feeding tubes

I'm not an MD. though I work with many. starving to death sure sounds very painful. even with all the testimonials that someone in a persistent vegetative state feels no pain, it still sounds horrible. no food. no water. that seems so cruel. does one really feel no pain? we may never know. was good to hear that she was getting a morphine drip halfway through. one of my colleagues told me that it is unthinkable to not give the patient an iv drip (saline). an iv drip and a morphine drip. after removal of the feeding tube. then wait. I don't know how long one can survive on just an iv drip. but that definitely does not sound as cruel. it seems many people have to make these decisions. such a painful decision that is made only a little better with a living will. this whole fiasco definitely made me more aware of the number of people that have to go through these decisions. and of course, the importance of a living will. for the sake of our loved ones, we should all have a living will.