Professor Appointed to Probe Schiavo Case

Guardian Unlimited ^ | Nov 1, 2003 | Vickie Chachere

[Future Useless Eater]

Professor Appointed to Probe Schiavo Case

Saturday November 1, 2003 1:01 AM

By VICKIE CHACHERE
Associated Press Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A judge appointed a University of South Florida professor on Friday to independently investigate the case of a severely brain-damaged woman at the center of a right-to-die battle.

Jay Wolfson, an expert on health care financing, will report to Gov. Jeb Bush and recommend whether the stay the governor enacted to keep Terri Schiavo alive should be allowed to remain.

Schiavo suffered severe brain damage when her heart stopped due to a chemical imbalance and has been in a persistent vegetative state for more than a decade. Doctors have said there is no hope for her recovery.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has fought to have her feeding tube removed, saying his wife did not want to be kept alive artificially.

Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, dispute that claim and have fought to keep their daughter alive, saying they believe she could be rehabilitated.

Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for six days in October before the Florida Legislature and Gov. Jeb Bush enacted a special law to have it reinserted. The law also required a guardian to be appointed.

George Felos, the attorney for Michael Schiavo, and the American Civil Liberties Union filed briefs this week challenging the constitutionality of the governor's action. The state is expected to respond on Monday.

The judge said that if the law is found to be unconstitutional, Wolfson is to cease his work.

The Schindlers had objected to Wolfson's appointment, claiming comments he made to a television station indicated he was biased against the newly enacted law. The judge said he found no evidence of bias.

Wolfson did not return calls seeking comment.

The judge ordered Wolfson to report to the governor in 30 days, but said the deadline could be extended if needed.

[editor-surveyor]

"Since Judge Greer's version of justice is seeminly unquestioned in FL, you have to assume the corruption is pervasive! We are talking ALL branches of govt.!"

Sort of reminds me of the 'Dukes of Hazzard' - Judge Greer is definately up to his eyebrows in "Black Collar Crime" IMO.

[editor-surveyor]

" There should be laws to prevent this!"

But enforcing the law requires action from the courts, who appear to be accomplices in these crimes.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I agree with about saveterri too. It was clear to me who he was and what he was trying to do.

[MSCASEY]

Very true statement!

MCD

[libravoter]

Although if someone is supporting Terri...what do you think?

I'm still wary. Because even if someone is on my side, it doesn't mean they know what they're doing. And the last thing I want is to claim someone as a comprade and then have them turn out to be nuttier than a fruitcake.

[libravoter]

Some here apply even a five-year criteria.

Ahhh, Mr. "Since Jun 11, 1998", I've got your number.

But I'm thinking it should be closer to three years (closer to my May 10, 2000 freeperdate ;--)

[pc93]

I don't know what to think.

[FR_addict]

"But the Schindlers did suggest a GAL -- see Respondents' Response to the Court's Requests Regarding Guardian ad Litem"

Thank you for your post.

I have been going through the posts I've missed today. It seems like "Harv" has been posting a lot of stuff that we should check out. The fact that he said the Schindlers did not seek a GAL was not true. How much of the other stuff was really researched thoroughly.

[NautiNurse]

It seems like "Harv" has been posting a lot of stuff that we should check out.

Why would you need to waste time refuting half-baked claims posted by a troll?

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Well he is not around to respond. Seems he spreads his message around various forums and then leaves, without any answers. If he shows back up here again we can ask him. If he is reading this right now, we can ask him to expalin himself and show us a link or provide us with some information on how to contact this PAC for Terri that he refers to. It seems that no one who is close to this case has heard of PAC, or his "experts " who are "fighting for Terri". Time will tell.

[lonevoice]

You sure got that right. Pretty effective trolling, but ultimately transparent. He (or she) sure gave himself away when he posted #72. He said it was an email from a lawyer who graduated with honors from one of the top 5 law schools. But, it's easy to see that the "email" posted in #72 was written by "saveterri1" himself! The mangling of syntax is identical, along with the very odd mistaken use of the word "interputative" when meaning "interpretive" that saveterri1 and the so-called lawyer have in common.

