Doctor: The "Water" in Terri’s Brain is a Myth [CT Scan Found As Well As Bone Scan Of Terri]

MediaCulpa ^ | March 22, 2005 | Unknown

[conservativecorner]

You have probably heard Michael Schiavo’s attorney George Felos say things such as this about Terri Schiavo’s brain:

"CT scans just don't lie. When you look at that picture, you see a big black hole filled with water where her brain used to be," Felos said. "There is no cognition, no thought process, no awareness."

Now the doctor at CodeBlueBlog has found the CT scan that Felos is referring to, and what the doctor has discovered is both shocking and wonderful: Felos is wrong, the courts have been wrong. Terri’s brain is not damaged as much as we have been led to believe.

Update: The doctor has also looked at Terri's bone scan report, and concludes that "someone either was physically abusing Terri or they dropped/mishandled her severely."

CodeBlueBlog:

The most alarming thing about this image . . . is that there certainly is cortex left. Granted, it is severely thinned, especially for Terri's age, but I would be nonplussed if you told me that this was a 75 year old female who was somewhat senile but fully functional, and I defy a radiologist anywhere to contest that.

I HAVE SEEN MANY WALKING, TALKING, FAIRLY COHERENT PEOPLE WITH WORSE CEREBRAL/CORTICAL ATROPHY. THEREFORE, THIS IS IN NO WAY PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE THAT TERRI SCHIAVO'S MENTAL ABILITIES OR/OR CAPABILITIES ARE COMPLETELY ERADICATED. I CANNOT BELIEVE SUCH TESTIMONY HAS BEEN GIVEN ON THE BASIS OF THIS SCAN.

The worrisome, no alarming thing, for me, was that I heard a bioethicist and several important figures on the major media describe Terri's brain as MUCH WORSE. One "expert" said that she had a "bag of water" in her head. Several experts described her as a "brain stem preparation"

These statements are wholly inaccurate. This is an atrophied brain, yes, but there is cortex remaining, and where there's cortex (?life) there's hope.

If you starve this woman to death it would be, in my professional and experienced medical opinion, the equivalent of starving to death a 75-85 year old person. I would take that to the witness stand.

Wouldn’t you love to see the CodeBlueBlog doctor get the chance to take the witness stand and explain that Terri doesn’t have a "bag of water" in her brain? Spread the word about what the doctor has discovered -- and if you have an in with the Schindlers or their attorneys, please direct them to the CodeBlueBlog web site, where they can contact the doctor.

I just found Terri's 1991 bone scan and I believe she was I just found Terri's 1991 bone scan and I believe she was I just found Terri's 1991 bone scan and I believe she was abused, physically.

Link to bone scan.

[AZConcervative]

The only two witnesses othe then Mike are HIS brother and sister. This is absurd. The fact is that both sides have a conflict of interest and therefor we should err on the side of life.

[ContemptofCourt]

The only doctor who spent many hours observing Terri in person was Dr. Hammesfahr.You are kidding, right? I mean, really, how do you intend to justify this statement?

[Kozak]

"Personally, I feel that starving and dehydrating her is cruel and inhuman." I agree. You can't treat your dog like this.

Maybe we can get local animal control authority involved.
From the Pinella's County animal control laws....



Sec. 14-32. Cruelty to animals.

(a) Whoever impounds or confines any animal in any place and fails to supply the animal during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water shall be in violation of this article.

(b) Whoever keeps any animal in any enclosure without wholesome exercise and change of air shall be in violation of this article.

(c) Whoever abandons to die any animal that is maimed, sick, infirm, or diseased shall be in violation of this article.

(d) A person who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily or cruelly beats, mutilates, or kills any animal, or causes the same to be done, or carries in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, shall be in violation of this article.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices/law.htm#1432

[Kozak]

I seem to remember the first child abuse case in the US was brought under a similar argument about cruelty to animals as there was no law protecting children at that time.

[Kozak]

I seem to remember the first child abuse case in the US was brought under a similar argument about cruelty to animals as there was no law protecting children at that time.

[jwalsh07]

From a legal point of view- which course would be wiser for Terri's family- asking the 11th to hear this en banc- or going to the SCOTUS?

Neither, it is the Florida legislature or she dies.

[GopherIt]

>The only doctor who spent many hours observing Terri in person was Dr. Hammesfahr.You are kidding, right? I mean, really, how do you intend to justify this statement?

Read the article Tarantulas keeps citing. Dr. Cranford himself admits that much.

[DannyTN]

If Terry is truly in a PVS with no hope of recovery and no substantial consciousness, then I would say it would be ok for her to be killed. Even though specific authority for a mercy killing is not identified in the Bible and despite the dangerous precedent it makes. However, the problems with this case are the following:

• There is some doubt about Terri's condition, because:
  • she's been denied therapy,
  • the internet video's,
  • her parent's insistence, and
  • the testimony of her prior nurses.
• There is also doubt about the motives of Michael Shiavo, because
  • Michael's statements and actions reported by the nurses,
  • suspicion he may have contributed to her "accident",
  • Michael's refusal to allow her rehabilitation,
  • there may be money involved

  But if you are going to perform a mercy killing, call it what it is, and do it the most merciful and painless way.

