Hi Judie--The previous posts regarding feeding tubes and patients who are comatose have me a little confused. When a person is terminal, or brain dead, or in a coma, but still breathing on their own, they are no longer able to eat and drink normally. How do we know the difference between the body shutting down as part of the normal dying process versus force-feeding these individuals? Would not a feeding tube be considered extraordinary care in such a situation? When my 95-year-old mother-in-law was suffering from pneumonia and unconscious, my husband and I opted not to have a feeding tube placed in her stomach--her physician agreed fully with our decision. She rallied and lived for six more months. Her last few months were peaceful, and kidney failure was her ultimate cause of death. But if she had been force-fed through a feeding tube, she might still be alive. (She was blind, wheelchair-bound and suffered from dementia.) When do we know when to "let go" and let God decide when it's our time?

Laura

Every case and every patient deserve a separate response because there is no pat answer to when the feeding tube is to be provided and when it should not be provided. What I share are the teachings of the Church which are based on Catholic health care principles, not on a specific case.

We know of patients whose lives would be further damaged during the final day or two of life if a feeding tube were inserted so you can see that while Catholic medical ethics are based on fundamental moral principles, each case is still to be studied on its own.

In the case of your mother in law, I was not present and if you are comfortable with following the decision you made, then God bless you. The fact that she rallied and lived for six more months after you chose not to have the feeding tube inserted is the answer; obviously if she were going to die of starvation because the feeding tube was withheld, that would be different.

I hope this clarifies things a bit for you.

Judie rown

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