Perhaps, but slimming!
Posted on 03/24/2005 6:28:20 PM PST by wagglebee
Is pain a factor for Terri Schiavo?
While some news stories have suggested her starvation is painless, the head of the Christian Medical Association is debunking what he calls "the myth" that it does not involve pain.
"Contrary to those that try to paint a picture of a gentle process, death by dehydration is a cruel, inhumane and often agonizing death," said Dr. David Stevens, who says most so-called experts have never seen someone die under such circumstances.
"Unfortunately, having worked for 13 years in Africa, where the most common cause of death in children is dehydration from gastroenteritis, I have seen hundreds if not thousands of patients with dehydration and some of them so far gone, that despite resuscitation attempts, they died."
Stevens, who represents a group of 17,000 physicians, explained what happens with starvation:
As dehydration begins, there is extreme thirst, dry mouth and thick saliva. The patient becomes dizzy, faint and unable to stand or sit; has severe cramping in the arms and legs as the sodium and potassium concentrations in the body goes up as fluids go down. In misery, the patient tries to cry but there are no tears. The patient experiences severe abdominal cramps, nausea and dry-heaving as the stomach and intestines dry out.
By now the skin and lips are cracking and the tongue is swollen. The nose may bleed as the mucous membranes dry out and break down. The skin loses elasticity, thins and wrinkles. The hands and feet become cold as the remaining fluids in the circulatory system are shunted to the vital organs in an attempt to stay alive. The person stops urinating and has severe headaches as their brain shrinks from lack of fluids. The patient becomes anxious but then gets progressively more lethargic.
Some patients have hallucinations and seizures as their body chemistry becomes even more imbalanced. This proceeds to coma before death occurs. The final event as the blood pressure becomes almost undetectable is a major heart arrhythmia that stops the heart from pumping.
But Stevens' statement is contradicted by other doctors.
"The cessation of eating and drinking is the dominant way that mammals die," Dr. Ira Byock, director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire told the Los Angeles Times. "It is a very gentle way that nature has provided for animals to leave this life."
Dr. Robert Sullivan at Duke University Medical Center told the Times that after 24 hours without any food, "the body goes into a different mode and you're not hungry anymore," he said. "Total starvation is not painful or uncomfortable at all. When we were hunting rabbits millions of years ago, we had to have a back-up mode because we didn't always get a rabbit. You can't go hunting if you're hungry."
Of course they haven't, they have an agenda and something as insignificant as the truth won't be allowed to interfere with that.
Perhaps, but slimming!
And whose fault is that?
The Right-To-A-Painfull-Death AKA Right-To-Life crowd.
I would be delighted if she could legally have a pint of morphine and go quickly and painlessly.
SO9
The next time we hear about the starving in some part of the world I guess we can all say "But it's a beautiful, peaceful way to die, and don't we all, really, want that?"
Hey, Jeb!
Forget 'Ole Sparky...
Apparently it's much more natural and humane to let death row inmates slowly die from dehydration.
We could cut through all this BS controversy if one of the talking heads (O'Reilly, Hannity, Matthews) would just volunteer to go without food and water for a week. They could report on LIVE TV just how they were feeling, so we could get a more accurate perspective of what Terri is going through. The best part would be when the 'euphoria' kicks in. That would be classic television!
That would make a great reality show, I might even watch it. Especially if they were all put on an island together, without any food or water, we could watch them deal each other.
She was cute before she became grotesque.
I always kind of preferred Jane Krakowski, anyway.
'Bet if she were Muslim, this wouldn't happen.
Not for "everyone" tho.
Not for Terri...
I have gone beyond appalled at this. I can't believe all the courts have turned there backs on this poor woman. I can't believe that the woman who gave birth to Terri is being denied the right to continue to care for her. My heart breaks for this family. And it breaks to see a nation that once was about life, liberty and the persute of happiness. Turn into nothing more than a killing field, where it is ok to kill the most vunerable of our society. The very people we are suppose to protect.
Jesus said, when I was thursty you gave me a drink of water, when I was hungry you feed me, when I was naked you clothed me. When you do to the least of these, you have done it also to me.
My prayers for Teri are that she be in peace. May the good Lord forgive her of her sins and take her to a better place.
A Men
Yes, if it's that blissful, why isn't everyone lining up for a chance at it?
(Because it's NOT, because it's a nasty way to have to die!)
And just today I read an article that said the opposite. So who is correct?
Since they wanted to kill her, why didn't they at least do it humanely, with an injection? I don't understand the point of starvation until she dies??? Can someone please explain that to me? Even Kevorkian kills people in a humane way. (Never thought I'd be saying THAT!)
Finally Fla. has found a way to get rid of "Old Sparky", which the anti-death penality advocates find so in-humane.Just starve them to death.The L.A. Times, N.Y. Times,Peter Jennings,and assorted "experts"have stated that starvation is both painless and euphoric.And saving on electricity would please the enviromental folks and also P.I.T.A.[In case the condemned wanted a steak for his [her] last meal.
UTTER BALDERDASH!
I've gone 24 hours without food on several occasions, and was profoundly hungry at that point.
"Total starvation is not painful or uncomfortable at all..
Try executing a condemned murderer by dehydration/starvation and this guy would be screaming at the top of his lungs about "cruel, unusual and inhuman punishment".
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