Posted on 04/01/2005 11:52:28 PM PST by FairOpinion
The amount of medical misinformation put out about Terri Schiavo has been truly stunning. The testimony of Terri’s physicians who believe that some recovery is possible has been largely dismissed. Judge Greer’s court and the media in turn, have focused only on the pessimistic interpretations of the raw data of her CT scan.
A physician at a credible physicians’ website has analyzed Terri’s CAT scan and concludes that it has been grossly misrepresented. There is some cerebral atrophy, but it is a completely inaccurate to characterize it as “bag of water.” Furthermore, the author states that
“the most alarming thing about this image, however, 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.”
In one of the definitive court battles in 2002, five physicians examined Terri to determine if therapy would be of further benefit. Two chosen by Terri’s parents believed that she was not in a “persistent vegetative state” and that some recovery was possible. Two chosen by Michael Schiavo held that she had no chance of recovery, as did the “neutral” physician appointed by the court. This 3-2 decision was key in the 2003 attempt to pull her feeding tube.
One of Michael Schiavo’s medical experts was the right-to-die advocate Dr. Ronald Cranford, who has been an expert in a number other key court cases on our nation’s slippery slope to euthanasia, including those of Nancy Cruzan and Robert Wedlund. But Dr. Cranford has made serious errors in other cases when prognosticating about the prospects of neurological recovery. Frederica Mathewes-Green states that Sgt. David Mack, who was shot in the line of duty as a policeman, was diagnosed by Cranford as
"definitely...in a persistent vegetative state...never [to] regain cognitive, sapient functioning...never [to] be aware of his condition."
Twenty months after the shooting Mack woke up, and eventually regained nearly all his mental ability. When asked by a reporter how he felt, he spelled out on his letterboard, "Speechless!"
In fact, the entire field of diagnosing “persistent vegetative state” or “PVS” is fraught with inaccuracy. Recent studies have shown the rate of misdiagnosis to be as high as 37% or even 43%. PVS is a clinical diagnosis, meaning that it depends on the subjective judgment of the examining physician. Experts in the field cannot even agree on the usefulness of diagnostic imaging.
Dr. Ronald Cranford himself was upset about the articles showing the inaccuracy of diagnosis and prognostication about PVS. Childs and Mercer, authors of one of the studies citing the difficulties of diagnosing PVS, took Cranford to task for “zealously” promoting the concept of the "permanent vegetative state" despite the evidence of its problematic nature, and the regularity with which some patients recover from it .
The nomenclature of “persistent vegetative state” was coined in 1972 by Jennett and Plum in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. The original article, “Persistent Vegetative State: A syndrome in search of a name” seems to have succeeded in its task as reclassifying severely cognitively disabled humans as non-persons - something akin to vegetables in the minds of many. Public perception of this highly-charged term predisposes many to dismiss the lives of human beings as no more significant than plant life. It is a brilliant, if chilling, masterstroke of propaganda, one which has been swallowed hook, line, and sinker.
This reclassification of non-terminally ill people has allowed for their dehydration and starvation deaths in Britain with a doctor’s recommendation, and in many states in the USA with the family’s wishes (or a patient’s own advance directives). The medical literature is rife with arrogant pronouncements in editorials of learned journals, such as life itself not being of “benefit” to someone in the PVS state. The echoes of current bioethics doublespeak resound in these journals.
In some respects the “persistent vegetative state” is more a political than a medical diagnosis, as it allows its unfortunate victims to lose their right to life and be medically killed through withholding food and water. It is unfortunate that some of the experts on the side of the Culture of Death seem to have had the upper hand in Terri’s fight, and have been portrayed by the media as reasonable and responsible members of the medical profession, rather than the zealots which, in fact, some of their own medical colleagues have branded them.
Yes.
Dr. Melvin Greer, appointed by Schiavo, testified that a doctor need not examine a patient to know the appropriate medical treatment. He spent approximately 45 minutes with Terri.
Dr. Peter Bambakidis, appointed by Judge Greer, spent approximately 30 minutes with Terri.
From Empire Journal:
Bradle also referred to Mayo Clinic Dr. William Cheshire Jr.’s questioning of the “previous neurologic diagnosis of PVS, stating in an sworn affidavit March 23 which Greer also rebuked that “with a reasonable degree of medical certainty, there is a greater likelihood that Terri is in a minimally conscious state”. In the last two months, Greer rejected sworn affidavits by some 33 physicians, neurologists and speech therapists that Terri was not PVS and refused to allow new medical testing to reevaluate her condition based on new medical technology.
