The Other Terri Schiavo Tragedy by Jennifer Wider, MD
(Washington DC April 21, 2005): As Terri Schiavo became a
national symbol of the impassioned "right to die" debate, the
country argued over whether or not Congress had the right to
intervene and reinsert the tube that sustained her life. The
debate lasted for weeks while Schiavo slowly deteriorated. Some
felt she was being starved to death; others said she should be
able to die in peace. Very few, however, realized the
heartbreaking irony. Schiavo's vegetative state was the result
of an eating disorder, one in which she forced food to come back
up her throat. Schiavo suffered from bulimia, an eating disorder
characterized by episodes of binge-eating, followed by attempts
to rid the body of the calories through purging, which usually
takes the form of vomiting or laxative abuse. This then caused
her to have a heart attack. Schiavo had a heart attack, which
was caused by a severe electrolyte imbalance due to chronic
vomiting. Electrolytes are a combination o