ah yes. None of us want to be on tubes. The difference here is that this is not a terminal patient on tubes, merely a disabled woman who is tube fed for convenience...resource plus is six cans for 4 dollars, and she probably could swallow it by mouth if you gave her some thickener in it and slowly fed it to her.
But thirty years ago, when I worked at an institution for retarded adults, we were sued by the federal government for risking aspiration pneumonia because we fed them with a spoon.
And one neurologist-- Ronald Cranford, has said even spoon feeding a "vegetative" patient was extraordinary treatment and could be stopped.
The demonization of the disabled is increasing in recent years, see:
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/
I suspect that in Europe, they will institute euthanasia in the next ten years as their elderly population starts bankrupting their society...ironically, it may be the devout Muslims in that continent that will stop this atrocity, not the few Christians left in that sad area...
Finally, yes I agree, none of us want to be disabled, dependent on others, and with a mind that is unable to properly think.
But if all of us have a path to tread before we die, and if you believe God is in control, then contemplate this: What if our disability is God's will? WOuld you accept it, or say, non servium? Believe me, I pray every day that me and mine would never fact such things, but you know I recently moved back to the Philippines so we won't have to face both the unwanted extraordinary treatment in modern hospitals,but also where the frail and elderly are still cared for at home and loved....
IN the US, many many family members leave jobs to care for their loved ones...we docs see this every day. But from the papers, one would not know it...
I am happy my elderly mom died at home, still of her own mind...I have seen many many terrible things. But when you know what is being read and taught, I am afraid...we are losing our moral vocabulary, the ability to recognize that even brain damaged humans are children of God....
I fear for my autistic grandson should anything ever happen to his parents and I am no longer here to care for him.
Thank you for your elequent words, Lady Doc. You sum up my views on this.
I fear being in a medically needy state, and having the state instruct the doctors to disconnect support. But even more, I fear being in a merely not-so-healthy state and having the doctors getting their hands on me and plugging me in.
It will take a lifetime to figure out where to draw the lines from this end, before the state mandates where lines are drawn from the other side.
If I were an old, unhealthy retiree in Florida, with greedy children or grandchildren, my blood would be running cold this week.
Jeb Bush isn't superman, but he did a lot more than a craven politician would. I salute both Mr. Bushes. And I pray for comfort for the people who love Terri, especially her parents and siblings.
Pinz
I find that an odd frame of mind which has permeated our society as well.
These elderly built the society we enjoy... with dedication and long hours of hard work. Instead of being honored and reverenced for their contributions .....they're being kicked to the curb like useless fodder.
Having aborted a few generations of our tax base and allowing illegal immigration to suck out massive resources from Medicaid/Welfare......we now have to start "culling" the useless eaters to make ends meet. What a sad state!
I say we start the culling process with politicians and judges. :)