<p>[Family</a> of brain-dead Jahi McMath has ‘real concerns’ about safety - latimes.com](<a href=“Family of brain-dead Jahi McMath has 'real concerns' about safety”>Family of brain-dead Jahi McMath has 'real concerns' about safety)</p>
<p>This is getting rather ugly. (uglier)</p>
<p>Cartera, wow. I didn’t know people actually believed that. In medicine we do not believe in shortening one life to extend another. It amazes me what people think.</p>
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Please be specific as to how her body is significantly different from the perspective of the critical care transport team that the body of a girl who had been in a coma for 3 weeks? Cardinal Fang has asserted that
but I don’t know that that is actually true. A lot of people seem to assume that because “She’s DEAD!” that her body is moldering away. If I’m wrong about this please clarify. The brain dead Texas mother [Pregnant</a>, Brain-Dead Woman Kept on Life Support - ABC News](<a href=“http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pregnant-brain-dead-texas-woman-alive-21416685]Pregnant”>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pregnant-brain-dead-texas-woman-alive-21416685) has been in that hospital since November. I find it hard to believe that she’s in the condition described by Cardinal Fang. (See also post by electronblue above.)</p>
<p>(Incidentally, I think I am being consistent in opining that the family’s wishes should be followed in that case as well, and that the Texas law requiring the brain dead woman be kept on a ventilator is wrong.)</p>
<p>RGE, thank you for your confirmation. “She’s Dead! She’s NOT ALIVE!” Repetition and volume are in fact what I’m seeing. Thoughtful consideration: not so much.</p>
<p>I can understand why people would believe doctors say a person is brain dead when they are actually alive. They might imagine doctors thinking, “Here is this worthless child of the wrong color. Let’s just say she’s dead, and then we can take her healthy heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and corneas, and parcel them out to more deserving children.” Let me make clear, I don’t think believe doctors declare a live person to be dead in order to get their organs, but I can understand other people seeing the incentive for an unscrupulous doctor to say someone was dead when she wasn’t.</p>
<p>kluge- when in a coma, there is still oxygen going to the brain because there is still blood flow to the brain. This is not the case here. That makes it very different than a coma or PVS.</p>
<p>kluge, i broke a bone in my hand and am in a splint now, so I am hunting and pecking. </p>
<p>Coma is NOT brain dead. People in a coma have the potential to improve and have done so. PVS is not brain dead. The treatment between coma and over 3 weeks brain dead is so vastly different as to make your statements seem downright stupid. Seeing that you have no idea what you are talking about, we can cut you some slack, though being an attorney, one would think you would be very cognizant of the concept of speaking or acting out of one’s scope. </p>
<p>Crap. That took me way long to type.</p>
<p>The pregnant Texas woman is, according to her husband, brain dead. The hospital is not talking.</p>
<p>Flossy, thank you for the link:
I don’t doubt the truth of those statements a bit. Given the emotion I’ve seen expressed in this usually calm and thoughtful site I’m sure it’s worse elsewhere. As I noted before: why the anger? Why the emotion? Why the SHOUTING?</p>
<p>dkitty21, I have a friend who was a motorcycle-rider who expressly chose not to have an organ donor card or symbol on his driver’s license (we have that in California, not sure about other places) because he didn’t want his wife and family to be harassed if he were to be seriously injured. </p>
<p>You’re amazed at what people think? He was an E.R. doctor.</p>
<p>Nrdsb4 and BarnardMom, you’ve both described differences between a coma and brain death, but not in the physical condition of the bodies of people with the two conditions as related to the performance of a critical care transport team. That’s my point. If such a team were to be called upon to transport a brain dead person - say, for purposes of a transplant - and a person in a coma, what would they do differently?</p>
<p>I just can’t get behind people who see conspiracies and nefarious intent everywhere.</p>
<p>Kluge - You are correct. It’s much worse elsewhere. Much.</p>
<p>I physically cannot type out an explanation. Too long, complicated. I don’t think it would matter because i sincerely don’t think you are actually interested in being educated, but rahter are interested in being deliberately obtuse and/or argumentative for your own reasons.</p>
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<p>People say plenty of words about this. I still don’t get how “we waste money here, so why complain about wasting money elsewhere” is any kind of logical argument whatsoever.</p>
<p>Kluge, if you do a little bit of searching, we already discussed what is being done in the case of the pregnant woman’s body to keep it from decomposing, and even those efforts may turn out to be futile. The longest documented time a dead body was sustained artificially was 107 days (also a pregnant woman kept on a vent to allow the fetus to grow).</p>
<p>NRDSB4, please go and heal yourself. Feel better. I hope everything is OK!</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s easier for most of us to believe that doctors wouldn’t sacrifice our children for others. People who have a history of being persecuted and “sacrificed” for others may not be so trusting. </p>
<p>This reminds me of one of scariest movies I have ever seen - Coma </p>
<p>One of my best friends is a double lung/heart recipient. People have told him that they are afraid to be organ donors because they aren’t sure the doctors will fight as hard to save them.</p>
<p>So, kluge, not only can you see nuances that no one else can see but you are also one of the only ones here engaging in “thoughtful consideration.” Good to know.</p>
<p>I am on record here, on this thread, stating my desire to be an organ donor is not on my DL, but is known by my DH. We have talked extensively about end of life wishes and have these in writing. I have no feelings that there is conspiracy, nefarious activity, etc. I do not want DH rushed even if it’s for one hour. He will give consent, he will ‘unplug’ promptly. I don’t want a rush to conversation “we see your wife is an organ donor”, but when asked what DH thinks I might have wanted, if for whatever reason he’s hesitant at that moment and needs an hour he might ask for an hour and be afforded that. If it’s on my DL there’s not much to talk about. I hope I’ve explained this well. Cyberspace can be hard to get your true intent across. Please don’t throw fruit. :o</p>
<p>I’m actually interested Nrdb4. The Texas woman (40+ days and counting) the child in electronblue’s post (45 days) and the abstract by Shewmon all suggest that the process you described of the brain essentially rotting in the skull leading to relatively prompt total body death (a phrase I’m using for purposes of avoiding ambiguity) may not be necessarily the case in all instances. I understand that that was your experience, but is it universal?</p>
<p>Just because I ask questions and make points that make you uncomfortable doesn’t mean I’m being “obtuse” or “argumentative.” I’ts just that I see serious issues of individual freedom and society’s right to dictate conduct (which are in my area of expertise) in this situation that I don’t think many folks here want to address.</p>
<p>I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, Sevmom. If you want to talk about the rights of individuals to make decisions we disapprove of, even when they’re “wrong” I’ll be happy to engage with you.</p>
<p>romani. thanks.</p>
<p>I was running up the stairs and fell forward hand first. I kept thinking it was sprained and would get better. Went to an acute care place a little while ago and got x-rayed. Now in a cumbersome brace until I see a hand surgeon tomorrow. I’m fine, just can’t move my hand much because it is restricting my movements (as it should). </p>
<p>Classic illustration why med professionals should not try to diagnose themselves or family.:o ;)</p>
<p>Perhaps I missed a detail along the way… I understand the hospital releasing Jahi’s body to the Coroner. But why would the Coroner release her body to the mother if he/she issued a death certificate weeks ago?</p>
<p>The lawyer’s position that the body was in terrible shape as a result of hospital negligence/poor treatment was predictable, and I am sure it will be the reason he will give for her “death” when the family finally comes to that conclusion. I hope this line of reasoning will also give the family the unspoken out they may feel they need.</p>