It removed all doubt when "saveterri1" got an assist from another FR poster that Jim Robinson has asked to stop posting on the Terri threads.

Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, indeed.

[Graymatter]

>>PFS would be a better way to put it

Excellent suggestion. Hereafter he is George Felos, PFS (Permanent Fruitcake Syndrome), attorney for Michael Schiavo, GFH (Guardian From Hell).

Graymatter, MSLD (Michael Schiavo Lie Detector)

[Normally a Lurker]

I'll defer to your judgment on that one - actually, we are both stretching the point a great deal for the sake of humor, and ignoring the fact that it should really just be a content-based judgment.

[FR_addict]

"Why would you need to waste time refuting half-baked claims posted by a troll?"

Just think it is a good idea to have answers when the trolls stop by.

It looks like quite a bit of what he said has already been proven to be untrue by fellow Freepers. Now I know Terri's parents did ask for a GAL, but were rejected. I know that the doctor's was actually nominated for a Nobel prize by a Congressman.

Keep up the good work, Freepers!

[Graymatter]

>>I too wondered what a PAC doctor was. Anybody have a clue?

I'm guessing Physician Assistant Certified. Who that would be in Terri's case I have no clue.

[sweetliberty]

"I am not surprised that he is lying but just can't fathom how he thought that there wouldn't be people out here that are interested in the truth."

He doubtless thinks the rest of us are as stupid as the average Florida democRAT. Can there be any doubt that he falls into that category?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Thanks for the detailed info that nobody else has put up here, as far as I can see. It looks like the medical 'court' spent $50,000 worth of time (socking the whole bill to Dr. H) to fix $500 worth of trouble.

[FR_addict]

"It was stated on several occasions in the news that Terri’s serum potassium (K) level was 2.0 mmol/liter immediately or thereafter after her collapse. A level of 2.0 is approximately 40% below lower limit norms. This very low level of serum K was extremely serious and YES can cause exactly what happened to Terri. It happens every day in these types of cases. Over my sixteen years of experience I have been involved in cases just like Terri’s .

>>pottasium levels were so low that night was because of >>what the paremedics injected her with on the way to the >>hospital!

This is preposterous. The paramedics would have never dropped her potassium levels to 2.0 or the malpractice trial would have been over this subject. Secondly, what was this injection that had the abiity to drop Terri's potassium level to 2.0. Do you understand how hard that is to do. Oh it can be done, but again the malpractice suit would have been over this. "

---

This was not just an IV drip that the paramedics did, but drugs to stimulate the heart. It seems to me that the drugs used to stimulate a heart might be pretty potent. I guess we need a paramedic to reply here.

The potassium level has been explained here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1011516/posts

This "potassium imbalance" is frequently touted as the explanation of what caused Terri's collapse. But it is an explanation that explains nothing. Indeed, doctors for the Schindlers testified in court, and reiterated at their news conference last Friday (October 24, 2003) that the potassium imbalance was only detected after she was brought to the hospital. This is after the paramedics had been working on her to revive her. Part of such treatment is the injection of various drugs and electrolytes to try to stimulate the heart. These injections were very likely the cause of the potassium imbalance. The potassium imbalance was an effect of her collapse and subsequent treatment, and not the cause of anything.


Also, Dr. Baden on Great's show didn't think the potassium caused the problem.

Transcript of Greta's "On the Record" - Schiavo segment - Friday 10-24-03

Greta: And now for a medical condition sparking national controversy, Terri Schiavo, of Florida, has been been in a vegetative state since collapsing in 1990, from what doctors say was a potassium imbalance, that stopped her heart.

Greta: But according to the Orlando Sentinel, Terri's family says a doctor who at their request, reviews Schiavo's medical records, found she was admitted to the emergency room, with a "rigid neck".

