A couple of years’ hard work resulted in a few hours of meetings in the Lt. Governor’s office. That old cliche’ is true: It’s unsettling to see sausage and law in the making.
I hope I’m wrong, but the trouble is the number of people who were potentially gutted to provide the casings for this particular sausage.
For one thing, some of the interested parties weren’t even consulted, since one particular group acted in what the Senator called “ an attempt to demagogue,” and “hold members of this Legislation political hostages.” They also left some of their allies out of the negotiations. (Note the highlighting of some quotes by the original poster.)
I expect to see the docs who continue to admit to the ICU going away for procedural courses, learning to place tracheostomies, permanent feeding tubes, and shunts for dialysis. I know I’m going to either brush up on my vent settings and bedside dialysis knowledge - or change my hospital privileges to no ICU. Currently, the neurologists no longer practice in our local hospital, and I may have trouble getting hold of some of the other specialists, now.
I expect to deal with a few lawyers if it becomes necessary to follow my medical judgment and conscience. I’m afraid that the new amendments to the law may be interpreted to force doctors to provide care that they deem inappropriate - to intentionally act in ways they deem wrong - indefinitely.
There will definitely be more judges and court-appointed guardians.
As I said in another thread,
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1828049/posts (post 69), no one can order a surgeon to sign on to a case and perform as directed when none of the doctors perform the procedures the family is demanding. Who are you going to impress into service?
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