Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I posted this here becaue I think this subject is something that we as nurses deal with on a regular basis.....Many many people state that they have a big problem with the feeding being stopped "allowing her to starve to death" The Vatican says " To starve her to death is pitiless" Most everyone agrees that it is one's right to refuse to initiate artificial feeding but somehow this situation "is different" How? The patient "starves to death " in both cases-so why has this one galvanized the WORLD? My husband read me a quote from the Bible -forgive me because I can't remember it in detail-it was something along the lines that a woman marries and leaves her father's house and her husband becomes her family....My husband is my POA I hope no-one in my family questions his motives -He KNOWS exactly what I want....I can't question her husbands motives-I know that some suspect foul play and state the results of a bone scan support this...That bone scan was obtained 53 months after she went into her coma-after her body suffered the effects of her eating disorders for a number of years.... Her present level of responsiveness does not pertain to this matter IMHO-she CAN'T eat naturally--she did not ever want to "be kept alive like that " and she can't state otherwise at this point...So- #1 can someone PLEASE make me see why this case is" DIFFERENT" and #2 How do YOU support your patients and their loved ones when they are agonizing over this decision? ONe thing I always ask is "Did your loved one ever give you any idea of what they would want if something like this happened" and if they did then I advocate that stance for that pt as much possible.......I believe that death is the last great trip we'll go on and we should PLAN it as much as possible.The greatest GIFT we can give to our loved ones is an itinerary...........

i think that they should just let that poor woman die with some dignity. i can understand where her parents would have a hard time letting go--but my god its been over 10 years. shouldn't they start the greiving process? i mean, does anyone see the irony in the fact that she ended up like this because of anorexia and now her parents are force feeding her brain dead body? i really don't think anyone with body issues that severe would want to be on cnn with a bad haircut drooling on themselves. i personally WOULD NEVER WANT TO LIVE LIKE THAT and neither would most people.

who is paying fort his anyway? just curious. :angryfire

__________________

she is not brain dead.

right now many people are paying for her care. Her family wants to take her home to care for her. Dr.'s and nurses have offered their care FREE OF CHARGE. But the husband has refused even free physical therapy.

When did nursing become pro active euthanasia??

No wonder the Hemlock Society is able to get nurses to answer their 1-800 number.

Listening to all the issues and commentary about Terri, I have a good feeling for what the husband is going through. He has attempted to fulfill what he felt were Terri's desires. He has been twarted the entire way by her well meaning, but misguided parents. (His view) He is lashing out for his rights as her husband and now legal guardian. Her parents are ignoring the true facts of the case that they have no legal say in this matter anymore. They lost that say when Terri signed her name to the marriage certificate and the marriage ceremony was complete.

Michael is mad as heck, and he is not going to take it anymore. I would feel the same way if I were trying to fulfill my wife's last wishes and had her family members come in and challenge these wishes. I would become bitter, especially if it went on for more than 14 years. It hurts to see your loved one in these kinds of situations.

I have dealt for years with well intentioned but misguided parents, spouses and family members. Keep grandma on the ventilator, do everything, damn the expenses. They have no grasp of what the realities of the situation are.

Terri has beat the odds. Bless her for what she has gone through, hell in this life. May she achieve the peace she desired in this life.

Listening to all the issues and commentary about Terri, I have a good feeling for what the husband is going through. He has attempted to fulfill what he felt were Terri's desires. He has been twarted the entire way by her well meaning, but misguided parents. (His view) He is lashing out for his rights as her husband and now legal guardian. Her parents are ignoring the true facts of the case that they have no legal say in this matter anymore. They lost that say when Terri signed her name to the marriage certificate and the marriage ceremony was complete.

Michael is mad as heck, and he is not going to take it anymore. I would feel the same way if I were trying to fulfill my wife's last wishes and had her family members come in and challenge these wishes. I would become bitter, especially if it went on for more than 14 years. It hurts to see your loved one in these kinds of situations.

