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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Well, it looks like the poll on the hysterectomy issue has petered out. It was a very good turnout - the best ever, in fact. At this rate I could be out of small sample statistics by 2009. Here's the scoop:
17 comments
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Posted by Eden @ 10/08/2007 02:06 PM PDT |
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| I'm on the "slippery slope" side but I think "atrocity" is a bit harsh so I voted "other." I don't like the precedent and removing a uterus so a woman doesn't have to "suffer" menstruation? I could see if there were cancer or something else but I think the excuse is weak. Part of me thinks this is more about forced sterilization than about not having a period. | |
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Posted by raejane @ 10/08/2007 02:08 PM PDT |
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Well, this is a toughie.
The girl is probably going to be unable to take care of herself during that time.
That means mom or nurse has to.
Look, I don't even like taking care of my self during my time, let alone someone else.
On the surface this sounds like a horrible idea... but I think in the long run, it helps everyone.
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Posted by Joe the Troll @ 10/08/2007 02:17 PM PDT |
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| I see what you mean about "atrocity", Eden, buit "Not-niceness" just seemed wishy-washy, and unnecessarily alliterative. :-) | |
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Posted by Miz UV @ 10/08/2007 03:36 PM PDT |
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Once again, I am "other." Okay, let's see. I don't on principle necessarily disagree with the idea of non-lifesaving surgery upon a severly disabled person to make it easier to care for him/her, if the disabled person will benefit directly from that (e.g., a reduction in pain, etc.). But this seems extreme. Why not give her an ablation if she suffers from heavy and/or very crampy periods? That's what I had, and everything's great now. Even if RaeJane had to take care of me, she'd agree. :)
I don't think future possible potential babies should be AT ALL the issue in this case, but what will cause the least suffering with the most gain right now. A hysterectomy is a serious operation and can have complications, plus weeks of painful recovery time. I don't understand why that's the only option on the table here. | |
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Posted by Lucyp @ 10/08/2007 04:42 PM PDT |
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| Like Eden, i think there is more than a whiff of sterilising the girl about this story than improving her quality of her life. I voted for the slippery slope because i feel very uncomfortable about operating on people just because they are disabled and that smacks of eugenics. | |
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Posted by Joe the Troll @ 10/08/2007 05:23 PM PDT |
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Just for clarification purposes, cerebral palsy is not genetic, so sterilizing children with it would do nothing to prevent future occurances. It is caused by damage to a developing brain either in the womb, during birth, or soon after and can be caused by infection, malnutrition, or physical trauma. At least, that's what the highly trained team of medical experts at Wikipedia say.
Therefore, if a person with cerebral palsy gives birth the baby does not have a higher chance of having it, provided that she is getting proper care. Of course, it's pretty obvious that if a woman so disabled gets pregnant, someone is taking advantage of her, and she isn't getting that kind of care.
Then again, if she CAN'T get pregnant, there's one less way of knowing if she's being abused.
Yeah, I like this poll....... it's a twisty one. | |
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Posted by nat @ 10/09/2007 08:46 AM PDT |
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I, too, must go with "other." I do believe the mom is looking out for the best interest of her daughter, but why not allow the girl to experience the periods first and all the associated pains and then allow HER to decide whether or not she wants to endure that for another 30 - 40 years.
I don't particularly like the word "atrocity," since it seems quite harsh. If you've not walked in the shoes of someone who's had to care for a disabled person, it's really hard to label this as atrocity. If Hitler proposed it, it would be atrocity, but since it's the girl's mom, I'd take that into consideration.
When you have a child that fits outside the "norm" for childhood experiences (and I have one), you can't simply make rash judgements on the parents. Parents are working with legal, educational, health, and social systems, and it's bloody frustration all around. | |
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Posted by N1Tootsie @ 10/09/2007 09:21 AM PDT |
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| I am not the parent of a special needs child. I am a co-director of a group of volunteers that have taken over the challanger division of some soap box derby racing. We build dual control cars and run races for special needs children. I have had intimitate conversations with some of the parents and try to understand some of the day-to-day challenges they hurdle. We have had racers that are very limited in their ability to communicate their needs. If a child is in pain, it shows in VERY individual ways. Also many of the children are not capable of understanding normal body functions. The sight of blood and the pain of menstration can be a very anxiety filled trauma. (And yes trauma is the right word here) If this child is not capable of communication, she will not understand why she is in pain, she will not be able to express the amount of pain and she will begin to build huge amounts of anxiety anticipating the pain which she does not know how to stop or why it starts. I think this child's parent is the best person to make this decision. If the parents have the support of the childs doctors, let them keep their child free from pain and anxiety. | |
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Posted by N1Tootsie @ 10/09/2007 09:23 AM PDT |
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| Some times we are more humane to our animals than we are to our loved ones. | |
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Posted by Joe the Troll @ 10/09/2007 10:44 AM PDT |
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"Some times we are more humane to our animals than we are to our loved ones. "
How very, very true.
I think everyone knows what I mean in the second choice. Is the word that I used really the main issue here, folks? | |
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Posted by N1Tootsie @ 10/09/2007 11:34 AM PDT |
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| No Joe, Atrocity is the right word. There are some who feel sterilization of any kind is an atrocity which leads to a slippery slope that devalues all life. | |
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Posted by Jefe @ 10/09/2007 02:27 PM PDT |
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| I gotta go with "Mom knows best" on this one. | |
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Posted by nat @ 10/09/2007 03:19 PM PDT |
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| No, the word is not the main issue, but it's tough for me to call what this mom proposes to do an atrocity. I'm not sure it's a kindness, per se, either, unless she is being totally selfless in the decision. | |
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Posted by Emma @ 10/10/2007 01:34 PM PDT |
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| I voted other because I'm on the fence. I didn't see anything in the article I read about the daughter having dysmenorrhea or anything of that nature. It seems to me like a convenience thing. And while I don't disagree that it would be nice to be able to do something for the girl to make a bodily function she may not completely understand less of a burden, I think there are a couple of alternatives that could be attempted first before the option of major invasive surgery, with all its risks and recovery time, is performed. | |
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Posted by DangerDoll @ 10/10/2007 03:23 PM PDT |
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| I've read elsewhere that the child is *severely* disabled, unable to understand bodily functions, walk, or even communicate at all. Exactly how, then, will she be able to express the fact that she's in pain or frightened? And since there's no chance of the girl ever reproducing or even having sex, it seems to me any argument about her reproductive freedom is moot. Since the mother is responsible for her care, and has indeed devoted her own life to it, she should be allowed to make this decision in conjunction with her daughter's doctors. I highly doubt it's one she's making for her own convenience. In fact, I'd venture to say someone should ask her when the last time she made a decision for her own convenience even was...she probably can't remember. | |
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Posted by nat @ 10/10/2007 07:09 PM PDT |
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I had not read that the girl was inable to communicate, so I see your point, Danger Doll.
I feel for the family. And you're right about the mom probably not being able to remember making a decision for her own convenience. So right. | |
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Posted by O' Tim @ 10/12/2007 05:31 PM PDT |
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| What Jefe & DD said - kindness. | |
Overall, it seems that this move was considered a kindness by ten respondents, with the other ten opinions being a split. Some of the "Others" kind of made allowances, however, so it seems to be considered an okay thing overall. I think we can all agree that it's a shame people are faced with such choices in the first place.
The new poll is a bit more personal, as it involves something that happened to me the other day. It's over in the sidebar!!
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