Greta: Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden joins us from New York.

Dr.Baden: Hi,

Greta: Welcome, Dr. Baden,

Dr.Baden: Hi,

Greta: Dr. Baden, a potassium imbalance... lets first talk about... if you had a potassium deficiency, can that cause the condition that Terri Schiavo had?

Dr.Baden: Umm, CAN, but UNLIKELY.

Dr.Baden: Potassium is very interesting , its probably the most lethal poison we have when it is injected rapidly, and thats why its the poison that kills people in capital punisment by lethal injection.

Dr.Baden: And it stops the heart from beating properly. Too much of it. But also, too little of it, hypo-potassium, can also cause the heart to stop beating properly, and lead to lack of blood flow to the brain, and death of brain cells by lack of oxygen.

Greta: All right, would it, would it...

Dr.Baden: But thats very unusual Greta, extremely unusual.

Greta: A normal healthy woman, ahh, I assume would have no reason for instance, to take potassium supplements unless perhaps she was on a dieuretic, or had some other medication that would cause a potassium depetion. Is that right?

Dr.Baden: That is correct.

Greta: All right. Um, is there any explanation in your mind, and I realize you were not her treating physician, but why would a woman her age have a potassium, umm, imbalance?

Dr.Baden: Extremely unlikely..., unless she had certain kinds of diseases, which she doesn't have. She was in her 20's... the reason she is in the state she is in is because there was a period of time, maybe 5 minutes or 8 minutes when not enough oxygen was going to her brain. That can happen when the heart stops for 5 or 8 minutes, but she had a healthy heart from what we can see.

Dr.Baden: The other thing though...

Greta: (interrupting)

Dr.Baden: I'm sorry, Greta?

Greta: No, go ahead...

Dr.Baden: Your staff has provided me with a bone scan that you guys obtained... ummm, from her initial admission, in 1991 to the hospital. And that bone scan describes her as having a head injury.. thats why she's there..., thats why she's getting a bone scan. And a head injury can cause, umm, can lead to the vegetative state that Schiavo is in now,

Dr.Baden: ...and it does show evidence that there are OTHER injuries, other bone fractures, that are in the healing stage. So thats...

Greta: Alright, alright, let me back up for a second... head injuries... Could she have had, umm, could she have passed out from a potassium imbalance, causing you know, falling, hitting her head, head injury. Is that what you're talking about... or are you suggesting some sort of pre-existing injury to her passing out...

Dr.Baden: Something... something totally different. That its extremely rare, for a 20-year old to have a cardiac arrest, umm, from low potassium, who has no other diseases.

Dr.Baden: So the other issue, is could it have been due to some other cause? which is raised by the family, HAS to be looked at.

Greta: Alright, in the 20 seconds we have left... other injuries... bone injuries... what does that suggest to you?

Dr.Baden: That... some kind of trauma. The trauma could be from an auto accident, the trauma could be from a fall, OR the trauma could be from some kind of a BEATING that she obtained from somebody, somewhere.

Dr.Baden: Umm, its something that SHOULD have been investigated in 1991, when these findings were, ahh... found...

Greta: ...were fresh.

Dr.Baden: yes, And maybe they were. Maybe they were investigated by the police at that time.

Greta: Alright, thats it, Michael Baden, thank you

Dr.Baden: Thank you.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You sure got that right. Pretty effective trolling, but ultimately transparent. He (or she) sure gave himself away when he posted #72. He said it was an email from a lawyer who graduated with honors from one of the top 5 law schools. But, it's easy to see that the "email" posted in #72 was written by "saveterri1" himself! The mangling of syntax is identical, along with the very odd mistaken use of the word "interputative" when meaning "interpretive" that saveterri1 and the so-called lawyer have in common.

Well the prayers for confusion of the enemy worked. He's been outed with great "Clairty."