Futile Care: The Terri Schiavo Case

Newsmax/AP ^ | Friday, Oct. 17, 2003 | Diane Alden

[Lucy Lake]

You have FReepmail.

[deannadurbin]

This could happen in any county of any state in the country, depending on the moral principles or lack of them, in the judges involved in such cases. I don't boycotting Florida would solve a thing. Not voting or supporting officials who turn a blind eye to these cases is the better route.

Judge Greer is toast. And Michael Schiavo will never have rest or peace of mind in this world or the next.

[FITZ]

Sole acquisition of funds secured for the rehabilitation and maintenence of Terri's life and health which can only be accomplished if he remains married to Terri.

In these kinds of cases, there should be no financial reward for someone who achieves the death of someone else. What I don't understand is how a blatant adulterer would have complete authority over his poor wife ---- why is her still considered her owner? Her family which loves her, and it's obvious he doesn't because he's been openly living in an adulterous relationship for years, has no say-so at all?

[TigersEye]

I think he is better than Reno,...

Yikes! That's worse than damning with faint praise isn't it? Sort of like saying Madeleine Albright is better in bed than Helen Thomas. ; )

[TigersEye]

It's sick, FITZ. Sicker than the joke I just made. There is also the financial interest that the judge has in the hospice facility.

If Howard the Duck Dean were to give us Hillary Care then the cost of all medical care, across the board, would become a financial consideration of Congressional budgets and an issue of political wrangling. How long do you think they'd want patients hanging around care facilities then?

[TigersEye]

And appointed judges would be deciding who stays and how long just as in this case. Who approves of judicial appointments? Congress.

[TigersEye]

correction - 'approves judicial appointments' not 'approves of ...'

[Dasaji]

If you are convinced that what Terri Schiavo has been experiencing over the last several years and now is cruel and inhumane, call the FL Abuse Hotline 1 - 800 - 962 - 2873

I am on hold right now - "The Hotline is currently experiencing a high volume of calls"


GO FREEPERS

[Dasaji]

Still on hold - a counselor got on and told me "this is a court issue." I said, no, it is NOT, the court merely granted permission to the Guardian.

Now I am hold waiting for a SUpervisor.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Summer left a post last night that I'm trying to find. Details about Gov. Bush's time with the Schindlers yesterday and his assurances that he is working to find any legal way he can to stop this.

Prayer and e-mail, ping.

[Dasaji]

Well, calling the hotline is a total waste of time.

The Supervisor said "this is a court ruling" "do you wish for us to go against what the court ruled?" (I said YES!)

Basically got no where, but told her I wanted it on record that I was reporting this abuse/neglect.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you.

[Republic]

She is not terminal. She responds to her mother, to love, to visuals, and has NEVER been given the opportunity to strengthen her muscles, to receive therapy to revive her synapses, to allow for a chance to communicate, she is not allowed to socialize with others in the hospice-ie being wheeled down to join in the sing-alongs-SHE LOVES MUSIC-her parents have slipped in headphones and a small CD so that she can hear Pavoratti and other music-her eyes widen when this happens, she smiles and turns her head to her mother, she can BREATH on her own, she had never been given enough therapy to determine if she can eat on her own or drink on her own...her ability to swallow is never given a chance to grow....she is LOVED by her parents....she is NOT A VEGATABLE unless sight, breathing on your own, sitting up, maintaining eye contact etc is what a vegatable is....

She is a prisoner....a prisoner of her husband....suffering everyday from lack of stimulation and interest.....held in isolation by order from her husband.....she is a HEROINE.

And even as she is a heroine-suffering such ABUSE, ALONE for sooooooooooooooo long, her HUSBAND is A MONSTER.

Who wants her dead. After all-he is making a family with another woman and by gosh....Terri has held on tooooooooooo damn long, try as he did to kill her with lack of love and lack of stimulation.

A pet fish gets better care.

[MarMema]

Best Terri article on the site. Good job, Nick.

Much love to you. +May God bless her in her agony+

[MarMema]

Education is here.

[diamond6]

I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

[christie]

It's Terri today, any one of us tomorrow.

My very elderly mother-in-law had a massive stroke a couple of months ago. She was near comatose and her doctor said that she would be a vegetable. He went on to say that "it did not hurt to starved to death."

Her vein were too fragile to allow intravenous feeding past the first few days and they removed the needle. The nurses looked sullen as to say, you know she is going to die. I looked at the nurses and said, if she can swallow, she can eat. They didn't even want to try. We brought frozen Jell-O and fruit juices from home, and a squirt bottle. Drop by drop we gave her liquids, and indeed, she swallowed. Then a little Jell-O, a little apple juice. The frozen juice would melt on her tongue and didn't risk choking her.

She started to respond and become alert. Within two day I asked them to introduce pureed foods and she ate.

Now months later, she is doing much better.

She cannot talk. She cannot walk. She can move little more than her hands and her eyes. She is often non-responsive. But she is alive. Then one day, she smiled and nodded her head. And the other day, I asked her if she wanted Jell-O or apple sauce. She pointed to the Jell-O.

She probably won't get much better than she is now. They refuse to give her therapy. They consider her non-responsive and won't try. We do what we can.

We go three times a day to feed her. It is a slow process. She cannot hold a spoon much less bring it to her mouth. It can take up to an hour a meal to feed her. Sometimes less. The nursing staff does not have the time to spend a hour feeding one patient. Some would give up in two minutes and take the tray away, others would spill more food on her that they got in her. We taste the food to make sure it's okay, and give her tiny spoonfuls that she can swallow easily. We bring a special spoon from home that is small and easier to get in her mouth.

What I'm trying to say, if you think you can depend on a hospital or nursing home to take care of you, think again.

The frightening thing I discovered one day is that all family members have to do is instruct the staff to withhold food and they will do so. One of the nurses rather indifferently let us know that it was not that uncommon. I was shocked because, of course, I consider this murder. Apparently sanctioned murder today.

Her original doctor who has treated her for years,: instead of celebrating her recovery, called to say he was going away for a couple of day and disappeared, handing her over to a second doctor, who handed her over to a third. A couple of the hospital nurses looked dejected and refused to look us in the eyes--I suppose because they were wrong and she didn't die. They had no respect for her will to live. Those of us who know her, knew she wouldn't give up without a fight.

[MarMema]

God Bless you! You have learned a lot.

Reading the nursing boards online is very informative. People whining about the elderly living on, etc....

[MarMema]

The line leading to the sucking process on the two teats of George Soros is a long and complex one.
But eventually they all come back to the teats, one of which is dignity and the other, autonomy, and the pocketbook of Soros financing them, most often through the Project on Death in America.

It amazed me at first to find a pediatrician (advocating killing children for their organs) in Mass., a philosophy professor at a university in the midwest, and a right-to-die attorney in Florida, all linked to Soros and his money. Then I began to wonder about the antichrist....something I know very little about...

[MarMema]

"Forced Exit" is a must read for all of us growing older in an increasingly death-obsessed and declining culture.

YES. Great book!!!!