DCF: Terri Schiavo Not Abused, Exploited

ABC/AP ^ | 4.16.05

[ambrose]

DCF: Terri Schiavo Not Abused, Exploited

State Agency: Terri Schiavo Was Not Abused or Exploited by Either Side of Her Family

By VICKIE CHACHERE

The Associated Press

Apr. 16, 2005 - State investigators found no evidence that Terri Schiavo had been abused or exploited by either side of her family, according to documents released by Florida's Department of Children and Families.

The agency investigated 89 complaints dating back to 2001, when Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for the first time and the legal battle surrounding her right-to-die case intensified.

The calls alleged that the brain-damaged woman was being mistreated by her husband and her parents for financial gain. One complaint alleged that Schiavo's parents were selling videos of her through a Web site; another said Schiavo's husband wasn't spending money intended for her rehabilitation.

But investigators said they found no evidence that either her husband or parents were exploiting her, and often noted in their records that they found Schiavo well cared for on their visits to her Pinellas Park hospice.

The agency released the records Friday under court order.

Schiavo, 41, died last month after her feeding tube was removed for the third time, ending a bitter court battle between her husband, Michael Schiavo, and parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, over whether she would have wanted to live in a vegetative state.

The repeated allegations of abuse were based partly on bone scans showing Terri Schiavo suffered fractures and statements she made to family and friends that she was unhappy in her marriage.

Schiavo's husband has denied harming his wife. His lawyer said the fractures resulted from osteoporosis caused by the woman's years of immobility and complications of her medication.

Robert Schindler declined to comment there on the release of the DCF documents. An attorney for Michael Schiavo did not immediately return calls.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

[presently no screen name]

Yeah, no one knows anything not even Terri's family. By that you mean her parents - the only ones that know are Michael/greer/felos.

And every one else is brain dead. Happy now? Terri's nurses and doctors are brain dead, too. OK You got your wish just like MS.

Stay in your "IF Land" if it suits you - some use wisdom and discernment and live in reality. It's nice that we have choices, isn't it? But you won't even grant me that, you say no one knows anything. Certainly sounds like a 'greer mentality'.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

"Colonel John W. Gardner published a number of articles on the subject in Military Medicine. The articles discuss a number of cases of recruits who ëoverdosedí on water. In 1995, nine previously healthy Marine Corp recruits in South Carolina exhibited nausea, vomiting and confusion. Five of them developed seizures and delirium and then progressed into comas. After treatment, they were all able to return to normal duties.

In 1997, a previously healthy 18-year-old soldier at Fort Benning vomited and began complaining of dizziness, headache and nausea. He drank about 8 quarts of water before this. He rested and as it was a hot day, he was given more water, lots of it. He became lethargic, lost consciousness and died with diffuse cerebral and brainstem edema. (Edema is an abnormal accumulation of fluid.)

On a hot and humid day in South Carolina in 1999, a 20-year-old Marine Corps recruit came to a field station after a 9-hour hike and obstacle course exercise. While under evaluation, he had a seizure followed by another one on the way to the hospital. Over the next half a day, he diuresed over 6 liters. After a 5-day hospitalization, he was released and returned to recruit training.

Also during 1999, a 19-year-old Air Force recruit collapsed during a 6-mile hike. He had a body temperature of 108°F. He had also vomited. He later died of fatal cerebral edema. Over-hydration is suspected to have contributed to his death.

In 2000, a 20-year-old Army trainee reported for advanced training after returning from leave. She was not feeling well so she was excused from training for that day. The next morning she reported for drug testing but could not produce a urine specimen. She was instructed to remain on site, drink water and exercise until she provided a specimen. She drank about 12 quarts of water over the next four hours. Then she developed fecal incontinence, became confused, lost consciousness and died of cerebral and pulmonary edema.

There are other examples and all have a common denominator. Each victim had consumed a large volume of water in a short time, up to 20 quarts in a 2-hour period. In some cases, the victims were given more water after they developed symptoms that were diagnosed as dehydration. This caused the patients to suffer hyponatremia, a dilution of sodium in the blood stream. The sodium serum levels in the fatal cases were less than 130 mmol/L and sometimes near 120 mmol/L. Normal levels are above 140 mmol/L. The retention of 1 liter of water would cause a reduction of 4-5 mmol/L of sodium in the blood of a 60 kg female. To reduce the level from 140 to 120, she would have to retain 4-5 liters of water."

Information in this article was extracted from articles in the May 2002 issue of Military Magazine: International Journal of AMSUS, Volume 167/5, written by Colonel John W. Gardner, with the permission of the Association of Military Surgeons of US.)

http://www.ifanca.org/newsletter/2002_08.htm http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/35320/35323/358636.html?d=dmtHMSContent#can "What is hyponatremia? Hyponatremia is a disorder in fluid-electrolyte balance that results in an abnormally low plasma sodium concentration (<135 mmol/liter; normal = 136-142 mmol/liter). A sustained decrease in plasma sodium concentration disrupts the osmotic balance across the blood-brain barrier, resulting in a rapid influx of water into the brain. This causes brain swelling and a cascade of increasingly severe neurological responses (confusion, seizure, coma) that can culminate in death from rupture of the brainstem. The faster and lower the blood sodium falls, the greater the risk of life-threatening consequences. A decrease in plasma sodium concentration to 125-135 mmol/liter usually results in either no noticeable symptoms or in relatively modest gastrointestinal disturbances such as bloating or mild nausea. Below 125 mmol/liter, the symptoms become more severe and include throbbing headache, vomiting, wheezy breathing, swollen hands and feet, restlessness, unusual fatigue, confusion, and disorientation (Adrogué & Madias, 2000). When plasma sodium concentration drops below 120 mmol/liter, seizure, respiratory arrest, coma, permanent brain damage, and death become more likely. However, some athletes have survived hyponatremia of <115 mmol/liter (Backer et al., 1993), whereas others have died at >120 mmol/liter (Gardner, 2002a)"

http://www.gssiweb.com/reflib/refs/604/SSE_88_Content.cfm?pid=96&CFID=171987&CFTOKEN=68573856