I guess they could have hidden something that way, but the fact remains, first they have to produce several copies of the death certificate, the policy and in most states the autopsy, when one is conducted. If everything does not match, i.e. no typos, then it is null and void.
The actual insurance company(provider) will determine that.
Jodi had an agency, she would not be the insurer, only the agent. Again, I think there would be too many red flags. IMO
This getting any traction? Are there any folks who have sought a judicial ethics complaint?
Bump to #6. This does not look good for Michael. But then he has Judge Greer.
Could someone, other than the Schiavos, have taken out a policy on Terri?
George ("Flick-Tongue") Felos seemed to imply that someone could have done that, when he spoke at his press conference the other day.
How about someone else connected with Michael's co-directors, the Jergers? They sold their company to Philadelphia Consolidated.
Phila. Consolidated buys Jerger, July 16, 1999
Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp. closed on the purchase of a Florida-based group of personal lines specialty insurance companies, a cash and stock deal valued at over $40 million.A commercial lines specialty underwriter, Philadelphia Consolidated bought The Jerger Co. Inc. of Pinellas Park, Florida, and its subsidiaries. The buy brings Philadelphia Consolidated about $70 million of mobile home, homeowners property and casualty and floor insurance premiums.Besides $20 million in cash and more than 1 million shares of stock, Philadelphia Consolidated agreed to a $5 million additional payment, depending on how well the new businesses perform.
Tests are often rerun. New tests are often done. Especially if time has passed since the old test.
Pinging. This is going to be a cottage industry of reading the CT tea-leaves. Personally, I am more than a little peeved at Greer's disregard for the Mayo Clinic physician's opinion...
Emotions still linger from Nancy Cruzan’s right-to-die case
Sheriff Doug Seneker guarded [Nancy] Cruzan's room at the Missouri Rehabilitation Center. Lawrence County Sheriff Doug Seneker was a deputy sheriff at the time. He questions whether Nancy Cruzan was in a persistent vegetative state. His opinion is based, in part, on her reactions three days before her death when he went into her room to check on her."[Nancy Cruzan] turned and looked at me and stared at me with a panicky look, sweating profusely, and the thought I had was, she was thinking, ‘Oh, here’s a policeman, he’ll help me.’ But we weren’t allowed to do that,” said Seneker.
If you read the paper which created the category of PVS in 1972 (Jennett B, Plum F. Persistent vegetative state after brain damage: a syndrome in search of a name. Lancet. 1972;1:734-737.), you would realize that this "finding" should never be used to make the decision to kill someone, because of its imprecision and uncertain prognosis.
It doesn't matter how many experts agree on the diagnosis, the concept is wrong.
In this day and time, unlike 30 years ago or so, the person the policy is being taken out on, has to have a physical exam, albeit, it is not extensive, and usually done by a nurse at the insuree's resident. Only routine, blood work, and other basic things are done.
An example, my mom wanted to increase her policy after having it for 20 years, but because she hadn't seen her physician in over 2 years, and her tests submitted by a nurse showed she had a heart arrhythmia (not so sure the finding was accurate), they would not do it.
Now Florida, could be different. They do have some strange insurance laws there from what I can remember
I am only going by NC insurance laws as they were in 1999-2000 when I was a licensed agent. My mind is fuzzy on some of this stuff, as I found out I was not cut out for all the morbidity involved... It is a very depressing profession to me. (The life, long term care stuff that is)
There is so much speculation on this, that I hope one day we will know, but I doubt it.
Sarah Scantlin. 20 years. PVS. Came back in Jan/Feb this year.
"This will all be covered up to protect a judge who is pigheaded ..." Actually, since the entire Florida rubber stamptrooper black robed goons are complicit in the travesty, the 'under the rug' work will be to cover all their incompetent cold-hearted asses.
Several. I can think of three off the top of my head, Nancy Cruzan, Robert Wendland, and Patricia White-Bull. I am sure there are more, but who knows how many he diagnoses as PVS? Probably plenty. Doesn't mean he's right, just means he's pre-disposed to the idea. A better question would be how many has he not diagnosed as PVS? Any? Or are they all PVS to him?
Ck FReepmail! thanks.
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