New Therapy Improves Swallow Function [Schiavo related]

In Judge Greer's court Monday:

A new form of therapy that uses electrical impulses to stimulate throat muscles has shown remarkable success in training brain-damaged people to swallow, Gibbs said.

This was an EXCELLENT point by mister Gibbs. Electrical impulses can retrain heart muscle to synchronize, stomach and intestine muscles to constrict as needed, sphincter and bladder muscles to open or close as needed. Even leg muscles when re-learning to walk.

There is NO NEED to KILL Terri.... Terri already swallows TWO quarts of liquid a day (her own saliva) per Doctor Hammesfahr.

Get professional therapists to take over the retraining of her swallowing. Otherwise its just plain murder.

Michael is pictured to the right with Terri, showing the jury how responsive she is...

Here are Michael's own words in Nov.1992 UNDER OATH, shortly BEFORE the JURY award:

5 This is the speech pathologist who comes in and works 6 with Terry.

7 Q. This is the speech pathologist you say?

8 A. Yes, it's the speech pathologist.

9 Q. What does he do for her?

10 A. He comes in and massages her lips and uses 11 different flavors to try to help her swallow. You'll 12 notice he's moving her lips and it helps massage the side 13 of the mouth so the mouth doesn't tighten up.

14 Q. You hoping he can get her to the point where she 15 swallows?

16 A. Yes. You see here rubbing the bottom of her 17 throat, that's, I don't know what the word is, gets them to 18 swallow when you rub the bottom of their throat. She just 19 swallowed that time. Sometimes they use ice on her face, 20 too. It's a stimulation.

21 Q. What is that, Mike?

22 A. That's a -- that is basically used to stimulate 23 her tongue and the back of her tongue to help with her gag 24 reflex. And like I said, sometimes they use different 25 flavors.

Michael, you used to be a near-pauper living in an apartment and had trouble holding jobs.

But that was just before you won 1.2 million dollars for Terri's rehabilitation, based in part on this swallowing therapy testimony.

Please detail for the Grand Jury... how much of the award money was spent on Terri's swallowing therapy?

Please also detail for the jury, how much of that money went toward...

your new Mercedes,
your half-million dollar ranch home, and
your large oval swimming pool in the backyard?

Father Pavone witnessed Terri's condition
just one month ago [skip ahead to the 17 min mark] and he said:

She was very responsive.
She prayed with him and closed her eyes during prayer.
Mister Schindler kissed her and she kissed him back!

Documented Terri-vocabulary references
Words	Witness
"mommy" "momma" "help me"	nurse - Heidi Law, certified nurse assistant
"pai[n]" (meaning 'pain' when she was in discomfort) 'Haaaiiiii' (meaning Hi, in response to 'Hi Terri') 'mommy' 'help me'	Nurse - Carla Sauer Iyer, R.N. "'Help me' was, in fact, one of her most frequent utterances. I heard her say it hundreds of times."
"stop" (in response to one medical procedure being done on her)	Terri's MediPlex records
"ugh-hugh" (meaning yes) "ugh-ugh" (meaning no) "yea" "No"	family members, and paralegal Tom Brodersen^* 'yea' was a word she learned to speak in 2001. ^*
After Judge Greer heard of Tom Brodersen secretly helping Terri learn to speak again, Greer removed Brodersen from the "approved visitor's list" permanently!

Could the research also be "wife related"?

FYI

Someone was going to say it. >:)

-Eric

Could the research also be "wife related"?

I have reseached this. Wife loses this function upon saying " I do." :-)

THE TERRI SCHIAVO INFORMATION PAGE

Wow! Very impressive gathering of elements to this story. The pictures speak volumes. It doesn't seem right that a person should live the high life with money meant for his handicapped wife's care.

partial ping...

this is a great post with wonderful information thanks a lot.

She can already swallow. That is why this incident happened.

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"A year later, in April 2001, her death by dehydration was ordered to begin, and the day her feeding was stopped her brother and sister came by with a spoon and a cup of pudding, asking a nurse to try to feed her by mouth."

