[Pan_Yans Wife]

I guess my point is that if we are to learn from Terri's case, we must allow for the right of the patient to prevail. And if this means not intervening and saving a patients' life if they have a DNR... then how is that much different than increasing the morphine drip for a terminally ill cancer patient? Isn't that the same idea?

[Warren_Piece]

The proble is that the medical community is increasingly blurring the line between "terminally ill" and "life impaired". Terminally ill is a strawman in this debate.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

No, big difference. In one instance you are providing supportive care and no intervention as death approaches naturally. In the other case you are actively causing death with an overdose of morphine. Too much morphine and your patient stops breathing. You killed him. We get in trouble for that :-/

It does get complicated and the lines do seem to blur. It is difficult not to want to help in any way. You always have to focus on the end result. Are you prolonging life or prolonging death? But, active killing is not the answer.