Comments on: Shiavo case http://blog.xcski.com/2005/03/22/shiavo-case Everything I used to bore people on newsgroups and mailing lists with, now in one inconvenient place. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:16:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Vicki http://blog.xcski.com/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-614 Vicki Wed, 23 Mar 2005 15:48:19 +0000 http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-614 Actually, Dad pulled his own feeding tube. Literally. It was almost his last conscious act. His doctor asked him if he knew what he was doing, and he nodded. It helped that Dad was a doctor himself, and that the medical personnel who attended him in the end were his friends and colleagues. But you're right; we gave orders (or Mom did) that he was to be kept hydrated and pain free. And then we waited. Actually, Dad pulled his own feeding tube. Literally. It was almost his last conscious act. His doctor asked him if he knew what he was doing, and he nodded.

It helped that Dad was a doctor himself, and that the medical personnel who attended him in the end were his friends and colleagues.

But you’re right; we gave orders (or Mom did) that he was to be kept hydrated and pain free. And then we waited.

]]> By: Paul Tomblin http://blog.xcski.com/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-613 Paul Tomblin Tue, 22 Mar 2005 20:44:27 +0000 http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-613 Yeah, that's the way they do it here. I guess Karen Quinlan was the first to win a court case to die, and they just unplugged the life support. They won't actually take a measure to kill somebody, but they will withdraw the intervention that is keeping somebody alive. In this case, she's incapable of swallowing, but she can breath on her own, so allowing her to starve to death is the only way. I believe when Vicki's dad was dying of cancer and really really far gone, they did the same thing - pulling the feeding tube. They kept him hydrated and gave him pain medication. If there's one good thing that's coming out of this, a LOT of my friends are making living wills now. Yeah, that’s the way they do it here. I guess Karen Quinlan was the first to win a court case to die, and they just unplugged the life support. They won’t actually take a measure to kill somebody, but they will withdraw the intervention that is keeping somebody alive. In this case, she’s incapable of swallowing, but she can breath on her own, so allowing her to starve to death is the only way.

I believe when Vicki’s dad was dying of cancer and really really far gone, they did the same thing - pulling the feeding tube. They kept him hydrated and gave him pain medication.

If there’s one good thing that’s coming out of this, a LOT of my friends are making living wills now.

]]> By: Peter Van Eynde http://blog.xcski.com/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-612 Peter Van Eynde Tue, 22 Mar 2005 20:38:25 +0000 http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/2005/03/22/shiavo-case#comment-612 I find it shocking that she seems to be forced to die through starvation. From what I have gathered she made no previous arrangements. Here in Belgium the euthanasia law could help if she wrote criteria for terminating her life before the accident or if she could indicate her wishes to a third party. This reminds me to write down <b>my</b> criteria... I find it shocking that she seems to be forced to die through starvation.

From what I have gathered she made no previous arrangements. Here in Belgium the euthanasia law could help if she wrote criteria for terminating her life before the accident or if she could indicate her wishes to a third party.

This reminds me to write down my criteria…

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