Her guardians are not neurologists. And her parents simply believed what they were told by docs.
She feels pain, why do they give her pain meds for cramps. She responds to her mother with a smile. She is said to have uttered words prior to her neglect. There were 2 out of 5 docs who disagreed with the original diagnosis and 40 % of the time the diagnosis is unreliable. There is poor interrater reliability of the diagnosis, reasonable docs disagree. That is poor grounds for saying that she is a dead woman.
Look at her, no way can you say that woman is dead. And that is after 10 years of neglect, being in a room with no stimuli, no therapy, no love. Gee, I would be in the same shape.
MS is a psychopath who has intimidated all around him. Her best interests are not the same as his.
I think you're right. The recording that supposedly took place on 3/18, and was aired on Drudge didn't sound like there was nobody in there. She groaned in a manner that seemed like she was suffering, but it abated the longer her father spoke with her. She sounded very much like a person with Down's Syndrome, not like a brain stem on continuous play.
Some of her guardians were doctors. One was a lawyer. Are you under the impression that Terri as not seen by neurologists?
Have you ever read ONE single solitary court transcript regarding this matter? Just one? Have you ever read one GAL report?
Have you googled PVS (spelled out) and understand that Terri is acting like nearly ALL PVS patients and it means nothing? ABC has links on this very issue tonight.
At the very least, read the Wolfson report. Link below. Others as you may wish.
Freepers used to be smarter than this. People used to do research instead of falling for every single internet rumor and unsubstantiated doctor to come down the pike who "says" he's a doctor and just knows that Terri can be cured.
Are the new rules around here that we are supposed to believe internet people who have no way of verifying their words, didn't testify under oath and weren't subject to cross examination vs. court documents and people who did testify under oath and were subject to cross examination?
Are those the new rules now? Just tell me and I'll make sure I never do one damn bit of research again.
And for the two doctors you seem to think have validity that the Schindlers brought to court in 2002, are you aware that one of them didn't know the difference between a coma and PVS? And one of them is an alternative medicine doctor, has faked being nominated as a Nobel prize winner, his clients must pay in cash because insurance companies won't cover him and he advertises in the National Enquirer? Links below to that tidbit too.
The Courts ruled the two doctors who make up that blessed 40% you are so fond of quoting weren't competent and didn't present evidence that is recognized by the medical community.
1. In 1993, Terri's doctors recommended to Michael that he remove the tube. This is done all the time in this nation.
He didn't want to do that because he thought it was cruel. He then saw his parents go through it so by 1998(?), he said ok.
But still he didn't want to be the final arbiter of this and went to the court and asked THEM to make the determination. The Courts noted in their decision he didn't have to do this and effectively weakened his own position by doing so. (I have the exact words in the link to the court decision).
2. During the first 3 years of Terri's PVS status, no one argues that she wasn't given the most rigorous therapy. Everything that could be done, was done. He even had electrodes implanted in her brain in an effort to stimulate her brain activity. In the early 90's, the electrodes used make her ineligible to have an MRI. They use different kinds now and there has been some suggestion that doctors recommended those electrodes be removed, although no freper has ever been able to provide me with a link to that.
#3. In the early 90's, MS sued the hospital for malpractice. Terri presented at the hospital with cardiac arrest as the result of being bulimic. The hospital didn't pick up on that and didn't treat her appropriately which in part resulted in her PVS. MS was given $300,000 for loss of consortium; the rest went to Terri's care and is controlled by the court (I think). Mr. Schindler thought he was entitled to some of that $$ and they argued over the $$.
#4. Previous to that, MS and the Schindlers had gotten along fabulously. Schindlers considered him like a son and said they couldn't get through it without him. Then came the $$ problem.
#5. The Schindlers testified under oath the yknew their daughter was PVS. They now act like she isn't, but they've already admitted it.
#6. The Schindlers tried in the early 90's to care for their daughter and returned her to rehab shortly after because they were overwhelmed (their word). There is no reason to believe that 13 years older they are better capable of caring for Terri this time.
#7. The Schindlers testified under oath that they would be willing to see Terri undergo multiple amputations should she get diabetes from loss of circulation. They also said that no matter what she wants, they want to keep her alive.
#8. No honorable man who knows his wife is PVS is going to stand by and watch her get carved up. In my opinion.
#9. Michael became a respiratory therapist in order to better learn to care for Terri. Under oath, the nurses who cared for Terri said his care of her was extraordinary. She never even had a bed sore, nearly unheard of, and that he was very demanding of nursing staff.
#10. Now we have nurses and others coming out of the woodwork saying that they know Terri isn't PVS because (insert blabbering). It's amazing that they never told thsi to the Schindlers! They have written affadavits (if these people are even nurses...most of this is over the internet).
So some freepers think we should believe unsourced material over the internet but not court documents and witnesses that were subject to cross examination under oath.
Anyway, when I first started writing about this last week, I hadn't really made up my mind about this matter. The more I examined it and other freepers started researching it, the more I made up my mind.
And the Wolfson Report, which gives the most thorough history:
http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/schiavo/wolfson%27s%20report.pdf
Then, read:
http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/trialctorder11-02.txt
Greer's ruling in 2002 after the 5 doctor trial to see if there were any hope for her to improve.
http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/schiavo/2D02-5394.pdf
The Second district court of appeals' (interesting) ruling in support of his decision.
This excellent, official time line of events, including links to other court decisions:
http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/schiavo/timeline.htm
Extra Links
Cruzan decision
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=497&invol=261
More on Cruzan:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/cruzan.html
Terri's medical discharge summary:
http://www.terrisfight.org/documents/Humana%20Discharge%20Summary%20050990.pdf
Greer's denial of bone scan - the doctors who actually saw Terri, and the radiologist who did follow-up x-rays saw nothing suspicious.
http://abstractappeal.com/schiavo/trialctorder11-02-scan.pdf
Greer's finding that Carla Iyer and others were not credible:
http://www.terrisfight.org/documents/Order%20Denying%20Pet%20Immed%20Ther%20091703.pdf
Description of the complete 4 hours of video:
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/10/Tampabay/Schiavo_tapes__snippe.shtml
Description of the testimony at the 2000 trial to determine Terri's wishes.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/08/Tampabay/Schiavo_s_wishes_reca.shtml
NATIONAL ENQUIRER 1998 featuring Dr. William Hammesfahr (he has ads there)
http://www.floridaneurologicalinstitute.com/national_enquirer_1998.htm
Sure, Terri feels pain, for why would they give her ibuprophen? This is a crime by judicial terrorists!
God help us. We are a nation of people trying to help Iraqis to be free, when we are not even free ourselves.