[Apologetics] Re: Sentor Frist, Terri Schiavo, a Vegetative State, and Food and Water

[Stuart D. Gathman]

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005, Art Kelly wrote:

> In regard to Senator Frist, while he is correct to
> push every button he can possibly find in this matter,
> I want to state strongly that I do NOT believe that
> food and water should EVER be withdrawn from someone
> in a "persistent vegetative state!"
> 
> No one, regardless of his or her mental capacity,
> should be starved to death!

Art, I think you are confused about the terminology.

Here are the levels:

braindead:	no brain activity at all.  Patient requires a machine
		to keep heart and lungs working.  "Death" occurs within
		a few minutes of pulling the plug on the machine.
		Such patients are usually maintained on the machine
		for at least 3 months in case there is some improvement.
		If any neurons are still alive, they can sometimes reorganize
		and begin to function again.

PVS:		Lower brain works.  Higher brain is completely dead,
		but no mechanical assistance is required for basic
		metabolism (heart and lungs).
		This diagnosis requires that brain scans show no
		activity at all in the higher brain, and that no
		intelligence can be detected behind any responses
		to stimuli, and that the condition has persisted
		for at least 3 months.  If any neurons remain in the
		higher brain, they can sometimes reorganize and begin
		to function again, and even "steal" neurons from the
		lower brain.  Maintaining a PVS patient is relatively
		low cost, requiring only basic nursing: feeding, bed pans, etc.

MCS:		Lower brain works.  Higher brain is extensively damaged,
		but some activity is detected.  Often, a MCS patient has
		conscious control of eye blink, finger tip, or other
		small item.  This allows two way communication with
		training.

Notice that diagnosing PVS vs MCS is an Intelligent Design question.  Was that
eye blink a random signal from the lower brain, or was is a chosen response by
an intelligence trapped in a damaged brain?  Those who have trained themselves
not to recognize obvious intelligence in other arenas, will have difficulty
recognizing it in a MCS patient.

You could argue that PVS patients should be maintained just in case they
are really MCS, but were misdiagnosed.  However, Florida law clearly
says that the legal guardian of a PVS patient can make that decision.
Michael is Terri's legal guardian.  The courts are absolutely correct on that
point.  I would also argue that they are morally correct PROVIDED that the PVS
diagnosis is certain.

The problem in Terri's case is that the PVS diagnosis is *far* from
certain.  The court relied on 3 experts, two chosen by her husband, 
for their determination of a PVS diagnosis.  Since then, 33 experts
have diagnosed MCS.  Several changed their mind after personally 
visiting Terri.  To these experts, and her family, there is clearly
an intelligence guiding her responses - an indication of MCS.

Sadly, her husband has refused to allow any further brain scans or other
therapy or testing - choosing instead to spend all the money allocated
for that purpose on lawyers to have her killed.

I would agree that if PVS is certain, morphine or insulin would be
much quicker and more humane in case of a mistake.  We treat 
animals and convicted killers better than Terri.

I hope you are not suggesting that a truly PVS patient is "alive".

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.