An informative & poignant discussion of feeding tubes, end-of-life issues

[Mandate My Ass]

Scroll down to the post by momof22. This is the kind of valuable public discussion we could and should be engaging in rather than the black and white, sanctimonious, life-is-what-I-say-it-is discussion being promoted by the MSM. She talks about the gruelling day-to-day decisions she makes regarding her two terminally ill kids and her decision to never withold feeding and why gov't intervention should never occur.

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11674537&postID=111169441869575865

"I have two children who are severely disabled, terminally ill and fed by feeding tubes. And they are wonderful and precious to me and to our family.

"However, I am also a big believer in not prolonging life just for the sake of prolonging it and I do believe in DNR orders and I believe this is a decision that needs to be made BEFORE starting on life support. Having said that, I need to add here that I do not necessarily consider receiving nutrition through a feeding tube to be in the same "life support" category as other interventions.

<snip>

"...we have a standard of valuing life above all else and providing the absolute best in terms of care, nourishment, etc to each of our children including the one I was speaking of. We also have a standard of doing everything possible so that our children can be free of pain, comfortable, have joy in their lives and the ability to interact at their fullest potential with the people and world around them. And yet the feeding tube and related issues for this child put those two sets of standards or values into conflict on a daily basis. If we "live by" one set of standards every moment, every day in his care, we are neglecting or denying the other set of standards and if we "live by" the second standard, we are compromsing the first.

"So how do you respond to situations that are not so clear cut, not so black and white, situations where two closely held values are in conflict and you cannot possibly do both? People do face Sophie's Choice situations in the real world every day.

<snip>

"The thing that I find so disturbing in the last week is the political grandstanding and posturing of the politicians from Governor, the President, and members of Congress for this one case while AT THE VERY SAME TIME they ALL are making decisions that will ADVERSELY impact hundreds or thousands of other people who need the kind of care, feeding tubes, etc that they claim they want to preserve for Terri, yet they are cutting it off for other people. Why is that?"