I have dealt for years with well intentioned but misguided parents, spouses and family members. Keep grandma on the ventilator, do everything, damn the expenses. They have no grasp of what the realities of the situation are.

Terri has beat the odds. Bless her for what she has gone through, hell in this life. May she achieve the peace she desired in this life.

How does that explain the sunlight issue, the cremation, etc.? It doesn't appear to me that he's looking out for her best wishes, in fact, he looks to be vindictive.

JustaMaleRN,

Thank you! This man has been without his partner for 14 years and people are down on him for being engaged and having a life with someone else. This matter was supposed to have been settled long ago! Her spouse is trying to carry out her wishes and the parents can't let go. Legally, he is her next of kin. These people are supposed to be Christian. Even the Bible states that when we get married that is our new family, not the one we came from. Even is he gets money from life insurance or whatever, it won't be enough to pay all the legal fees and agony he has been through in his attempts to honor his wife's wishes! I only pray that my husband would be so steadfast if he needed to be,

Nancy2

When did nursing become pro active euthanasia??

No wonder the Hemlock Society is able to get nurses to answer their 1-800 number.

I don't believe this is about euthanasia. This is about letting some natural events occur without massive medical intrusion. Our healthcare system as well as our medicaid and social security system is crammed full of people who are little more than vegetables. They have no quality of life and are a massive financial drain on everyone involved...and this usually becomes state and federal funds in state run facilities in time because it is soooo expensive to care for these cases. Its part of the problem with our failing social security system.

We treat our animals better than humans when it comes to a dignified death.

I would not want to live in Terry's condition and yes I DO have a living will.

She has been proven brain dead. Just because her eye seems to follow a balloon doesn't mean she's 'in there' but people don't understand that.

We need to stop intervening in the natural demise of people in these situations IMHO. If after a certain timeframe there is proven brain death we need to let them go and stop going to extremes to prevent their natural deaths. A big part of the problem is the futile care we deliver because of fear of lawsuit in our acute health systems.

I understand there are many POV's on this issue. I believe if the brain is dead this is no longer a human with a quality of life and we need to respect what that means.

JMHO.

I don't believe this is about euthanasia. This is about letting some natural events occur without massive medical intrusion. Our healthcare system as well as our medicaid and social security system is crammed full of people who are little more than vegetables. They have no quality of life and are a massive financial drain on everyone involved...and this usually becomes state and federal funds in state run facilities in time because it is soooo expensive to care for these cases. Its part of the problem with our failing social security system.

We treat our animals better than humans when it comes to a dignified death.

I would not want to live in Terry's condition and yes I DO have a living will.

She has been proven brain dead. Just because her eye seems to follow a balloon doesn't mean she's 'in there' but people don't understand that.

We need to stop intervening in the natural demise of people in these situations IMHO. If after a certain timeframe there is proven brain death we need to let them go and stop going to extremes to prevent their natural deaths. A big part of the problem is the futile care we deliver because of fear of lawsuit in our acute health systems.

I understand there are many POV's on this issue. I believe if the brain is dead this is no longer a human with a quality of life and we need to respect what that means.

JMHO.

1. Providing nutrition and hydration is not "massive medical intrusion."

2. "Quality of life" is a subjective assessment. Don't assume it, because we can't know it in someone else.

3. Caring for the disabled has nothing to do with social security, and any problems the SS system is having.

4. Terry Schiavo has not been proven "brain dead."

5. Feeding and hydrating a person is not "going to extremes." It is preventing the individual from starving or dying of thirst.

6. Finally, Terry Schiavo's brain is not dead. This is obvious to anyone who sees the videos of her.

Jim Huffman, RN

There is no recent video because there was an injunction preventing media from taping her. The parents have begged for video of her to be allowed out to the media, however this is not allowed

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here...

If Terri is doing as well as her website claims http://www.terrisfight.org,

why are there no recent videos/pictures of her. I find it hard to believe that she is doing as well now as the videos on the website.

