I think the problem here is that people are bringing up all of these side issues which are confusing people and the real issues are getting lost. Both sides are putting a lot of misinformation out there. Yesterday was a perfect example of just that. One side says she is shriveling up like a prune, skin peeling and so on. The otherside says she is resting comfortably. The truth is somewhere in between. The only frame of reference I have is my beloved uncle who died a couple of years ago. His feeding tube was removed and he was quite comfortable to the end. To keep his lips and eyes moist we used eye drops and vasilene.
Other than that, we were all gathered around him supporting and praying for him. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life, other than removing life support measures for my little boy 12 years ago. (We are all Catholics by the way and the preist was there also.)
After working in the legal system, I have learned that just because someone (could be from either side of the issue), swears in court, in a deposition, or an affidavit does not mean they are telling the truth.
It really comes down to credibility, now most here think MS is the devil in disguise, evil, a murderer and so on and therefore has zero credibility, and when you strip away the BS, I really see no problem here other than the two families are at odds about what is best for Terri. Anyway, that is how I see it.
To keep his lips and eyes moist we used eye drops and vasilene.
** Would be nice if Terri was getting that much.
Not necessarily.
It's just as likely that one side is telling the truth.
I don't buy Felos' public comment that Terri looks beautiful.
Was your uncle terminally ill at the time? Terri was physically healthy. There's a big difference.
The removal of a nutrition and hydration tube, wrote Judge Lynch of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, would likely create some or all of the following effects before death.
The mouth would dry out and become caked or coated with thick material.
The lips would become parched and cracked.
The tongue would swell, and might crack.
The eyes would recede back into their orbits and the cheeks would become hollow.
The lining of the nose might crack and cause the nose to bleed.
The skin would hang loose on the body and become dry and scaly.
The urine would become highly concentrated, leading to burning of the bladder.
The lining of the stomach would dry out and the sufferer would experience dry heaves and vomiting.
The body temperature would become very high.
The brain cells would dry out, causing convulsions.
The respiratory tract would dry out, and the thick secretions that would
result could plug the lungs and cause death.
At some point within five days to three weeks the major organs, including the lungs, heart, and brain, would give out and the patient would die.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/05032308.html
Sorry for your loss. One thing I don't really understand is removal of the tube. What is the point of that? Why not just stop putting food and water in the tube?
Am I correct in assuming that he was already dying before the feeding tube was removed?