Anyone Keeping Up With The Terri Shiavo Case?
03-24-2005, 08:37 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 5,425
If you're unfamiliar, Terri Shiavo has been in a coma for years, supported by a feeding tube. She is clinically brain dead. Her husband wants the tube removed so she can die, but her parents wanted to keep her alive. Court battles and such all involved, I think she currently has had the tube removed since Friday, but is still alive.
This could have been avoided if she had a living will. Whether or not you agree or disagree with what's going on, you should know what you would want for yourself. If you're 18 or over, please talk it over with your family and loved ones, and decide what you would want in the unfortunate case that you may not be able to make decisions for yourself after an accident or health problem, due to old age or otherwise.
This may seem like a plug, but I consider it worthwhile. My mother works for a NOT FOR PROFIT organization called Aging With Dignity, who provide a living will called Five Wishes. It does cost a small fee ($5 each, other prices for different packages), but I'm not posting this as an advertisement, I'm posting this so that other families don't have to go through the same situation that Terri Shiavo's family is.
Even if you don't use Five Wishes, make it clear how you want to be treated. If you have older relatives, talk it over with your family to make sure their choices are clear.
And as it's been stated before, make it clear if you're willing to donate organs, either with a donor card or on your license.
This could have been avoided if she had a living will. Whether or not you agree or disagree with what's going on, you should know what you would want for yourself. If you're 18 or over, please talk it over with your family and loved ones, and decide what you would want in the unfortunate case that you may not be able to make decisions for yourself after an accident or health problem, due to old age or otherwise.
This may seem like a plug, but I consider it worthwhile. My mother works for a NOT FOR PROFIT organization called Aging With Dignity, who provide a living will called Five Wishes. It does cost a small fee ($5 each, other prices for different packages), but I'm not posting this as an advertisement, I'm posting this so that other families don't have to go through the same situation that Terri Shiavo's family is.
Even if you don't use Five Wishes, make it clear how you want to be treated. If you have older relatives, talk it over with your family to make sure their choices are clear.
And as it's been stated before, make it clear if you're willing to donate organs, either with a donor card or on your license.
03-24-2005, 08:40 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Orange County, NY
Posts: 635
Is there a way/sense to pass on the judgement to one specific person?
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
03-24-2005, 08:45 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 5,425
[quote name='PhoenixDownVII' date='Mar 24 2005, 09:39 AM']Is there a way/sense to pass on the judgement to one specific person?
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
[/quote]
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
[snapback]690170[/snapback]
[/quote]
Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:
Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
How comfortable you want to be.
How you want people to treat you.
What you want your loved ones to know.
Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
How comfortable you want to be.
How you want people to treat you.
What you want your loved ones to know.
03-24-2005, 08:51 AM
#5
Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Stuart, FL
Posts: 24,416
[quote name='PhoenixDownVII' date='Mar 24 2005, 09:39 AM']Is there a way/sense to pass on the judgement to one specific person?
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
[/quote]
The miracle would be no need for a machine to live in the first place.
I'm not sure what I'd want to have done, I believe in miracles and have seen God heal things science couldn't...by seen I mean in person, yes.
Anyways, given the idea of it happening to me, I'd like to give authority and judgement to one person like my mother or something. Is that possible?
[snapback]690170[/snapback]
[/quote]
The miracle would be no need for a machine to live in the first place.
03-24-2005, 08:53 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 5,425
I told Edna, "if a machine has to keep me alive for very long, just do it long enough to yank my good organs out."
Too bad you can't donate a brain, I know quite a few people who could use it.
Too bad you can't donate a brain, I know quite a few people who could use it.
03-24-2005, 09:14 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,985
My advanced healthcare directive was drafted last week, it states that if I am in a brain-dead situation, or in a coma requiring vital support (respirator) for more than a week that they should pull the plug. Also, I to donate my organs as fast as possible so someone else can live. But I still need to appoint someone as my decision maker for when I'm vegged.
I have a hunch that I'll be in that state shortly after buying my first motorcycle.
I have a hunch that I'll be in that state shortly after buying my first motorcycle.
