190 replies to this topic

[tous]

They should make this a mandatory question in all legel wills..... but thats not the awnser to the question.....

I think there are some cases where it comes down that someone must choose, it shouldn't be left to sposes..... rather siblings..... I would wanna be pluged in for as longas possible, and I trust my brothers atleast to know that.... but ofcourse only children....I dunno.

I don't feel its right to leave a person undicided so to speak, but I aslo feel it should be prepared ahead of time..... kinda a double negative.... like saying "Will Jimmy catch a cold if he goes outside in winter naked" but it wouldn't matter if he wore a coat...... is cold I know but kinda how I feel....

[VictorBjoerk]

Personally I agree with most people here that it was completely insane to remove the feeding tube.The world record holder for longest coma is 32 and a half years set by a swedish woman.She was in a coma between 14 and 46 and then returned to a completely normal life not dying until the age of 98.

[affinity]

Till more is known about what makes us sentient and conscious--Whether a person can be brought back from total brain death in a vegetative state, I would say it was right to pull the feeding tube. The physical body should not be suffered to live if the brain is beyond repair. I also agree she would have been a good candidate for cryogenics.


As much as I want to live forever and trust me I do. There would be no use if I was not able to be brought back. Hope shouldn't be lost but a living corpse is arguably more horrid then a cryogenic patient.

I'm not aware of all the facts surrounding the Terri Schiavo case so my decision is only made under the assumption she was without hope. There was talk of life insurance payout and a questionable husband. If she had hope then pulling the feeding tube was plainly assisted homicide even if it was in her wishes to be taken off a feeding tube.

To be locked in your own body and have no means to communicate is a horrifying thought. To be dead and have everyone around you clinging to hope that because your heart is still beating that you may come back is just as horrifying.

[Prometheus]

Till more is known about what makes us sentient and conscious--Whether a person can be brought back from total brain death in a vegetative state, I would say it was right to pull the feeding tube.

Isn't it better to err on the side of caution?

[eternaltraveler]

Personally I agree with most people here

It should be noted that that this poll in particular has been heavily manipulated.

[Prometheus]

It should be noted that that this poll in particular has been heavily manipulated.

.. suggesting that most people here would have voted to pull the plugs..?

[affinity]

Till more is known about what makes us sentient and conscious--Whether a person can be brought back from total brain death in a vegetative state, I would say it was right to pull the feeding tube.

Isn't it better to err on the side of caution?

Which is why I was in support of cryogenics.

My response was made with the idea she was without hope. Is there anything to contrast that idea? This, would change my answer.

[Mind]

I can't believe I am resurrecting this thread (someone slap me)

...but I thought this was somewhat relevant: Man thought to be in coma for 23 years, could hear and understand everything going on around him.

[SiliconAnimation]

What say the lot of you if the indominitable will to endure the harshest of substandard living conditions were a commercially exploitable consumer metric? The aids industry makes a killing (no pun intended) off of millions of people's refusal to lay down. This is hardly an incentive to fellow man to cure the ill.

[edit]

Is it a valid question to ask whether or not it is ethical to allow profit to be made in the health industry?

"Well, sorry to break it to you shareholders but, today Jim found the cure for aids while working on new medicines. I suppose we're just going to get this immunization to the National Public Health office and pack up our labs."

Edited by SiliconAnimation, 26 November 2009 - 04:57 PM.

[CerebralCortex]

Didn't they know that her brain had shrunken due to lack of use? Would that not have meant that her consciousness was gone forever? If thats the case they should have pulled the plug if not they should have frozen her.

[Mind]

Just a little follow up, facilitated communication might explain the the man's writings (thus calling it into question), although he apparently can answer yes or no by moving his foot as well.