crotch? Not being able to to talk and make your thoughts known?

I feel it comes down to death with some semblance of dignity. The folks on this thread seem convinced she would die without the tubes, why not let God take her back?

As Carlene has strongly implied, it is NEVER too early to discuss this stuff. Maybe Terry can serve as a martyr to awaken peoples' conscience. We as a society need to face up to the fact that death is part of life, we simply cannot get out alive. It is left to us to make a legacy we're proud of. Terry's folks might find they haven't.

 

Well said. Can't improve on this.

 

They need to let go and let God.
If not I also...

 

kennyrrt,

Please enlighten us with the daily cost of full life support. Is that still a full hospital function or has it been moved to hospice? Then let's multiply that by 13-years and determine the financial cost as versus the desires of the woman and her husband. The rationalizations for laws on the books stopping someone from carrying out the desire of a loved one show the lack of humanity possessed by our government officials when CYA pops up.

Carlene, I can't remember how many HR hiring packages I reviewed for people going to work for me where well-paid managers in their 30s and 40s declined dirt-cheap term life insurance, and I'm sure that had to be the trend for people in their 20s.

 

Hey George - the only reason my Hubby & I have term policies now is because we started our own business and if I were to go before him, and before the business is holding it's own, he'd loose everything. If he went first, although I could survive (money wise), it would really strap me until I was able to sell everything (business equip).

Before this, we never thought about life insurance and most companies don't even offer that as an employment benefit.

 

I wonder how many right to life for vegies can even comprehend the cost of extended life support or emotional distress. As kennyrrt pointed out, dignity is more often soothing than being right or wrong.

 

Most of the costs are actually in the hospital, some examples, (very rough figures):
CPR response-$1000
ICU bed (just the bed and associated nursing care)-$2000/day
Ventilator-$600/day
Technician fees to run the ventilator-$500/day
Daily chest x-ray-$200
Antibiotic therapy (average)-$2500/day
Blood pressure support medication- $500/day
1 unit blood-$750
Blood tubing (1 per unit)-$250
Consulting doc fees- $1000/day

Adds up mighty fast huh?

Skilled nursing facility, for long term care- $450/day
Bag of tube feeding (4/day)- $100
Ventilator-$1700/month (2), need a backup

Death with dignity? Priceless

 

Could easily run well over a million a year, if the money is there.

So with most medical insurance policies now having a $250k lifetime benefit cap, those of you who profess to keeping a vegetable going for a long time had better get your assets into an irrevocable trust and become accustomed to dealing with politically oriented bureaucrats to carry the financial load. Or are we still stuck on belief system or philosophical ideology? Reality often has a mean side to it.

 

She's back in hospic care now and since the money for her is all gone we the citizens of Florida have to pay.............Thanks Jeb.

 

glad to see everything is so black and white for you...everything has its cost and its budgeted amount and after that it doesn't matter....glad to see that there is no absolute truth for you....it all just depends on the circumstances....hope you never have to encounter something that forces you to make a choice between a loved one and the almighty dollar.

 

That's right, I'm a planner and do keep the dollar in sight. And that's a choice I'll never have to make because I have planned for that contingency. Even if I hadn't, I'd follow my wife's wishes regardless of what the government, her parents or anyone else had to say about it. She's always first in my life and the others, with their opinions, selfishness and special interest lobbied legislation or mythology, are way down at the bottom of importance on that list. I'm with kennyrrt in that dignity is priceless.

I have yet to see reality available in optional colors and believe absolute truth is the here and now. If there's something beyond that, fine. I'll deal with it when it does become reality.

 

and I guess that is where the difference in our point of view comes in because I think there is always an absolute truth...that it's not just based on the circumstances that surround it. Does that make for some difficult choices?....yes...but it makes for consistent choices. I didn't mean to come across so harshly and like I said before, I don't have or pretend to have the correct answer to this situation. I do feel for her husband and his trying to carry out her wishes, I do feel for her family, and I do feel for her. Jeb as governor of the state has to follow the law that is before him and I understand his stance. Above all, I thank God that I'm not facing such a difficult circumstance. I know regardless of what happends, it will be hard. I guess this is where the old saying comes in "Fail to plan and you plan to fail."

 

Ummmm, no he doesn't - he just has "NEW" law written. His getting involved in this case is, was and will always be wrong in my book!

Here's the part of the article TheWiz posted a link to that was missed. It's also been talked about on the news & the Today show and the Tonight show and probably many other shows I don't watch.

" The Florida courts finally had heard enough. Six days ago, as Michael had asked, Terri’s feeding tube was removed at the Pinnelas Park hospice where she has been residing. That is when the Florida Legislature — urged on by Gov. Bush — got into the act.
The Legislature passed a new law that orders the continuation of nutrition and hydration even when a person is in a persistent vegetative state, has not left a living will or advance directive, and has had feeding tubes removed. The law requires the use of a feeding tube even if a spouse has requested its removal.
As a result, Terri Schiavo has stopped dying. She is back in a Florida hospital in a coma with her feeding tube reinserted per an order from the Governor.
Why is the state’s decision so awful? The Legislature tried to craft a law that would apply only to Terri’s situation, but has instead created a policy that will have far-reaching consequences for all the state’s citizens."

Back to more of my 2 cents worth -
Why should the government and Jeb have the right to "craft a law" geared specifically toward's one person's situation.

It's just wrong.

 

As reported in the published articles I read, I have no pity for any of them other than the husband. He merely wants to carry out her desire. The others are making judgements based on their own agendas. JB isn't about to disturb the right to life vote or a substantial belief system vote or go against GB, so that lumps him in with the others and puts not a light financial burden on the citizens of Florida when all cases of this type are considered. We should be able to captain our own ship, especially in an instance such as this one. The lack of ability to make sound decisions affecting ourselves is one of the reasons our nation is becoming weakened. People now prefer to mind the business of everyone else, which points us in the direction of becoming a very bland society with tight government control over all facets of our lives. No pun intended.

 

Carlenes right! It's wrong Period!! And now we Floridians will have to pay for it. Jeb should of minded his own business and stayed out of it.