Medical Affidvit
March 3, 2005
Ricardo G. Senno, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.P.M.R., Medical Director Gentiva Health Services, Rehab Eithout Walls, which provides neurorehabilitation services. Resides in Evanston Illinois.
Former medical Director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Brain Injury Medicine and Rehabilitation Program.
I have, however, observed photographs of her on the Internet. Based on what I have seen, I believe that she is at least in a Minimally Conscious State (MCS); she does not appear to be in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS)
Judging Ms. Schiavo based on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale, which has ten levels of cognitive functioning, with level one being representative of coma, I believe she is at worst a two, if not a three.
I recommend that Ms. Schiavo receive an fMRI. A standard MRI or CAT Scan is not a sufficient diagnostic tool to determine if she is or is not in a Persistent Vegetative State.
I believe that proper evaluation is a must on a patient that is at ms. Schiavo’s stge of recovery; regardless of if they are conscious, minimally conscious, or vegetative. I believe strongly that her treatment should include the disorders of conscious scale, which will help decide what other treatment is appropriate.
I recommend tht Ms. Schiavo also receive a full history and physical exam, including but not limited to looking at her past medical history, medical records, current medications, available imaging studies, and current and past laboratory results. For example, it could be that she is on a narcotic for pain control, and once this medicatin is removed, she would further progress. I say this because many medications cause decreased cognitive functioning.
This is exactly the part of the equation that we don't know.
WOW!
How ANYONE, especially a JUDGE, do anything LESS before killing someone via starvation and dehydration?
DOES TERRI NOT DESERVE THE ABOVE? Is SHE TO BE DENIED THIS BECAUSE MICHAEL AND FELOS AND GREER SIMPLY ARE NOT INTERESTED? DON'T THEY WANT THE BEST FOR TERRI? AREN'T THEY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT IF TERRI CAN IMPROVE...EVEN LATE IN THE GAME ?
BUT IN THE INTEREST OF THE LATEST MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY....WHEN SUCH TECHNOLOGY MAY DETERMINE IF TERRI CAN IMPROVE.....AND IF SO, THEN TERRI MIGHT BE ABLE TO STATE IN HER OWN WORDS HER WISHES AS TO LIFE OR DEATH?
SHOULD THIS NOT BE THE GOAL SINCE SHE LEFT NO WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS..
DOES SHE NOT DESERVE THIS TESTING NO MATTER WHAT HER KILLER GUARDIAN DEMANDS.....NO ONE TRUSTS HIS DOCTORS ANYWAY...ISN'T ONE OF THEM RELATED TO HIS CONCUBINE VIA HER BOSS, A BROTHER OR SOMETHING TO HIM?
MY GOSH...........MICHAEL SCHIAVO, FELOS AND GREER ACT LIKE SCARED RABBITS.