Living Will

I’m there for you Adam. I’ll fight to the death to prevent you from dying all the way. Of course, I’ll expect others to keep my own battered shell alive when I’m mortally wounded–and so the circle of life continues. Or, rather, the cumulative line of semi-dead humans continues.

But, seriously…Due to the miracle of modern science, this poor woman can be kept in that state for decades–basically until she dies of old age. If every person that COULD be kept alive this way SHOULD be kept alive this way, then we should have huge warehouses filled with brain-dead human bodies connected to feeding tubes and urine bags.

Ken:

They’re called Republicans.

Does anyone other than me find just a wee bit ironic the whole notion of the governor of the state which only recently has forsaken “Old Sparky the Defective Electric Chair” for the more “humane” lethal injection and the former governor of a state which leads the nation and, perhaps, the entire “civilized” world in executions going on about the sanctity of life as if they actually gave a damn about any life after the third trimester of pregnancy?

I believe it was Jeb Bush who dismissed critics of the Florida electric chair, which worked so poorly that the condemned were sometimes literally fried to death and on at least on occasion actually caught fire, by saying something to the effect that if they didn’t want the punishment they shouldn’t do the crime. It certainly was his kid brother and (the diety of your choice help us) our President, George W Bush who mocked a death row inmates appeal for clemency on the eve of her execution.

I’ll believe any of these people are truly pro-life when I see them trying to storm the Florida and Texas execution chambers with the same degree of ferocity with they attack women’s health clinics.

It’s for this reason and this reason alone that I have the slightest amount of respect for the Catholic Church — at least they’re consistent: my understanding is that they oppose both capital punishment and abortion.

Steve:

> I’ll believe any of these people are
> truly pro-life

Pro-life is clearly a misnomer … I think “Pro-Political/Religious Agenda” would be more appropriate.

Anyone who would consider a persistent vegetative state to be “Life” obviously need some education.

Hmmm … maybe we should have the legislators involved spend a little time in a vegetative state so they can speak with some authority.

JMHO, of course.

Bear in mind, too, that while Gov of TX, Bush signed into law an act allowing hospitals to pull the plug on life support for a patient whose family couldn’t pay. It was used as recently as March 16th, by a TX hospital that decided they didn’t want to provide support for a sick baby; they cut off life support over the emphatic protests of the child’s mother.

citation

Culture of life, my ass.

Mark Kleiman has a much more detailed analysis.

Very much worth reading.

I have very recent experience with how difficult the decision not to provide artifical life support is, even with a clearly stated living will. My dad suffered a debilitating stroke that left him totally right side paralyzed, unable to speak or eat. His living will stated clearly that he did not want a feeding tube, which suprised no one in the family. Still, complying with his wishes was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was with him in the hospital when he died, and right up until that last moment, I worried constantly that we were giving up too soon, or that maybe he wanted to change his mind but was unable to tell us. It was hard to accept that even though the body was still breathing, my dad was gone. It grieves me to see the pain we are putting this woman and her husband through for what seems to be no compelling national interest, other than scoring political points. I can see the Rovian attack ads that will be deployed against Democrats who voted no.

Sorry this isn’t funny, but I appreciate the chance to vent.

I try to maintain a positive attitude about government. But it’s awfully difficult to do so when a pack of feckless weasels decides to use a family’s personal tragedy for its own tawdry purposes.

If there are any Republicans reading this, help me out. What are the core principles of your party?

Fiscal responsibility? Then why do you keep borrowing money from our kids and grandkids?

The sanctity of life? Then why did you vote into office a president who, when governor of Texas, signed a bill allowing hospitals to pull the plug on terminal patients who couldn’t pay?

Keeping the government off our backs? Then why are you meddling in personal medical decisions, and censoring our media?

States’ rights? Then why do you try to overrule state courts whenever you need to grandstand to your base, or win an election?

A drug-free America? Then why do 20 million of you listen to an oxycontin addict every week?

The solvency of Social Security? Then why do you want to reduce the amount of money that’s being collected to pass on to our seniors?

I’m serious here, Republicans; throw me a fricken’ bone. Name me one principle other than “our side is better” that you follow consistently, and that you’re not afraid to state in a public forum. ‘Cause I’m getting damned tired of this.

Harold, Jay - Please accept my sympathy for the tragedies in your families. My father refused surgical treatment for his leaking aneurism, on the grounds that “it was his turn to go.” He made the decision himself, and then we watched with him. Yeah, it was tough; seeing him stuck on tubes would have been tougher. At least we had no doubt about his wishes.

I am REVOLTED by the pandering in Congress on this subject. This is the business of nobody in the world but the immediate family. I feel deeply sorry for Terry Schiavo’s parents, who seem unable to accept the fact that their daughter died 15 years ago, just because her autonomic nervous system still works.

And thank you, Bob, for your summary of why the Repubs revolt ME, too. And you won’t get an answer from them, because “our side is better” is the only principle they have. I remember years ago when there were principled Republicans you could disagree with on some things and compromise with on others; that was then, this is now. Bleah.

John,

That’s absol-fucking-lutely brilliant! Texas has historically had NO problem executing those with impaired mental facilities! By Lobster, it’s a genius plan!

How sad that this Administration and it’s “moral agenda” couldn’t have put half this much energy into doing whatever it would have taken to keep Jessica Lunsford alive.

I’ve drafted a handy Congressional-medical form that allows for preapproval (or prohibition) from your member of Congress for a range of procedures and meds — I’m hoping it will prevent misunderstandings between my rep and my doctor.