We are both right. Loss of salt plus edema in the brain, other body parts and in at least one case I posted pulmunary edema.

[presently no screen name]

if it was contrary to HIS wishes.

You can rest assured this was contrary to HIS wishes.
I think we already know what God thinks of depriving someone of water - He commanded us to give water to the thirsty. He also knows the HEART of those that say she was brain dead already - let her go.

It may seem uncomfortable for some to hear that but we all reap what we sow. His Words, not mine. So don't agrue with me about it because it doesn't matter if one believes it or not - we can't change it because of non-belief.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

Oh here is another one. I think I remember this one in the news.

"Fraternity Water Torture REPORT: A possible hazing stunt puts a Dallas college student in the hospital. A 21-year-old student at Southern Methodist University remained hospitalized in critical condition Monday after chugging water in an off-campus competition with fraternity members. Braylon Curry, a pledge with Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, drank an unknown amount of water from a gallon container early Saturday morning and was hospitalized hours later after becoming dazed and incoherent, Dallas police said. Authorities said they were continuing their investigation but had not ruled out hazing. According to a police report, some alcohol was consumed at the competition but Curry drank only water. The fraternity, which only this spring was reinstated at SMU after a three-year suspension for hazing, has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, Caswell said. Excessive consumption of water can be fatal, causing pulmonary edema, a condition in which water enters the lungs, and hyponatremia, a sodium imbalance brought on by excess fluid consumption. The average person can consume up to 15 liters of water in a 24-hour period, but drinking too much too quickly can swell brain cells and cause head pressure, said Dr. Greg Blomquist, an emergency room doctor at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas."

http://www.thesakeofargument.com/archives/2003_11.html

http://www.gssiweb.com/reflib/refs/604/SSE_88_Content.cfm?pf=1&CFID=1620319&CFTOKEN=30980571

[MHGinTN]

You wrote: "As Terri's husband, Michael has been her guardian and her surrogate decision-maker. By 1998, though -- eight years after the trauma that produced Terri's situation -- Michael and Terri's parents disagreed over the proper course for her." It is interesting that you selectively ignore the (at least) five years of forced neglect (that's abuse) he subjected Terri to leading up to the 1998 time period you cite. Says a lot about your chosen perspective and you have many allies on these threads who have made like choice to ignore the realities in favor of defending a wrong. [The forced neglect continued for the remainder of her life, while her then husband tried, using Terri's rehab therapy monies for lawyers rather than even minimal therapy, to get her put down so he 'could move on with his life'.] That's your cue to cite the lack of court rulings regarding abuse, a tactic that has become almost laughable in its absurdity given the reality of the behavior by Michael and the protection from investigation Greer afforded to him ...

[MHGinTN]

To quote you ... "Personal attacks. How very "pro-life" of you. And so "Christian", too." But then, you haven't claimed to be 'pro-life' have you?

[presently no screen name]

I did hear at one time about the "too much water thing" but never followed up on it and then forgot about it.

Thanks for bringing it up.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

My interest in this case is the broader issues, that all Americans have the right to determine their fate. The fact that you refuse to see that means you should step back a bit. This battle for Terri is pointless, she's gone. Look to the future.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

LOL Now you are critiquing my statements? You have the discernment of God? You hold my fate in your hands? Ha! That's funny. I have no need to heed your warnings.

[MHGinTN]

Your statement was so incredibly asinine I have to repeat it for others to read before commenting: "There was plenty of food all over the hospice. All Terri had to do was get up and get some." ... The same can be said of crib-bound infants or of Stephen Hawking in his condition (and he cannot feed himself by the way). Want to starve them to death too, as a woman's right to choose or the improvement of society by eliminating the 'helpless eaters'?

[unbalanced but fair]

So basically, a person who over hydrates can die from something other than pulmonary edema?

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

I only brought it up because it might explain why Terri's potassium level was low. That doesn't mean that that's what definitively caused her orginial incident.

Although it could have.

There is too much other evidence that would indicate that something else happened, too.

And since we don't know, it should be investigated because foul play could be involved in the orginal incident. And even that doesn't really matter except to bring a possible criminal to justice. They had to right to murder an innocent American lady.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

Yes. From what I gather it can be cerebral edema, cranial edema and/or pulmonary edema.

Same difference. One drowns from inside whether it's the brain, brain stem or the lungs.

But there is definitely a loss of salt in the body that goes along with this.

This says it clearer:

"Overhydration can lead to congestive heart failure, cerebral edema, and pulmonary edema in the heat- stressed lung."

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:GexDMP8SH7cJ:permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/emrgncywarsurg/Chp29EnviroInjuries.pdf+soldier+die+drink+too+much+water+pulmonary+edema&hl=en