Houston hospital votes to end womens life with Bush`s Law

[ls317]

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/042406HoustonLife.html

HOUSTON---The countdown has begun on the life of Andrea Clark, a patient at St. Luke's Hospital.

Six days left.

No, she's not terminal, her family says and she's not brain dead. Her sisters say that she wants to live. The Houston hospital is going to unilaterally remove a woman from life support, apparently based on the decision of a lone physician even though her family wants her to continue to receive care.

The central issue in the Andrea Clark case is the same as that in the Terri Schindler Schiavo case, whether the state should be able to sanction the removal of a human being from life support.

[LaurenG]

1. Thank goodness

The story is getting more exposure. I can only try to imagine how hard this is. I am so sorry.:hug:

[TomInTib]

2. Ms Clark's sister is a DUer. n/t

[kentuck]

3. See this post from her Brother..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1017296&mesg_id=1017296

[Midlodemocrat]

13. That is actually her sister.

[kitkat65]

4. Ah, Bush, putting th ASS in compassion.

I hope this family finds someone with power who can help.

[KingFlorez]

5. Where are the Republicans now?

Seems to me this case should be getting attention from the ones who claim to support life, but I guess it doesn't score enough political points for them like the Schiavo case.

[Synnical]

6. "Pro Life Blogs" has been covering it

Andrea Clark Trusted Her Doctors
http://www.prolifeblogs.com/articles/archives/2006/04/andrea_clark_tr.php

Andrea Clarke's Struggle for Life
http://www.prolifeblogs.com/articles/archives/2006/04/andre_clarkes.php

[xultar]

7. That's what I wanna know...Where's the cuture of life muthafucka!

[knitter4democracy]

10. They're in there helping.

Her lawywer is a right-to-lifer, and the many groups are starting to coalesce and get some movement going on.

[MelliMel]

19. They are are on it.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49888

[KatieW]

8. Why isn't Hannity camped out in front of this hospital demanding her life

be spared!!! He was one of the worst offenders of those covering the Terry Shiavo case who tried to use it to their advantage! It turned my stomach how he used that woman for his own personal gain, to get listeners and viewers.

[moobu2]

9. I don’t believe this story

At least I’m very skeptical about it.

First of all, this is just a complete one sided view, with no medical facts from the doctors, who by law, really cant comment on the patients medical condition. And the northcountrygazette has a long history of whacky outrageous stories. And this story with quotes from Wesley J. Smith, from the rightwing nuts at the Discovery Institute doesn’t help.

I remember during the Terri Schiavo ordeal “right to life” propagandists used to post stories from this rag to support their positions etc. Like these headlines.
“ Broken Vows Cost Terri Schiavo Her Life
Terri Schiavo Was Worth More Dead
The Terri Schiavo Case Was About Killing A Brain Injured Woman
Terri Schiavo Never Received "Aggressive" Therapy “ etc…

I would bet that the women is cognitively brain dead and the family is just being unrealistic about her chances of any recovery.

[knitter4democracy]

11. I've talked with her sister.

It's true. I asked many pointed questions about how her sister is communicating, what treatments she's getting, and her medical history as best as her sister knew it. This story is not only true, but it's happening to a fellow DUer's sister.

Andrea Clarke is not brain-dead. If she were, the family would stop, as that was her stated directive. Andrea is being keep oversedated with pain meds or she would be mouthing words and trying to sit up and tell everyone what she wants.

I, for one, believe this. I have talked with the hospital and the family, and it's not only legit but frankly frightening.

[moobu2]

16. Sorry, I just cant believe

that the hospital and doctor and ethics panel are all in a conspiracy to keep this patient on meds so they can kill her. The story just doesn’t add up. I don’t care who‘s sister she is, I would need a little "real" evidence for such a far fetched story.

[knitter4democracy]

21. Check with the reporter from the Houston Chronicle, then.

Most of the people who showed up to the protest at the hospital on Saturday were people who had suffered the same thing at the same hospital. Melanie was shocked, as she hadn't posted it around much and thought it would be other liberals and DUers who would show up. Instead, not many of us were there, but others were, and when Melanie started asking them who they were, she heard a lot of stories that were just like hers.

The Chronicle reporter was there. It's in their coverage of the story. If this cannot happen, then why were there others at the protest who had lost loved ones in the same hospital in the same way?

I don't think the medical team thinks of it as killing but instead as putting her out of any misery. Melanie doesn't ever remember any nurse ever asking her sister what her pain level was, but they're giving her a really high amount, one that her family doesn't think she would want. The attending doesn't have to change it, though, since the committee sided with him and declared her medically futile. Oh, and those painkillers are for the bedsore she got in the hospital, which no patient should ever get.

The thing is, they have decided that she's just not worth more resources or time and haven't even asked the patient how much pain she's in or how she's doing. That happens. There are people in medicine who think they know more than the patients and the families. I've run into them myself, but they're usually overridden by good doctors and nurses. Maybe there just aren't enough good medical personnel at that hospital.

[Midlodemocrat]

Andrea's sister is a DUer. This is true.