"The nurse refused and reported the request to others. When Schiavo found out he demanded that Bobby and Suzanne be removed fromthe list of approved visitors, and Greer rubberstamped his request" - World Net Daily

Judge Greer then lowers the boom on Bobby and Suzanne

"I don’t want anyone trying to feed that GIRL Greer thundered from the bench in 2001.
Greer’s statement, “the law of the case is that she is going to die”, is part of the court record. - Empire Journal.com

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Bottom Line

"He's been trying to kill her -- that's the bottom line," said Carla Sauer Iyer, a 39-year-old registered nurse who cared for Terri Schiavo at a nursing home in 1995 and '96. She says Terri has said words such as "Mommy," "help me" and "pain." Source

Thanks. It is hard to reign in my anger at those enemies of Terri.

THE TERRI SCHIAVO INFORMATION PAGE

LETS ROLL

CALL TO ACTION

TIME URGENT, CLICK AND GO TO POST 55

This is a great thread. Every time I read Carla, the Registered Nurses' words, I get so upset.

Anyone who knows very much about this hedious case, can well imagine what Terri meant, when she SAID ** HELP ME **, to Carla.

Judge Greer's plans to execute Terri, must be Stopped. This is nothing but the MURDER OF A DISABLE WOMAN. Where are the so called Women's Groups, who are supposed to be fighting against Husbands who abuse their wives. There silence is deafening.

This is a great thread. Every time I read Carla, the Registered Nurses' words, I get so upset.

What it boils down to is that Michael is the only one telling the truth. Everyone else is lying and is not to be trusted. Just the way the media did it with Clinton. Yes, that is upsetting alright.

I just called his office and the person who answered said she couldn't tell me if Senator Tom Lee supports SB 2128 that it is the first day in session and I said that there are conflicting stories as to whether or not he supports the bill or not. The person couldn't tell me and I told her that I need to know because supposedly he was in the news saying that he didn't support it. She took my name and number and told me that she would call me back. We need to find out what the deal is and urge him to support it. (see below) also see http://tekgnosis.typepad.com

Please spread this outside of freep too:

Call FL House Represenatives today asking them to support HB 701 What you can say: "If lawmakers are going to call food and water medical treatment, I want the power to make my own medical decisions and informed consent is the only way." Please support thereby helping to pass HB 701

Florida House of Representatives 850-488-6026 and 850-488-5000

To get the names of representatives:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/legislators.aspx

Call FL Senators today to ask them to support SB 2128 What you can say: "If lawmakers are going to call food and water medical treatment, I want the power to make my own medical decisions and informed consent is the only way." Please support thereby helping to pass SB 2128

Senate President Tom Lee

1-800-560-4403

Florida Senate

1-800-342-1827

To get the names of the senators:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Legislators/index.cfm?Mode=Member%20Pages&Submenu=1&Tab=legislators

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Please contact your US Congressman and Senator and urge support of US HR 1151 = House Resolution 1151 and US S 539 - US Senate Bill 539 'The Incapacitated Persons Protection Act'

Sample message:

Senator XXXXX,

With regards to representative Weldon's proposed bill 1151 (see above for correct designations) titled the Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act, I encourage you to give this favorable consideration.

Clearly, state Circuit Courts are not applying the law appropriately in a number of cases throughout the United States as it relates to vulnerable and incapacitated persons and their retained rights. A measure like bill 1151 would give these innocent people a Federal avenue of review that we consider a retained right of criminals. I believe the rights of the disabled amongst us should be no less vigorously defended than the rights of those who have broken the law.

I also believe that without such Federal protection, cases such as these will grow more complicated and burdensome on the state courts and innocent lives will be lost.

Please do the right thing for America's disabled and give your unwavering favorable consideration to this act.

There is an 800 number for the Congressmen and Senators:

U.S. Senators and Congressmembers, etc.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

New toll free numbers to call US Senators and Congressmembers: (888) 355-3588 OR (877) 762-8762

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Re: BILL NUMBER IS 1151, 'The Incapacitated Persons Protection Act'before the US Congress and Senate:

I got thru, waited, the screener came back, asked what I wanted to talk about, said, good points I will pass it on and HUNG UP! WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT? Oh well-I was going to give out the capitol switchboard number and the next caller Glen spoke to did just that! WONDROUS to me!