Perhaps she would have done better if Michael had allowed more medical intervention, but it is probably a moot point. The point now is what would Terri want.

If she is just lying there in a coma, I can't imagine she has good quality of life and I say let her go.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I didn't realize "most everyone agrees" it is one's right to refuse to initiate artificial feeding. Do you have some statistic or source for that? I would imagine that people who do feel that way are not the ones that feel Terri Schiavo's husband is wrong here. I haven't heard anyone indicate that they think Terri's case is different from what they would think of any other case with the same set of criteria.

Think of the sheer monotony of her days. One day identical to the next. Never tasting food. Pleasure seeking is natural. What pleasure does she have? What does she have to look forward to---oral care? Being turned and positioned. Staring at mom for another decade. How natural is that for a life. Would you want to grow old that way?

Real living is enjoying new signs of spring outside, experiencing life, having coffee at the mall with friends, going for a new haircut. I wouldn't want my dog to live like she does. She has suffered enough. Let her rest in peace. She should be nominated for sainthood having endured hell on earth.

I think the clergy that what to "save" her have never worked with those in vegetative states. Let her go to a much better place with dignity.

Listening to all the issues and commentary about Terri, I have a good feeling for what the husband is going through. He has attempted to fulfill what he felt were Terri's desires. He has been twarted the entire way by her well meaning, but misguided parents. (His view) He is lashing out for his rights as her husband and now legal guardian. Her parents are ignoring the true facts of the case that they have no legal say in this matter anymore. They lost that say when Terri signed her name to the marriage certificate and the marriage ceremony was complete.

Michael is mad as heck, and he is not going to take it anymore. I would feel the same way if I were trying to fulfill my wife's last wishes and had her family members come in and challenge these wishes. I would become bitter, especially if it went on for more than 14 years. It hurts to see your loved one in these kinds of situations.

I have dealt for years with well intentioned but misguided parents, spouses and family members. Keep grandma on the ventilator, do everything, damn the expenses. They have no grasp of what the realities of the situation are.

Terri has beat the odds. Bless her for what she has gone through, hell in this life. May she achieve the peace she desired in this life.

________________

So once you sign a marriage certificate you no longer have rights? You can be treated any such way as your spouse sees fit?

I don't believe this is about euthanasia. This is about letting some natural events occur without massive medical intrusion. Our healthcare system as well as our medicaid and social security system is crammed full of people who are little more than vegetables. They have no quality of life and are a massive financial drain on everyone involved...and this usually becomes state and federal funds in state run facilities in time because it is soooo expensive to care for these cases. Its part of the problem with our failing social security system.

We treat our animals better than humans when it comes to a dignified death.

I would not want to live in Terry's condition and yes I DO have a living will.

She has been proven brain dead. Just because her eye seems to follow a balloon doesn't mean she's 'in there' but people don't understand that.

We need to stop intervening in the natural demise of people in these situations IMHO. If after a certain timeframe there is proven brain death we need to let them go and stop going to extremes to prevent their natural deaths. A big part of the problem is the futile care we deliver because of fear of lawsuit in our acute health systems.

I understand there are many POV's on this issue. I believe if the brain is dead this is no longer a human with a quality of life and we need to respect what that means.

JMHO.

_________________

Is she was on a breathing maching and the husband was fighting to have her removed, I wouldnt have a problem with it. If she had written down to withhold a feeding tube, I would have no problem with it. But this is not the case.

We are not talking about a woman whose family wants the state to take care of her. They want to take her home and care for her. Nurses and Dr.'s have offered their care free of charge.

You are right on the animals. Better to put a bullet in Terri's head than to remove a feeding tube. If you had an injured paralyzed animal and took the animal to the vet, would the vet say..."we are just not going to feed him or give him water for 10 days...he will eventually die". How would you (or the Humane Society) react?? It would be seen as abuse.

She has NOT been proven brain dead. Even the husband admits to that. His point is that she is brain DAMAGED and in a vegetative state. That is not the same thing.

+ Add a Comment