She is desperately trying to save her sister's life. No hoax. She is not in a PVS. She is able to communicate.

[moobu2]

17. Terri Schiavo's father claimed

Terri Schiavo listened to someone on a phone call who told her that the hospice was going to kill her if she didn’t get up and speak. And that Terri tried to get up from the chair and almost fell. The Schindlers claimed Terri could talk and all sorts of other things also. Who knows whether it was just wishful thinking on the Schinders part or not, but they said the same type things.

I would need to see some official medical facts from her doctor before I believed this.

[knitter4democracy]

22. Andrea has frontal lobe activity--Terri Schiavo did not.

The family asked for that to be checked, as Andrea had asked that all measures be stopped in case of brain death. She has frontal lobe activity, mouths words to everyone (including nurses), eats on her own without a peg tube (well, she did before being kept knocked out from pain meds last week), and even tried to sit up on her own in front of a nurse when they didn't think she could after the brain bleed.

[moobu2]

28. So, you're saying the hospital,

the doctors, the insurance company and the ethics committee is in a vast conspiracy to kill this person? I seriously doubt that’s the case here. This entire story just doesn’t add up to me at all.

[knitter4democracy]

30. I didn't say conspiracy.

I don't think it's that coordinated. I think that everyone's working for their best interest, which isn't in Andrea's best interest.

[aikoaiko]

12. Why don't the sisters bring her to another hospital?

Not that they should have to, but whoever has legal say so over her medical treatment should get her the hell out if they don't want the hospital to do this.

I ask with all due respect. I just don't see that question being answered in the articles.

[Midlodemocrat]

14. Because it isn't that easy in TX to get another hospital to accept her.

They've been trying, believe me.

[aikoaiko]

15. I guess that leads to, "why other hospitals won't take her"

Maybe its about the money? the diagnosis? the prognosis? the law in question?

This case sounds so frightening. I just wish I knew more.

[Midlodemocrat]

20. According to her sister, she is a private pay patient

so federal or state money doesn't factor in. From what I have gathered, it is more the prognosis.

[knitter4democracy]

23. Apparently it's also an agreement they have.

The Houston area hospitals all have an agreement that they won't take in any "Medically futile" patient from any other area hospital. I doubt the Texas legislature thought that would happen, as the law is very clear that patients should be transferred if they want to.

[Midlodemocrat]

24. I didn't realize that.

Nice legislation you fucking nitwit. God, I despise Bush.

[Saphire]

18. I agree..the article sounds like the hospital just wants to "get rid"

of her for no reason....I just dont buy it. I dont buy that the sister wants to "sit up and tell everyone her wishes" and that the hospital is keeping her "overly medicated" for no apparent reason. Something is fishy here.

[knitter4democracy]

25. Melanie may exaggerate out of anger, but she's not lying.

I've talked with her several times and with the Director of Nursing at the hospital. Everyone I've spoken with agrees that Andrea is not brain dead, that her infection has not been fully treated, and that she is able to eat on her own and mouth words.

What's fishy is how many other people this has happened to at this hospital. Many other families showed up at the protest on Saturday with very similar stories. One woman's sister took 16 hours to die after being taken off the ventilator, and the doctor just said that she was a fighter who was stronger than he'd thought, but he wouldn't put her back on the machine and give her a chance to recover better.

Everything Andrea's getting is most often temporary. It doesn't make sense to unplug all the machines if she has a chance to get off them herself.

[moobu2]

26. When people are taken of life support

they often live on for some time. There's nothing unusual about someone living 16 hours.

[knitter4democracy]

27. It's not expected of a medically futile patient, though.

The woman was told that her sister was a lost cause and so near death that she wouldn't last another day on the ventilator. That's how they talked her into it. After that, to see her sister make it so long and then be told that her sister's a strong fighter was weird, to say the least.

Look, I'm an internist's wife. I know weird things happen and that occasionally people just can't let go of a loved one. That said, most people do. Most people, when asked while they're running a code or before they hook up another machine, say it's time to let them go.

Apparently, Andrea's been called terminal before and ended up walking out of the hospital and living fine for five years after that. She is strong, and she's not so bad off that it's time to give up all hope. They still haven't beaten her infection, for crying out loud.

[moobu2]

29. Response from Hospital

Andrea Clarke was admitted to St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital on November 20, 2005. Due to St. Luke’s confidentiality policy regarding patient privacy, it is precluded from commenting on her care unless the family provides written consent to the hospital.

St. Luke’s treatment of Ms. Clarke has been and continues to be consistent with its mission of providing ethical, compassionate and quality care to all its patients.

Melinda Muse
St. Luke's Episcopal Health System
Manager, Media Relations
3100 Main St.
Houston TX 77002

Why wont the family give the hospital permission to discuss Andrea Clarks medical condition? We're getting a distorted one sided story.

[knitter4democracy]

31. Have they been given the form?

Most of the time, hospitals say that but then don't give the families the form. I know that's the policy at the hospital where my hubby works. The reality is that they're not comfortable with giving out patient info at all--it could open them up to liability.