Tracking the storm: the far-reaching power of the forces propelling the Schiavo cases.

More than fifteen years elapsed between the date Theresa Marie Schiavo suffered a cardiac arrest, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state because of brain damage, and the date she took her last breath.1 The conflict between her parents and her husband regarding her medical care lasted for more than twelve of those fifteen years.2 The litigation over her care lasted for more than six.3 It is difficult to keep track of the multiple court cases filed, let alone to pinpoint the highlights of their many twists and turns.4 It may be possible, however, to predict how the aftereffects of the Schiavo maelstrom will impact the law of end-of-life decisionmaking in Florida. It appears as if those lingering effects will be bitter and may leave important rights of selfdetermination and privacy in a battered state, much as hurricanes ripping through Florida leave her shores. In this Essay, I will dissect the history of the Schiavo cases to determine their implications for the law of end-of-life decisionmaking in Florida. Relying on others who have preceded me to set