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To: Ray and other list members Thank you for sending your message over the list. I do appreciate your honesty. We are currently at the stage when a feeding tube has been suggested. We have denied the procedure. We also feel it to be a prolonging of misery. We do mix all liquids with thick-it and are cautious at feeding times. The first signs of an infection have come upon us, and anti-biotics were recently added to her medication regime. The patient I refer to is 74 years of age, diagnosed with Supra Nuclear Palsy for 5 years. She was a very independent person, she does not appreciate what this disease has reduced her to, she can not communicate verbally most of the time - a few words now and then, but her eyes tell us all we need to know. At the first appointment a feeding tube was mentioned, she immediately began to show us with her eyes that she would refuse such a treatment, then every time we took her to this doctor she would cut up and be uncooperative in getting into her wheelchair, sitting in the car, anything to make it hard to get her there, this was enough for us to realize her wishes and we let her know we understood, she no longer fights us to go to the doctor. She has lost weight for the last 6 months - going from 168 to 94 lbs. at present. We feed her small, frequent meals to try to keep her nourished. All we can really do now is give her as much comfort as we can, be there for her, and show her our love. We can not simple prolong her misery for our own sakes. I understand how others on the list do not appreciate this message or the one that prompted it, but I have read this list for four years and this is the first time anything useful has been said in regards to end stages of these diseases. Everyone else is too young or not this far progressed and they refuse for this subject context to get anywhere near 'THEIR LIST'. Well, we all have problems, we all have stages, and some of you may or may not get to these stages, but why is this list only for the fit patients, why isn't it for the ones who need the help most urgently? Why would anyone want to deny a dying person information as to the last stages of their disease, is it only so they can deny they may reach the same? Don't you all need to know this is possible and shouldn't you all have a living will stating your wishes? I can promise you that had Neida understood these back when she could talk or walk or write - she would have made her own wishes known in a living will, not only for herself - but also to prevent her children from having to agonize over them now. Thank you for listening, Louise (one of a long list of caregivers for Neida - 72/4 Supra Nuclear Palsy Patient)