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"The Schindlers have been locked for years in a battle with Schiavo's husband over whether her feeding tube should be disconnected. State courts have sided with Michael Schiavo, who insists his wife told him she would never want to be kept alive artificially."

Hubby heard on O'Reilly's radio show tonight that it's NOT true that Terri Can't eat.

Terri can't feed herself so needs someone to feed her. The feeding tube was easier than having someone take the time to feed her.

So, the 'artificial means' wasn't even necessary, just convenient.

What would the fact that Terri's husband introduced the 'artificial means as a convenience do to this court case? I've been following this case for a long time and don't remember ever reading when the feeding tube was inserted in Terri. Anyone know? Before Terri's husband got the court settlement or after he got the money and stopped any and all rehabilitation?

On another note, hubby heard on another radio show that Judge Greer is a born again Christian. From all I've read, he's a Scientologist? Anyone know the truth?

My brother-in-law is currently on a feeding tube. It isn't because he can't feed himself--he, post-stroke, has the use of his right side, but it is difficult for him to swallow more than soft or pureed foods, and he is just beginning to be able to swallow water by spoon. He's on a feeding tube because he can't get sufficient nutrition or hydration by his own efforts alone. This may be the case with Terri.

"So, the 'artificial means' wasn't even necessary, just convenient."

The tubes happen often in patients for this very reason. Without it,it can takes an hour or more just to get one meal down, it's usually either hurried, or not really finished because the aide has other things to do, or finished real hurriedly, and it's boring to give little sips over and over. And there are other patients to care for. So a tube is often for convenience. But the doing of it makes her swallowing reflexes less used, and more prone towards atrophy.

This is why I encourage people to bring your loved ones into your home. It's hard. A convenience tube wouldn't even be wrong necessarily. But a facility is paid money to do certain things, and doesn't even do it, like now.

Like Dr. Laura is her kid's Mom, let us be our "family's family." The reason why the neurologists say she is in a PVC is because they try to lessen the guilty conscience of those who leave their loved oned in a home. They try to be consistent.