Reply #239: good one, but

[sui generis]

I think after sleeping on this that I've concluded that I have to trust my SO to exercise his discretion tailored to the situation at hand, and that I have done everything I can for BOTH my SO and parents to know the extent of my wishes in several situations.

If I were going to be EXACTLY like Terry Schiavo, then don't even do the surgical implant of the feeding tube. Just spin the dial on the happy juice for me until the lights go out.

However, if a doctor says that there is a chance I could recover in a week or two and regain functionality then exercise your discretion. If "functionality" means being in an electric wheelchair with a catheter up my butt and drooling crosseyed in my armpit for the rest of my life, then please use the fire axe on me - I promise I won't mind.

If functionality means I merely lost a leg in the accident or I'm permanently blind, no problem, roll the dice, take a chance. I'm made of some pretty tough stuff, and those things are just inconveniences.

The Schiavo case is too simple to make general rules about every single situation you could possibly find yourself in. I think we're all being simple minded to think that the ramifications of this issue are black or white, whatever you believe should have been done.