Vegetative patient Scott Routley says 'I'm not in pain'

[jjenny]

And according to your own source, Mrs. Schiavo wasn't put into the nursing home until 5 years after she lapsed into the coma.

I think caring for a comatose wife for 5 years is very much "standing by" her.

Another 11 years in a nursing home makes a 16-year coma. Sheesh!

Life is not a Nicholas Sparks novel.

If I lay in a bed without responding for a decade and a half, I hereby give society permission to make better use of the space.

First of all, I don't see anything in my link that says that. Second of all, she was in various care facilities after her collapse, not just a single nursing home.

 

[Nova]

First of all, I don't see anything in my link that says that. Second of all, she was in various care facilities after her collapse, not just a single nursing home.

Schiavo's former wife, Terri, died in March after her feeding tube was removed. She had suffered irreversible brain damage after collapsing at age 26 in 1990....

An autopsy supported Michael Schiavo's contention that she was in a persistent vegetative state with no consciousness and no hope of recovery.
Schiavo and his new bride have two young children. They met in a dentist's office about 11 years ago and began a relationship after Terri Schiavo was already in a nursing home.

My math was slightly off, jenny, because I misread that Mr. Schiavo and Wife #2 met 11 years ago when Terri went into the nursing home.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that the article is dated 2006, 16 years after the onset of Terri's coma. Mr. Schiavo didn't meet wife #2 until "11 years ago" or 5 years after the coma began. (You are correct that your link doesn't tell us everywhere Terri was during those 5 years.)

He didn't marry wife #2 for 11 years.

These facts do not suggest a man who rushed to discard his disabled wife just to marry a better model.

 

[jjenny]

He couldn't very well marry wife #2 while he was still legally married to wife #1, could he? Even if wife#1 is in vegetative state, our laws don't allow for that.

 

[Nova]

He couldn't very well marry wife #2 while he was still legally married to wife #1, could he? Even if wife#1 is in vegetative state, our laws don't allow for that.

No, but he could have divorced wife #1 in order to marry wife #2.

We were asked not to discuss the Schiavo case, so how about we stop now?

 

[jjenny]

No, but he could have divorced wife #1 in order to marry wife #2.

We were asked not to discuss the Schiavo case, so how about we stop now?

If he divorced wife #1, he'd lose the ability to decide what should be done with her.
Her parents would be in charge.

 

[Nova]

If he divorced wife #1, he'd lose the ability to decide what should be done with her.
Her parents would be in charge.

You had to have the last word, I see. Well, you got it.

 

[yosande]

Although technically accurate, I don't think that's a fair statement, Sam. Mr. Schiavo stood by his comatose wife for years. It's not as if he casually tossed her aside for a younger model as soon as she went into the coma.

I disagree. In my opinion, money had a lot to do with his "supportive" position for the two years that he appeared so.
He received a huge settlement from the hospital for her rehab. He wasn't using the money for her comfort measures, range of motion therapy, or clothes, etc.


I dare say though, who has the right to determine whether a person's living condition should determine his life value. Most of the people in this world do not live as Americans do, but no one thinks they should all be killed because they live in poverty.

Consider the people in prison, many would say that's a fate worse than death, but most people don't think they should be starved and dehydrated to death.


People with MS, or RS, don't say kill me now, just starve and dehydrate me to death even though some people who don't have those conditions would say they would rather be dead than live like that.

Consider Christopher Reeves, who couldn't move or even breathe on his own, but he cherished life, and did everything he could to live.

People adjust to their circumstances in life, and cherish their lives, regardless of the difficulties.

There is medicine to help relieve the high tone state that Terri was in, and there are passive exercise machines that would have helped her move. The videos I saw of Terri showed a woman who enjoyed her family, and life. She didn't appear depressed to me. She tried her best to be as well as she could be.
In my opinion her life was of no value to her husband, and her parents did everything they could to save her. But in the end, as her husband, he had power of attorney, and had the right to take it to court. I would not trust any man to speak for me, ever, except for my dad. Women don't realize what great power is granted to the man they marry, or they would think twice before putting on that wedding dress.

jmo and all that.

 

[yosande]

The Schiavo case was a long, passionate,polarized battle and debate.
Please,let's not do it again.I understand there are potential comparisons to be made- but please keep it in check.
This story is an important breakthrough- let's get back to the info in the OP.

Thanks mucho.

I absolutely believe that most people in a vegistative, or semi vegistative state, as the medical field labels them, can hear, see, feel, and taste. The trach likely removes their ability to smell though.

I also believe that very few people would recognize this unless they spent quality time with the person in that condition, because you have to slow down, slow way down, to see it, and we live in a very fast paced world.

 

[Nova]

...I would not trust any man to speak for me, ever, except for my dad. Women don't realize what great power is granted to the man they marry, or they would think twice before putting on that wedding dress.

jmo and all that.

And HERE we have the bottom line. And a very wise rule, for all I know. But I think it has more to do with how the Schiavo case is seen than anyone admits.

 

[yosande]

Agreed. These sorts of amazing results seem to issue forth when its time to call for more funding.

Let's not re-write those medical textbooks just yet.

Mr. Routley's neurologist since the beginning of his injury agreed with the findings and was surprised since he shows no outward signs of brain activity, which probably isn't true since his family says thumbs and eyes tell them he thinks, and they are the ones who actually spend time with him.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Mr. Routley's neurologist since the beginning of his injury agreed with the findings and was surprised since he shows no outward signs of brain activity, which probably isn't true since his family says thumbs and eyes tell them he thinks, and they are the ones who actually spend time with him.

IMO family is biased and see & believe what they choose to. Family are the last ones I'd look to for input.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nova]

IMO family is biased and see & believe what they choose to. Family are the last ones I'd look to for input....

And the same may (repeat, may) be said of the neurologist. He, too, has a vested interest in wanting to believe his patient is surviving.

These results will have to be evaluated and repeated by others before we can draw any conclusions. Science reporting, in my experience, is almost always entirely ignorant of the scientific method.