MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S LEGAL FLIP-FLOP

Robert Drobot | 22 Feb 2005 | Robert Drobot

[Concerned]

CYN WROTE: "ANOTHER crucial concept someone made is that Terri's g tube does not have to be "pulled" -- which is unnecessary surgery (w/possibility of infection, discomfort, mental anguish, etc). >> All they have to do is simply not pour her nutrition into the tube! <<"

Unnecessary "surgery?"

When my daughter had a feeding tube, it accidentally came out from time to time if it got caught up between her body and the bed rail as we leaned over it to put her back in bed. The tube came out pretty easily---it was stethoscope-type rubber and very flexible at the end inside the body. I know there are others with firmer ends, though.

The first two times it happened, we had to go to the emergency room to have it reinserted, not because it was so technical to put back in, but because it required a "Grooved Director" to lubricate, twist and poke it back through the skin. After having it happen those two times and seeing how EASY it was to reinsert, we asked the ER where we could get one and how much they cost.

IIRC, the ER bills would be something like $200 just to walk in the door. The "Grooved Director" cost something like $2. Needless to say, we asked to borrow the one at the hospital the next time (because it was MORE stressful and dangerous for her just to take her outside in cold or rainy weather). We immediately bought TWO at a medical supply: one for home and one for her diaper bag.

[T'wit]

Time to repeat my little verse:

Georgie Greer, your soul is black;
You pick on girls who can't fight back.
When Terri begged communion bread,
You pulled her feeding tube instead.

For those who weren't tuned in at the time, Judge Greer specifically prohibited Terri from taking last communion. He would not even give her the comfort of communing with God before the death he ordered for her.