I then called the capitol switchboard, 1-202-224 (OR 225 WORKS AS PREFIX TOO) - 3121 and left message for Hastert, and again Dan Burton, my rep.

I you do NOT know your congressman's name, all you have to do is give the switchboard operator your ZIP CODE. They will take it from there and connect to the correct congressman's office.

THE BILL NUMBER IS 1151, 'The Incapacitated Persons Protection Act'

GOD BLESS DAVID WHELDON, M.D., congressman and a person who told Glen Beck on an interview this morning that there is NO WAY Terri is PVS!

Congressman Weldon is introducing this bill TODAY and said THIS IS THE DAY TO LIGHT UP THE SWITCHBOARDS!

DO IT!

This matters....our legislature responds to VOLUME - Weldon also said this.

DO IT!

And call other congressmen's offices that you believe would help!

Tell them this is an URGENT MATTER! A date with death has been set.

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pc93,
You will be very happy to know that I called Senator Tom Lee. Teh woman taking my call was not interested in taking my name and address. Only wanted to knwo if we were "for" or "against." I coersed her into taking my contact information, informing her that all of France is Appalled. That in France th lande of good food and wine, they do NOT starve people to death. I re-iterated how this is making America Look bad in France. His actions are portraying Americans as extreemly Barbaric.

I do feel that sice I was calling from France that she did write a little memo off to the side and that my comments will be forwarded to the Senator.

Then we had a little discussion about the number of phone calls she is getting. She did admit that the majority of calls are in support of Terri. They are keeping a tally.

SO EVERYONE CALLL!!!! And after you call, then Call Again!!! We know how to Freep Polls don't we??

They are not taking names just a Tally, so call, and call, and call again.

She said that the majority of phone calls are FOR Terri

So if you are reading this, CALL, then CALL, then CALL again. FREEP THE TALLY AT SENATOR LEES' OFFICE.

Do it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Senate President Tom Lee

1-800-560-4403

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To: ExPatInFrance

I'm appalled too as it has nothing to do with FOR or AGAINST.. as a Senator votes

his conscience.. therefore reasons need to be given to him why he needs to get

behind (support) the bill .. ridiculous.. FOR/AGAINST.. in a pigs eye!

Thanks for calling. Let them know it's not about the numbers of FOR/AGAINST. How stupid do they think we are?

Another update coming re: US Congressional and Senate actions.

3,259 posted on 03/08/2005 2:26:07 PM EST by pc93 (http://www.blogsforterri.com)

bttt for great info

This link is EXCELLENT, don't miss it!!!

VitalStim Therapy

Bump!

I said to myself, "There is something happening here."

Johnny, 51. Stroke
Chattanooga, TN

At first I did not know I had had a stroke. On the day it happened, I suddenly could not walk and would get dizzy and fall every time I would try. I couldn't swallow anything, not even water.

At the hospital, where they told me what had happened to me, they put a tube into my nose to give me food. Then, before I was transferred to Chattanooga Rehabilitation Hospital for therapy, they put a tube in my stomach to feed me.

The doctors told me that there was a chance they would have to do surgery to stretch my throat so that I could eat by mouth again, but they also told me I should try the VitalStim first.

I didn't believe it because I didn't think that a machine would work. But they convinced me it would, so I went along and had therapy for 30 minutes a day, every day for two weeks.

When they put the electrodes on my throat it felt like someone was grabbing my throat and moving it up and down for me. I started eating ice and swallowing during the first session.

I said to myself, "There is something happening here."

It got better and better. I drank water. I tried pureed food and I swallowed it. Then bread. Salads. Crackers. Ice cream. A little bit of this. A little bit of that.

Now I am off the tube. There are some things I still can't eat. I can't get French fries down. Cheese gets stuck at the back of my throat.

But other than that, I am getting back to normal. It's a miracle.

We have seen more progress in just a few months with VitalStim than in all the previous five years with other therapies.

