Ditto. And bury me with my badge, please. It would kill me to see it on Ebay.

Can I ask a question of one of you who has been following this story?

If Terry Schiavo has been in this state for at least 10 years, why is her family only now saying they want to try to treat the condition?

They're not -- the fight b/w her parents and her husband has been going on for the past seven years. (So, roughly half of the time she's been in the persisitent vegetative state. Remember, it's been 15 years now).

ETA: Sorry, I need to correct myself. Her parents first tried to have him removed as her guardian in 1993.

The real question of interest is if and when Terri dies, will the politicians give a rats ass about this issue? From my demeanor, I'm sure everyone agrees that this is just another game to make headlines. I feel bad the family has to be the center of it all.

Okay, sorry to be a post-whore, but here's a related article, and the part I've bolded really creeped me out:

Terry "Chuck" Hagel, Hudson
Died March 3 at age 49

Personal history: Carpet cleaner and longtime resident of Hudson. Survived by his parents, Mary and Norman Hagel, two sisters, a brother and a nephew.

Medical problems: Undiagnosed hepatitis-C liver damage, probably stemming from a tattoo, complicated by surgery from leg fracture that became infected. Was in hospital for weight loss, nausea and swollen stomach when liver capacity plummeted. He could not swallow and was moved to hospice.

End-of-life wishes: Did not have a living will. Occasionally showed signs in hospice that he understood what people were saying, but could not communicate verbally with family.

Family decisions: Based on doctor advice that nothing could be done, agreed to hospice care and no feeding tube. He died after eight days. "We didn't want another Terri Schiavo case, keeping someone alive who is not supposed to be." Later, family members had second thoughts.

Source of information: Sister Kathleen Svehla, who now wonders if the family should have inserted the feeding tube to see if her brother might improve. He sucked on the sponge when nurses swabbed his lips and his stomach growled. "I felt like, maybe, he was saying, "Help me. I want out. I'm so thirsty. I'm so hungry.' Watching him there for eight days was heartbreaking." Svehla and other family members are now thinking about changing their living wills so feeding tubes will be maintained.

That stuff is heartbreaking and sad... but truthfully... what way of dying isn't? I mean, if they had given that guy the feeding tube, he probably would have died from a respiratory infection and he would have literally drowned in his own mucus. I'm sure that's not too pleasant. People die every day in hospitals in horrible painful ways. Postponing the inevitable doesn't really solve the problem.

I wonder if I can write up a living will to have me flowing to Oregon to be put down in a humane manner instead of starved to death.

Senate is looking to pass legislation tomorrow afternoon and president bush will most likely sign the bill. It's amazing how after all that's already been done, they still don't get it.

Tom Delay is the biggest hippocrit of all
 

You know seeing Tom Delay (R-TEXAS) getting involved in this makes me want to throw up!

Texas law allows hospitals to disconnect individuals from life support means AGAINST the wishes of the family, if the drs believe such is futile.

Case in point

Baby on Life Support

WHY wasn't he there supporting the "parent" in keeping this baby alive?

What about this case?

Wife wants husband saved

She just wants time to MOVE him to a place so the hospital won't cut off his life support and they won't let her!

WHERE is congress to meddle with these families' wishes? Why aren't they there jumping in the fray? It is DeLay's state for pity sake!!!!!

And what about the "sanctity" of marriage....? "One man, one woman" is the ideal marriage for conservatives....not "one man, one woman AND her parents"

This case just amazes me to the amount of spinning that is going on. Micheal Schiavo obviously is doing his best to keep his promise to a woman HE LOVES. A promise made between two people.

I hope the country learns a lesson...LIVING WILLS, put it in writing...shout your desires on the roof top so everyone knows.

If I were Tom DeLay, with those campaign financing allegations against me, I'd be focusing on keeping a low profile.

Republicans like him are making me seriously consider changing my registration to "Libertarian". Unfortunately, this is a closed primary state, so I couldn't vote in either Primary.

Euthanasia is a painless way to end life-why must someone starve to death? That is CRUEL. For God's sake people give her an injection of KCl or Napentobarbital. I don't understand why people are so hell bent on quantity of life vs quality. Why are people so against active euthanasia?

Yet another about face.

Another description of being starved to death


AXiD670, after watching my father die, most of my family came to the same decision as yours - and in my case, it is in writing!

I think it's ridiculous that our Senate and House are coming together for special meetings to pass a law forcing the feeding tube to be reinserted. Doesn't our government have more pressing issues than this poor woman?

And I agree, euthenasia would be the best option here. I agree that she should be off the machines if that was her wishes because she's obviously not coming back. But letting her starve is pretty awful. I wish they'd give her an injection or something. I'm glad my parents have living wills so I don't have to get caught up in making decisions like this. I feel so badly for her husband.