I have had to deal with this problem first hand - my mother from cancer (last April) and my mother in law from an aneurism (seven years ago). In short- been there, done that. W and Congress are way beneath contempt for all of this stupidity. They are NOT God/Lobster and should not be playing at it!

I’ve always seen politics and politicians in the same light as E. Coli - can’t live without ‘em, pass the Metamucil.
We’ve been following the Schiavo case here for the last few weeks, getting the “newsflashes”, the “latest updates”, the whole schmeer. While I feel for Terri’s parents, who lost a child 15 years ago, how in Lobster’s name did this get the attention of Dubya? I’m waiting to see if Halliburton manufactures the feeding tube used in the hospital. Bets, anyone?
Merkley - WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION! (But I had an aunty like that too…

PC Pete -

This got the attention of Gee-Dub because the standard groups on the religious right did what they do best: they pestered the politicians with massive numbers of phone calls and emails demanding that something be done. Congressional repubs. then circulated a memo that this was a great political opportunity (in general, and for specific reasons too long to get into here–I’m looking at you, DeLay). And presto! This incredibly loud minority wins again over the relatively silent majority of Americans who think that Congress should mind its own beeswax.

Steve:

From what I’ve been reading, the reason why this is important is the very fact that the Repubs are fighting for a special law just for the Schiavo case. For the congress and the president to pass something like this without even a quorum is quite possibly unconstitutional, and that just sets a whole ugly precedent of executive and legislative power into the dealings of private lives.

Not only that, but it seems that the majority of Americans are apparently NOT in step with the Repubs on this issue, and so it seems to be weakening them with their constituents who are feeling a touch nervous about their own last wishes.

You remember correctly, Matt - thanatos is the Greek word for death. And having looked up the NLM article on thanatophoric dysplasia, it was almost certainly a respirator tube they pulled - infants with this mutation “are usually stillborn or die shortly after birth from respiratory failure”. The article goes on to say that the few who do survive into childhood “with a lot of medical help” are severely retarded “and have difficulty breathing on their own”.

I followed Auros’ link to the CNN article (AFTER I wrote the paragraph above, I assumed correctly about the respirator), and while it’s a nasty situation, I’m inclined to agree with Matt that in the best possible circumstances, this kid’s prognosis was dire.

None of which facts about this specific case invalidates Auros’ conclusion about the TX law in general.

Or the conclusion that Mr. Schiavo must really have loved his wife.

Steve -
On planet Vulcan, everything in your argument would be just fine, and the highly logical side of me totally agrees. However, here on earth with us underdeveloped, emotional humans, we care about the bodies of our loved ones, even after they have died–especially if they haven’t died all the way yet.

Also, Mr. Shiavo no doubt feels a sense of duty to his wife to carry out her wish to not be sustained in this way. Further, I heard about how his lawyer got the parents to admit that not only would they keep the feeding tube in place, but they would carry out any and all medical procedures necessary to keep her “alive.” This included organ transplants, amputations due to diabetes complications, etc. etc. That was the last straw for Mr. Shiavo, and he decided there was no way he would let them keep her semi-living remains.

Amber -

I’m sure that it is possible in any state to get divorced without the consent of the other party, someplaces it just takes a bitch of a long time. I can find no advantage to Mr. Schiavo to have Terri’s feeding discontinued. Only what I (at a distance and with no knowledge of anyone involved) see as a sincere effort to respect her wishes. I would do no less for my wife. If I’m missing something, I’m open to enlightenment

But none of that excuses the Get-on-the-Glory-Wagon abuse of this sad case by the Republicans, with no more ethics than the first ethic, “Get Power and Get Re-elected.”

And folks, I’ve been there, too. If you love your wife, husband, children, whoever, make a living will!!! Don’t make your loved ones agonize over this, or, now, let the politicians make hay with your demise.

Jerry,

I agree with your comment, but as a citizen of the blue state (at least the western and more densely populated third of it) Oregon, I am watching this carefully. Oregonians passed legislation for doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, which the current administration is trying to overturn.

The neo-cons have been having a field day lately with a man who survived his “overprescription” and eventually died of his terminal cancer a short time later.

Of course, terminally ill vs persistant vegetative states may be considered like comparing apples and oranges (or would that be comparing brocolli and cauliflower?).

Don’t just get a “living will” but appoint someone to make health care decisions if you’re incapacitated.

By the way, just a quick follow-up: my uncle is off the ventilator (referred to as a “respirator” in my previous comment) as of yesterday and is actually doing a lot better. Whether this is a reprieve of days, or weeks, or months, we don’t know, but I think he has learned the importance of having a Living Will. (He doesn’t have one right now, so his wife and his doctor were kinda just playing it by ear.)

Yes, glad to hear that things are looking better for your uncle, Harold. Hope he holds up!

Steve wrote on March 21, 2005, at 04:52 PM:

I believe it was Jeb Bush who dismissed critics of the Florida electric chair, which worked so poorly that the condemned were sometimes literally fried to death and on at least on occasion actually caught fire, by saying something to the effect that if they didn’t want the punishment they shouldn’t do the crime.

To complete the irony: one of the men who caught fire, Jesse Tafero, later turned out not to have done the crime.

It was two years too late for him, but at least his wife Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs (who had also been sentenced to death) could be, and was, released.

See _Joe_Conason’s_comment_ on the Tafero case.