You don't have to "have money" or be trying to preserve an inheritance, to reject a feeding tube on a 92 year old man who had had multiple strokes, was unable to communicate, had broken a hip, and contracted a case of MRSA pneumonia.
Inheritance had nothing to do with our decision not to allow a feeding tube, even though the doctors pushed for one.
My FIL had written a Living Will in 1991 at the age of 81 that specifically stated "no feeding tube to prolong life." We were just following his wishes.
Very well said. I would rather pass on our fairly limited resources to my children than give it to medical devices companies. I am seriously worried about big government bad laws being passed that might limit my freedom of choice.
I have a living will. I have no desire to provide one more vacation home for my doctor. But here's the problem, people like us are put in a spot when dealing with Terri. We fear the unintended consequences of lawmakers generalizing. Disappointing judges made it worse. They're the people who should cut the gordian knot, not wallow in elitist fears. How could they not respect for a woman who easily could have been abused? Can't they see this case is different?
I stand with Terri. Terri, the person. Not "Terri the life at all costs and misery" concept.
I slept on a hospital floor to safeguard my fathers last request not to be hooked to machines to prolong his painful death from cancer. He asked all of us to make sure that didn't happen and we stayed at the hospital in shifts to protect him from overzealous nurses.
Terri's different.
Maybe freepers can figure this problem out -- the judges are an embarrassment- coming across as unthinking control freaks.
Good people will have to solve this. People like you. People like me. The great unwashed. There's a man named Hentoff or something like that who writes for the Village Voice. He seems capable of seeing both sides. I'm sure there are others.
Thanks for your comments. You're a good person -- and honest. Maybe with good people trying, a fair solution can be found.