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The symptoms you mention about dying by lack of food and water do occur gradually also in a patient on a feeding tube. My Dad, who survived on a feeding tube after suffering series of grave strokes suffered from the full list, even though he was given water and the green feeding liquid. What often happens on a feeding tube are choking problems and the calorie liquid backs up into the lungs. The patient suffers various levels of near drowning from the feeding tube which is quite horrific. The patient gets frequent bouts with pneumonia from staying flat and the bacteria in a hospice or care facility. The sad part is Terri could have been made more comfortable by moving her and using therapists to keep her leg and arm muscles extended. A patient in a "vegetative state" can experience pain and discomfort. Doctors don't really know that much about the organ of the brain, as they do about a heart. Terri has been a fighter. If I were her Mom I would go in there and try and give her water by spoon, but I don't think she can swallow. I pray for Terri a road to heaven less painful than she has been given by the courts.
posted by
the-loanlady
on March 23, 2005 at 2:21 PM
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So horrible...
posted by
Runs_at_dawn
on March 23, 2005 at 8:05 AM
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As good a piece on this as I've seen anywhere
well said.
We do pray and continue everyday. For Terri, for the victims to come as a result of this precedent, and the soul of this country.
Thanks for this post.
posted by
AnCatubh
on March 22, 2005 at 12:36 PM
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You would think...
...when the same ones who are so against doing anything in this case are so afraid of some atheist being offended by seeing a copy of The Ten Commandments in a classroom or sitting through a brief prayer at a graduation--in fact, so quick to jump in even when nobody is complaining (e.g. a coach being told he can no longer pray with his team)--that they would be jumping on the bandwagon when Terri's religious preferences are being trampled on.
But I guess this only works in favor of NON-Christians who complain.
Write On!
AJ 
Check out my website!
posted by
Ainsley_Jo_Phillips
on March 22, 2005 at 12:26 PM
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