The Terry Schiavo case is hitting close to home for me.

This whole Terry/Michael Schiavo case is tough for me emotionally. You see, my 43 year old husband was brain damaged in an auto crash two and a half years ago. We had ten children still at home.(one has married since then) His damage wasn't even apparent at first, but it has deteriorated ever since. Many times he doesn't know what is going on around him, he gets frightened like a child, and he is always in severe pain, because his trigeminal nerve is harmed. He is on several medications, and often has seizures. My older children have been wonderful in helping me take care of him. We want him home with us always where we can give him the loving care he needs and deserves. He was a man full of life, and did not ask to be harmed like this (someone ran a stopsign and broadsided the vehicle that he was a passenjer in ).

My family and I feel very strongly that if we are blessed with the health and ability to care for someone who is suffering, then we should by all means do so.

My husband, in spite of his constant suffering and pain, and other disabilities is still an important member of our family. We love him very much.

This stuff happening with Terry frightens me - what if I wasn't here to care for my husband? Would someone slowly starve and dehydrate him to death? What a horrible way to die.

And, now, just this last week, one of my closest friends' husband suffered several strokes during a surgery, and now is completely blind, unable to talk, and move most of his body. This is a tragedy in and of itself. The doctors say he is in a coma, but his wife said that he is trying to talk to her, and that he seems to be responding to things that she says to him. She also says that when they put headphones with music over his ears, he seems to be upset when they remove the headphones. I brought my husband to see him today, and there is no way he is in a coma. He had obvious facial movements and responses when he realized my husband and I were in the room, and even tried to gesture with his right arm. I will not ever believe a doctor again when they say someone is in a coma until I see and talk to the patient myself.

And we should ALL be concerned about the fact that JUDGES have so much power! Why have they been able to decide this - over and above even the help that is trying to come from our Congressional and Executive Leaders?

Julie