[RadioAstronomer]

If I was that brain-damaged, I would rather be dead. This I can say with absolute certainty.

[syriacus]

Terri does not want to die.

[Trinity_Tx]

"If I was that brain-damaged, I would rather be dead. This I can say with absolute certainty."

I'd rather be dead than go on long like that, for sure. It sounds like the worst hell imaginable to me - like being buried alive. Much worse than not knowing what was happening at all. But I hope they use this to diagnose and determine the prognosis for people so the state would only be temporary.

I mean, they should do the MRIs on everyone, and if they see the activity, they can try therapies to "train" people to communicate somehow. Then, chart the progress to see if it's being effective.

I think I could handle it as long as I could communicate somehow.

[LibWhacker]

I think I would, too -- and I only use my brain 1/1000th as much as you! :-)

I agree with the person who said that it would sort of be like you were buried alive.

That said, I'm glad this may help Terri Schiavo and those who love her. I could never bring myself to pull the plug on someone like her, or condone someone else doing it.

[TAdams8591]

If you were a little or a lot brain-damaged, your perspective on life would be changed and you would view things differently. I doubt very much, despite what you might now say, you would want to be dead.

None of the people who have awoken from comas said they wished themselves dead or recall wanting to be dead while they were in them. THAT should be enough to give one pause for thought.