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She has a "port" to her stomach through which nutrition is delivered. She has her meals via tube. Then the tube is removed after the meal is served.

This is how a nurse explained it to me.

The feeding tube (G-tube) is essentially a rubber hose that is sewn through the upper abdominal wall into the stomach or upper intestine. It is capped off (remaining intact) between the feedings. During feedings, the cap is removed, a large bulb syringe is used to verify placement, the bulb is then removed, and liquid nourishment is poured into the syringe, and allowed to drain in via gravity. A very, very simple procedure.

Yep. But how many of our sheeple know that?

They have images implanted of a comatose body hooked up to wires and tubes, with monitors beeping away.

Hopefully, enough of the power on the not dark side "get it" and can do the "legal" thing to save her.

The G-Tube (G for Gastrointestinal) is a tube that goes directly into the stomach through the abdomen. My Dad had one. The most natural way is to give bolus feedings which is where the cap to the tube is opened and the liquid food is poured into a large syringe and directly into the stomach. A pump may also be used and the feeding is then spaced out over larger periods of time. The blous feeding is more akin to eating scheduled meals. My Dad preferred to get his food this way because as he always said, "Most people don't eat 12-24 hours a day!" (which is the way the pump is usually set up. A certain amount is given over a 24 hour period.)

The pump option is best for those who have trouble taking in more than 200mls of the food at a time due to absorption problems. This happened to my Dad in the last couple of weeks of his life. In all liklihood it was the body starting to "shut down" in preparation for death. This is a normal thing...I knew it and it freaked me out when I noticed that he wasn't absorbing the food at a good rate...

Anyway...I wonder how Terri Schiavo is fed. I wonder if she is on a pump or gets bolus feedings. I also wonder what her food absorption rate is if she is getting bolus feedings. I would venture to guess that it is pretty normal from all that I've learned of her case.

I think I'll write my Congressmen and Senators now...