Jordan, 6 years. Choroid plexus carcinoma.
Father, Willie - Lynnwood, WA

When Jordan was only seven-and-a-half months old he had surgery to remove a highly malignant brain tumor. For the next three years he battled the disease through two recurrences, a second operation as well as several courses of radiation and chemotherapy.

At one point we were told he had only nine months to live and even took him to Disney World on a trip sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

His cancer eventually disappeared, but it left him with a terrible legacy: During his first surgery his vagal nerve was nicked, depriving him of his ability to swallow.

From almost the moment he emerged from that first operation he has been on a feeding tube. During the five years following his surgery he had speech and swallowing therapy, but with little effect. Every swallowing test showed that he was aspirating food.

We were left to wonder if he would ever eat normally again.

Then, a few months before his sixth birthday, we received a newsletter from the Medalia Medical Group, which is part of the Providence Everett Medical Center in Silver Lake here in Washington, announcing that Medalia had started to offer VitalStim Therapy.

Under the supervision of Marcy Freed, who had joined the Medalia Group, Jordan went through 15 treatments. At his sixth birthday he was able to eat ice cream and cake frosting without any problems.

Jordan still does not have the chewing thing down yet and is still getting most of his nutrition through the feeding tube. But he continues with VitalStim Therapy once a week to retrain his swallowing muscles and build up their strength. Recently he has gotten to the point where he can drink chocolate milk.

He is excited about that, but he still does not ask for food, because it is still a lot of work for him. We think it will take another year before he is totally comfortable with eating normally. However, we have seen more progress in just a few months with VitalStim than in all the previous five years with other therapies.

It was difficult to be around people who were eating. It got to the point where I did not even want to walk into a grocery store with its aromas and all the food you see you want to eat.

Ed, 59 years. Brainstem Stroke.
Pittsburgh, PA

I had gotten to Bruges, Belgium on a Sunday in October 2002 to start a three-to-six-month business trip and headed right out to see what is one of the most picturesque medieval cities in Europe. I had Belgian waffles and tried three different kinds of beer.

Reading in bed that night I started sweating, getting nauseous. I thought I had food poisoning. The doctor sent up by the hotel thought I had a virus. It turned out to be a stroke that left me numb on my right side and robbed me of the ability to swallow.

When I left the hospital in Belgium and came home, I was swallowing liquids and some pureed foods. But when I entered the hospital in Pennsylvania, tests showed that I was aspirating while eating. I was told to stop swallowing foods and liquids, then referred for traditional swallowing therapy.

I had to be hospitalized twice. Once because I developed pneumonia. Once because I developed a stress ulcer, largely the result of not being able to eat because I was not making progress with my swallowing. My muscles atrophied. My weight dropped from 240 to 160.

Psychologically, I was not doing well either. It was difficult to be around people who were eating. I did not even want to walk into a grocery store with its aromas and all the food you see you want to eat.

I tried swallowing therapy again, but in February 2003, after two months I was told that I was not responding and could not be helped.

Unwilling to give up, I went to another swallowing expert who injected Botox into my throat and dilated my esophagus. That helped me get some liquids down about half the time. But even that little progress came at a price. I was still aspirating and was on the verge of getting pneumonia twice.

I was sitting at home one day, watching TV and saw something on the local news about VitalStim. I immediately called Denise Dougherty, who had been interviewed on the program. Even though at that point my throat muscles had been at a standstill for months and had atrophied, she thought they could help me.

Between October 2003 and late February 2004, with the VitalStim exercises and some throat dilation, she got me to a point where I could swallow thin liquids at home without aspirating at all. And when I am on the VitalStim at the hospital I can manage hard cookies, if I take them with coffee.

I am still undergoing therapy. I am still on a feeding tube because I can't swallow enough to sustain life and I get my medications through it.

But the improvement has been marked. I have a lot of hope that eventually I will be able to get off the tube.

To celebrate, my daughter took me to a restaurant where I had a good, long drink of water and ate ice cream.

