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.

[ContemptofCourt]

Really...you don't find it strange that they would want 1/2 of an award which was not given to them?

[philman_36]

Really...you don't find it strange that they would want 1/2 of an award which was not given to them?
Did you read my reply? Let me repeat that since you seem to have missed it..."I'd have to see their reasoning before I'd describe such an action as strange."
If they were going to buy a new car, a new boat, or go to Europe, like Michael is purported to have said he was going to do when his wife died, then, yes, I would find it strange.
When you can tell me what they were going to spend the money on, or why they wanted it, then I'll be able to tell you if I believe such a request is strange or not.

[ContemptofCourt]

Thank you for demonstrating your bias so clearly.

I, for one, find it odd that her parents would demand 1/2 of his loss of consortium award.

[Tarantulas]

I brought it up because I noticed it on that page along with the current discussion, and posted it as "look what else I found." It really had no bearing on the discussion at hand, but I thought it was interesting that some people say "She was a Catholic so she would never choose this because it's suicide." It turns out she was a "lapsed Catholic" or whatever that's called.

[philman_36]

Thank you for demonstrating your bias so clearly.
HAHAHAHAHA! You're a little late as to how my biased opinion was formed, and it had nothing to do with money..."However, as for myself, I feel that Michael is a despicable lowlife who should've divorced Terry rather than become the adulterous slug that he has become."

[philman_36]

It turns out she was a "lapsed Catholic" or whatever that's called.
Ah, that is what the courts were told, right?
And what if she were not a lapsed Catholic and the court had been lied to? Would that change your opinion?

[philman_36]

Isn't adultery against the law in Florida?
Why, yes, I believe it is! The 2004 Florida Statutes
CHAPTER 798 ADULTERY; COHABITATION
798.01 Living in open adultery.--Whoever lives in an open state of adultery shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Where either of the parties living in an open state of adultery is married, both parties so living shall be deemed to be guilty of the offense provided for in this section.
This "man" is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.

[Tarantulas]

And what if she were not a lapsed Catholic and the court had been lied to? Would that change your opinion?

I'm not sure. There's still those statements she made about not wanting to live that way, hooked up to a machine, a burden, etc.

[philman_36]

There's still those statements she made about not wanting to live that way, hooked up to a machine, a burden, etc.
Weren't those statements made in relevance to the condition the person was in? She isn't in a coma living completely off of machines like respirators you know.

[shield]

CT scan of Ms. Schiavo's brain, showing extensive cortical regions filled with spinal fluid

It's NOT SPINAL FLUID...I can't believe these docs are saying that...they're either big fat liars or just poorly trained docs....

First of all, the University of Miami's appellation for this scan is inaccurate. "Cortical regions" are not and can not be filled with spinal fluid. The sulci (spaces between cortical ribbons) are enlarged secondary to cortical atrophy and these sulci are filled with cerbrospinal fluid.

[philman_36]

Since the other link isn't working now...see Chapter 798
Chapter 775 DEFINITIONS; GENERAL PENALTIES; REGISTRATION OF CRIMINALS
(4) A person who has been convicted of a designated misdemeanor may be sentenced as follows:
(a) For a misdemeanor of the first degree, by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year;
(b) For a misdemeanor of the second degree, by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding 60 days.
I say arrest his posterior.

[philman_36]

Where have you gone? I thought I was making headway through the breakwaters.

[BB62]

Thank you for the links.

"1. If you are going to use the term "hearsay," learn what it means."

I asked a question about the term, I did not use it authoritatively - careful reading would make that evident.

"3. Did you understand the commentary on quackwatch, or dou you need to have that explained as well?"

Yes, but just because the Doctor does not agree with "general practices" does not make him a quack.


"4. Your search skills are lacking: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1367452/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1358370/posts"

Yes, my search skills probably are not as good as yours, but then again the name "Hammesfahr" as a discrete name is NOT in the search words of either of those two threads.

Thanks for the links. I have not read them fully, but their subject is not the discrediting of the Dr.

BTW, is the Mayo clinic Dr. I just heard about on The Sean Hannity Show a quack too?


BB62

[Tarantulas]

Sorry, temporarily got involved in another thread.

I believe the statements she made were in reference to her grandmother, who was connected to life support systems in the intensive care ward. There's no information available to say whether Grandma was in a PVS or in a coma or had a stroke or whatever. The only thing that's clear is that Terri saw the tubes and wires and said she never wanted to live that way. At Grandma's funeral, she made an even more detailed statement about her wish not to be connected to machines, and her desire to have that wish in her "will."

[philman_36]

I believe the statements she made were in reference to her grandmother, who was connected to life support systems in the intensive care ward.
A life support system is quite a bit more than just a feeding tube, isn't it.
At Grandma's funeral, she made an even more detailed statement about her wish not to be connected to machines, and her desire to have that wish in her "will."
Having a feeding tube isn't "connected to machines". It takes a real leap of logic to conclude that one is the same as the other.

You see, my stepfather was on a feeding tube for several years, after a stroke and the total paralysis of the left side of his body, until his eventual death. I would no more have wanted to see his feeding tube pulled than I want to see this happen to Terri.
If we would've pulled Daddy's feeding tube, simply because he couldn't feed himself, we would have been murdering him. Color me biased, but it all just doesn't make sense to me.

[Tarantulas]

Under Florida law, the feeding tube is considered to be the same kind of extraordinary life support as a ventilator or a breathing tube. In New York and Missouri, it's not, so her tube couldn't be taken out if she were in those states.

[Palladin]

I was appalled to hear Neil Cavuto repeat this blatant falsehood on his show...about Terri's brain turning to mush. And of course "Judge" Napolitano backed it up.

Catholics in Name Only?

[XJarhead]

Lawyers are killing this country. In the dock, on the bench, and in the congressional chambers. You need to police your own, or we need to radically change what it means to be a lawyer.

Let me tell you something from the perspective of an attorney who has fought against the kind of stuff you apparently hate -- it ain't our fault.

Most state court judges are elected, not appointed. Who votes for them? The freakin' voters, that's who.

And in all those screwy lawsuits you hear about, with outrageous awards, etc.? Who do you think gives them that money? It's the juries. Blame your fellow citizens for buying stupid arguments. It is legally impossible for us lawyers on the "right" side to ban or stop those other ones. All we can do is fight them in court and hope we win. But whether or not we win is up to either jurors or judges, neither of whom we have any control over.

Your anger is misdirected. Or at least, its too broad, because there are a lot of us out there fighting the good fight to keep things from getting worse than they are.

[philman_36]

Under Florida law, the feeding tube is considered to be the same kind of extraordinary life support as a ventilator or a breathing tube.
So simply because she happens to live in Florida, where the law is slightly different, she is going to die.
Following the exact letter of the law is going to kill this woman.

[Tarantulas]

So simply because she happens to live in Florida, where the law is slightly different, she is going to die.

Following the exact letter of the law is going to kill this woman.

Well actually I see it in a different way.

1. She stated she would never want to live hooked up to tubes and machines, or be a burden to anyone.
2. Her continued practice of bulimia caused a heart attack and brain damage.
3. Now she's living hooked up to tubes and machines and is a burden to the hospice and her family.
4. Because of 1. and 3., the courts have granted her wish and removed her feeding tube.

So because she engaged in risky behavior, she will lose her life in a few days. Basically, she committed suicide. It just took 15 years between the time she pulled the trigger and the time her body died. I'm not saying this to be facetious, because this is a tragic case. But it's also chock full of irony.