Posted on 03/20/2005 8:45:07 AM PST by ClintonBeGone
Though the legal wrangling in the Terri Schiavo case has been loud and contentious, the brain-damaged woman's physical response to having her feeding tube removed is likely to be very serene.
"The process of starving to death seems very barbaric but in actuality is very peaceful," said Dr. Fred Mirarchi, assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.
"The patient's experience is really pretty benign," said Dr. Joanne Lynn, a hospice physician associated with Americans for Better Care of the Dying, a group working for improved end-of-life care. "Overwhelmingly, what will happen is nothing."
Lynn, who has worked with numerous families facing end-of-life situations, said most patients who are removed from life support will die within a matter of a few days or weeks.
"Some people can last four or five days — some people can last 20 days," she said.
Schiavo's feeding tube was removed on Friday afternoon following a contentious battle between her husband, who said his wife would not want to live in a vegetative state, and her parents, who wanted her kept on live support.
Schiavo's feeding tube was removed twice before, in 2001 and 2003. The second time, the tube was replaced after six days when Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed a hastily passed law allowing him to intervene in the case. "Terri's Law" was later ruled unconstitutional.
The Body Begins Shutting Down
The physical process of dying after life support is removed follows a pattern familiar to hospice workers. And the fact that Schiavo is in a vegetative state will likely make her death faster and less painful, Lynn said.
"It depends on whether she has the ability to swallow anything — and if that anything is offered," she said. "If she's unable to swallow anything, the course toward dying, so far as anyone can tell, is fairly comfortable."
Most patients who cannot eat or drink will enter a physical state known as ketosis. During ketosis the body begins to use fat and muscle as a fuel source.
In advanced cases of ketosis, the nervous system response is dulled, and patients rarely feel pain, hunger or thirst. There is also some evidence that ketosis can produce a state of well-being or mild euphoria.
Family members and friends are often surprised to find that a terminal patient's eyes will open and they will appear to glance around the room. "It's very confusing on an emotional level," said Lynn.
But Lynn explained that the part of the brain-controlling eye movement is actually very primitive and can remain active even after other parts of the brain appear to have stopped functioning.
Patients are also likely to experience irregular breathing.
"Cyclical breathing is very typical," Lynn said, adding that in some cases the patient will breathe very rapidly, then take just one or two breaths per minute.
Over time, the patient will become more and more dehydrated and will eventually develop kidney failure, Mirarchi explained.
"Patients at this point are uremic — filled with bodily toxins — and are unaware of their surroundings," Mirarchi said. "They develop electrolyte imbalances that eventually cause an abnormal beating of the heart."
In the final moments of life, the abnormalities in the patient's heart rate known as arrhythmia are common.
"The heart will then stop and the patient will die," said Mirarchi.
The efforts of caregivers may in some cases complicate the death of the patient. Giving a patient water, for example, may prolong the process. "Going without water makes it more gentle," Lynn said. "Allowing chemicals [in the blood] to cause arrhythmia is more merciful."
Wrong. I had a relative for whom it was the kindest and gentlest possible alternative to a hospital based death from horrenously painful terminal cancer.
No limitations on family visits, pain meds as neded for comfort, rather than stingy for fear they could hasten a death that was comning anyway.
Hospital based death can be monstrous.
"No, it is not euthanasia. I can see circumstances where euthanasia would be a beneficent act. This is murder, pure and simple."
Here's the definition of euthanasia. How does the Schiavo case contradict this?
Main Entry:euthanasia
Function:noun
Etymology:Greek, easy death, from euthanatos, from eu- + thanatos death more at THANATOS
Date:1869
: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
"No, it is not euthanasia. I can see circumstances where euthanasia would be a beneficent act.
This is murder, pure and simple."
Let me add this. Euthanasia IS murder. But not all murder is euthanasia. Euthanasia and murder are not contrary terms.
1. She is not hopelessly on the way to death...the proximate cause of death will be starvation and dehydration.
2. I have strong doubts about the gentleness of an unremitting week or so of a dry cracked mouth in someone who has not flatlined.
Forgot te most important part: Terri Schiavo is not hopelessly sick. She is severely disabled and not on any kind of downhill path.
Soylent Green.
What is wrong with you.
I'm NOT DISAGREEING with you.
The definition of euthanasia includes a person who is NOT terminally ill. The definition of euthanasia includes "injured individuals."
Terri Schiavo is not on life support. Therefore, removing the feeding tube INITIATES the dying process, just as it would initiate the dying process for ANY PERSON who is not capable of feeding himself. This is euthanasia AND it is murder.
And that is pure hell for the patient to endure. I think ABC needs to remove its own tube and die, and while they are dying they can take Mirarchi with them. Good riddance.
Very damning article! I hear rumors about a previous bone scan...I had no idea how extensive the injuries were.
Maybe just to add even more euphoria to the euphoria they already feel (according to ABC) from having their kidneys fail, their heart go into arythmia, and all their tissues (including their eyes) dry up and wither. < /sarcasm>
I just read a report on another thread from someone at the hospital vigil in Florida that something went wrong when they removed the feeding tube yesterday. Terri has a high fever indicating a possible infection.
Those injuries were kept from her parents for 10 years, according to that article.
They only found out within the past 2 or 3 years.
Terri's father has said that in looking back, he could remember times that Terri was bruised, but she would always say something like, Michael and I were just fooling around.
This I think is typical of abused women, who often will protect their abuser.
Terri wanted to divorce her husband 2 years before this situation that caused her problem. She even mentioned it to her brother then.
Why 'suppose' when we have the facts? The facts are that only ONE (biased) person claims she would not want to live - her husband. The same man who has repeatedly violated his vows to Terri and produced two bastard children with another woman. I think that's an entirely appropriate poster. Is there no end to the deception perpetrated by you in the pro-death crowd?
In a perfectly just world, a ghoul like this would be locked up in cubicle and be denied food and water commencing at the same time that her helpless "patient" is denied food and water. Once an hour every hour a video feed would be run from within the cubicle and the ghoul would be asked to give thumbs-up sign as long everything was pleasant, benign, and comfortable. But the moment the ghoul flashed a thumbs-down, both the ghoul and her "patient" would be have their food and water restored.
Call it a hunch, but I think Dr. Joanne Lynn and Terri Schaivo would already, today, have their food and water restored.
I've personally experienced extreme hunger and thirst and did not consider them to be in any way peaceful or serene.
Are you saying that because I don't qualify for "MD" after my name my experience is irrelevant?
Duncan, here's what you're dealing with when it comes to Terri and Hildy.
"Personally, I believe Michael Schiavo."
Posted by Hildy to Petronski
On News/Activism 03/20/2005 1:36:35 PM EST · 1,744 of 1,790
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1366225/posts?page=1744#1744
Combination of bad timing in reading the posts and a genuine disagreement.
I don't consider euthanasia to be murder if the person (unlike Terri Schiavo) is clearly dying, each day worse than the day before and all possible cures have been tried.
In such a case palliative care to the extent that might shorten a pain wracked week to 3 not pain-wracked days would meet the definition of euthanasia and not be murder in my opinion.
It can be a tough call if the patient cannot communicate and has not left written instructions.
ABC: "Death to the disabled!"
"Put the disabled out of their misery, but do it in a merciful way!"
These people become more frightening every day. They must not be allowed to run our nation!
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