[Tarantulas]

You really should make it clear that you are exerpting from a polemic by Dr. Cranford that appeared on a blog. Us physicians on one side of opinion (ditzy "vitalists") are readily discredited, but Hemlockers are always objective, right?

I usually provide links to my excerpts so the interested reader can discover the source. In this case the link is there for the clicking. The information supporting Terri's wishes comes from "Hemlockers," is that the new name? You'll notice that the Terribots post a ton of opposing information from terrisfight.org, which can hardly be considered an impartial source. The only source I've seen that even comes close to objectivity is the Abstract Appeal website. And even using that information, I've had people tell me that the author "enjoys seeing Terri suffer" or some such thing.

So I suppose no matter who posts what information, the other side will always try to debunk it. Or obfuscate.

[jwalsh07]

Somewhere I've seen a page that talked about exactly what she said about being kept alive by artificial means. The other people who testified were (I think) Michael's brother and his brother's wife.

That's about half the story, the other half is that her family and friends testified that she was a devout Catholic which is evidence with more weight than hearsay. The court ignored it. Just like the court took Dr Deaths words as gospel when he only examined the patient for 45 minutes. PVS can not be diagnosed in 45 minutes. Forget the fact that no diagnostic imaging has been done in 10 years, or the fact the Doctor in question believes PVS patients do not have constitutional rights or his claim that a living, breathing women has a flat line EEG. The fact that he claims to be able to diagnose PVS in a single 45 minute exam is malpractice and a Judge who allows that malpractice to sway his decision is not capable of rendering an equitable judgment.

[jwalsh07]

I find is interesting (and disheartening) that Freepers will turn on their own and use a blog as support for their erroneous conclusions.

I find it interesting that a lawyer with no background in diagnostic imaging would offer such a ludicrous comment.

[GopherIt]

>So I suppose no matter who posts what information, the other side will always try to debunk it. Or obfuscate.


Well, you're right about that.

Vitalist (per Dr. Cranford); hmmm, I do like the sound of that.

[jwalsh07]

You are kidding, right? I mean, really, how do you intend to justify this statement?

Here. I'll justify it. Judge Greere relied on the testimony of 5 judges, 2 for the plaintiffs and 2 for the defense. He "assigned" a fifth to break the tie. But there was no tie. Dr Death examined her for 45 minutes. He admitted this on TV last night. PVS can not be diagnosed in 45 minutes. There have been no diagnostic imaging of TS's brain since 1996. Malpractice on the part of the Doctor and grave error on the part of the trial judge.

[ContemptofCourt]

Oh, I see, so you are saying that Terri has no attending physician?

[ContemptofCourt]

Mind posting your credentials, doc?

[Tarantulas]

That's about half the story, the other half is that her family and friends testified that she was a devout Catholic which is evidence with more weight than hearsay.

So what Michael's family said about her was hearsay, but what Terri's family said about her was somehow not hearsay? How does her family's testimony carry "more weight?"

Just like the court took Dr Deaths words as gospel when he only examined the patient for 45 minutes. PVS can not be diagnosed in 45 minutes.

Check post 23 - "Four board-certified neurologists in Florida consulting on her care (James H. Barnhill, Garcia J. Desousa, Thomas H. Harrison, and Jeffrey M. Karp) had repeatedly made a diagnosis of PVS over the years." Repeatedly. For years.

Forget the fact that no diagnostic imaging has been done in 10 years...

What purpose would be served by more diagnostic imaging? Do you believe that brain cells spontaneously grow back?

The fact that he claims to be able to diagnose PVS in a single 45 minute exam is malpractice...

Remember that Dr. Cranford is probably the leading expert in the country on PVS, then consider revising your statement.

[jwalsh07]

Mind posting your credentials, doc?

Not a Doctor. 25 years in the diagnostic imaging business as an independent businessman. Meaning I install, calibrate and demo all modalities of imaging equipment.

[agrace]

You are arguing with people who think that 19 (now 20) courts as well as all the doctors and nurses that don't support their viewpoint are all in a conspiracy to cover up either Michael beating her.

That's pretty disingenuous and actually rather sensational. First of all, it's not 19-20 courts but rather 19-20 judges (several courts with panels of judges), and all but Greer (the only one to conduct a trial) have ruled on HIS finding of fact and procedure.

And there's been no allowable court evidence to the effect that Michael abused Terri, so no judges could have reviewed anything of the sort and thereby conspired = a strawman on your part.

At any rate, all this talk of CT scans and PVS is immaterial to the bottom line, which is that no one should ever be starved to death, period.

[philman_36]

Since you've given no links as to where you're getting your info from I'll do it for you...

If I'm incorrect could you give the right site?

[ContemptofCourt]

Well, then, you are just as qualified as I am to read this scan....which is to say completely unqualified.

One of my areas of practice is medical malpractice. I depose docs quite often, and try cases regarding complex medical issues that, at most, I may understand as a layperson.

In those cases, just as now, I do not profess to know about the medicine. Instead, I consult and present experts to offer their expert opinion about the medicine. I do not, however, rely on the opinions of a faceless blog writer.

And in this case, I choose to rely upon the opinions of the medical experts who have examined Terri, as well as the reports summarizing those opinions.