Della, 67. Stroke
Ford City, PA

After my stroke in April 2003 I could eat regular food, but the doctor saw that I was having trouble drinking thin liquids. He told me I could aspirate and develop pneumonia.

While I was still in the hospital, he suggested I have VitalStim Therapy to learn how to swallow thin liquids again. After the second treatment I said, 'That's it, no more!' I didn't like how it felt, as if someone were grabbing me by the throat.

After I went home I was allowed to have tomato juice or soda because those did not give me trouble if I swallowed them. But before I could drink water or coffee I had to mix them with powder to thicken them.

Don't ask what that tasted like. Bad enough that I stopped drinking water.

After three months of drinking only tomato juice and soda, I decided to try the VitalStim again. It was nothing and the hour -- during which I licked lollipops to help me learn to swallow liquids quickly - went quickly.

After 12 treatments I failed a barium swallow test, so I had another 12 or 13 treatments. After that set, I finally passed the swallow test.

To celebrate, my daughter took me to a restaurant where I had a good, long drink of water and ate ice cream.

I'm fine now and glad I decided to try VitalStim.

During the first session I was able to orally ingest ice chips and pieces of cookies. My wife's jaw dropped.

Lee, 62. Cancer of the tongue.
New York, NY

I am an athletic guy who never smoked. But on April Fool's Day, 2002, an ENT specialist I consulted about a throat problem told me I had a cancer at the base of my tongue.

In quick order I learned that I would have to have radiation and chemotherapy, that I would have to have a stomach tube inserted in my stomach in case the radiation to my throat were to affect my ability to swallow and that I might have to live with it for the rest of my life. That was a serious blow to someone like me, a serious eating and cooking enthusiast.

The prediction came true.

After just 10 days of radiation, I lost my ability to swallow. I continued to cook tasty dinners for my wife - whose patience, cheerfulness and courage helped me through my cancer ordeal - but could not share them. When we went to restaurants, I had to make excuses to the waiter and watch others eat.

The stomach tube saved me from malnutrition - or worse--but I wanted desperately to be off it and eating like a human being again.

The prognosis, though, was grim. Exercises that had been prescribed to strengthen my swallowing muscles were of no help. Six months after the end of treatment, I was still unable to take anything by mouth.

At that point it dawned on me that I had to become aggressively proactive. Consultations with a cancer surgeon and a speech pathologist at Yale-New Haven Medical Center lead me to University Hospital in Cleveland in search of VitalStim, a new therapy that had just been approved by the FDA.

During the very first one-hour session with Marcy Freed, who developed the therapy, I was able to swallow ice chips and pieces of cookies. My wife's jaw dropped.

Around me, as I went through additional sessions, I watched other patients, one by one, finding that they were able to eat again. Among them was one young kid who was eating again within three days - and whose own doctors had also told his parents he would never eat again.

Still, because the cancer therapy had severely damaged my esophagus, I did not progress much further, even though I went through 10 hours of treatment. Freed and a gastroenterologist at the University Hospital suggested an esophageal dilation. That and my newly strengthened swallowing muscles allowed me to drink thin liquids. Progress at last! Soon after, I was able to start on foods such as eggs and cereal.

Gradually, I was weaned off the stomach tube and then finally had it removed.

I've put 10 pounds back on, and that's as much as I want - or need. The docs are pleased with what they see, and one calls my recovery from severe dysphagia to normal diet in four months "remarkable."

True, the esophageal dilation, as well as some medications prescribed to reduce swelling of the esophagus and to get rid of mucous in the canal all contributed to my recovery.

But the VitalStim was key. VitalStim started me on the road to recovery. It showed me that it was possible to swallow again, even if all the odds seemed against it.

Has anyone videotaped Terri interacting with family or medical staff? I would think that might be an effective way to show her responsiveness.

Yes, in fact that he lives this way and tortures Terri is Outrageous! Anyone of us would be locked up so fast and banned from all control and visitation rights if We acted in this way as Guardians!!! One wonders where the alleged $500,000/$800,0000 in legal fees really ended up? One really has to WONDER? God Bless Terri and deliver her from the clutchs of these evil and vile men.