Terry Schiavo Report of Autopsy, Full Text as Released by Medical Examiner

Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office via St. Petersburg Times ^ | June 13, 2005 | Jon R. Thogmartin, MD

[FairOpinion]

Cause of Death: Complications of Anoxic Encephalopathy.

Manner of Death: Undetermined

The persistent vegetative state and minimally conscious state, are clinical diagnoses, not pathologic ones.

(these are all statements from the report)

[MarMema]

I believe that medical costs are skyrocketing and something has to give, and our "new" utilitarian society is quickly emerging.

[kozachka]

I can't stand when all these medical "experts" keep talking about so much of her brain being gone. The brain is so poorly understood in its functioning. It's amazing how parts of the brain can be retrained. Nobody really knows how much functioning brain is left in a person.

Here is a scan of a person who had half their brain removed. They seem to do just fine. It's called a hemispherectomy and is performed for epilepsy.

There is a difference between losing half your brain, when it is a hemisphere, as opposed to losing large areas of the cerebral cortex.

Parts of the left brain can compensate for corresponding parts of the right brain, and vice versa.

Similarly, you can lose a kidney or a lung, and the other one will make up for it. But if you lose two lungs, having two good kidneys left won't matter.....

[bjs1779]

There was severe hydrocephalus within the cerebral cortex.

Oh, now we find out that she had a cerebral cortex afterall.

Hydrocephalus is a highly treatable condition with simple use of shunts to drain the fluid away. I think it shows the medical neglect this poor person had to endure.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I copied the tape off Sean Hannity. I heard it several times on diffent programs. Many FReepers did. I heard people say they were there when the recording was made, and not a single judge looked itno it to debunk it. Big mistake on the judges' part... unless they have something to hide.

[RedwineisJesus]

"""Also, they mention that Terri's brain weighted 625 g, about half of that of a normal brain."""

Einstein's brain was about three quarters the size of that of a normal brain.

It didn't seem to slow him down any.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"Man you are warped, you are encompassing everything from 40 million abortions to Terry. You have a lot of anger. Maybe you need a vacation or something."

I need a judiciary that care more about innocent human life than it does about the rights of degenerates, perverts, criminals, terrorists, flag burners, atheists, satanists, and mothers who want to kill their kids to spare them from getting stretch marks.

[Spirited]

What a sterling, spirit inspired defense of your position.
Thank you for providing a succint rebuttal to so much speculation.

Part of the problem is that we have removed Biblical wisdom from our culture. 1Co 15:26 -"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" informs us that death is an enemy, if not THE enemy. The "public" has been mistaught by lying pulpiteers about the nature of death.

That is at least part of the reason why the secularist judges could have their way without a sneeze. Let them all reap what they have sown.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"I believe that medical costs are skyrocketing and something has to give, and our "new" utilitarian society is quickly emerging."

Thank you for talking straight. I respect that.

Regarding Terri, when people are willing to cover the cost out of their own pockets, namely the Schindlers, cost is not an issue.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"That is at least part of the reason why the secularist judges could have their way without a sneeze. Let them all reap what they have sown."

Artfully said.

And the entire nation is doomed to eat of the fruits of its government.

Too many anti-leftists hamstring themselves by kneeling before their modern god, the courts. Law has it's place, but we must bear in mind the key flaw: it was man-made, doomed to fatal imperfections, which will expand with time. That is why we must overhaul the courts. They must be purged. I believe the Pope was so torn up inside that Terri's death led to his.

[commonerX]

If that is what you wish to believe more power to you.
It doesn't make it true though.

[MarMema]

I have been employed in the medical field for about 25 years.

[bjs1779]

I copied the tape off Sean Hannity. I heard it several times on diffent programs.

She sounded very displeased that they were going to pull her feeding tube again.

[MarMema]

cost is not an issue

Agreed. It is not just about Terri, however, since dehydration deaths happen daily in most states these days.

Terri's case could have set a precedent for challenging the coming status quo.

[commonerX]

""I need a judiciary that care more about innocent human life than it does about the rights of degenerates, perverts, criminals, terrorists, flag burners, atheists, satanists, and mothers who want to kill their kids to spare them from getting stretch marks.""


First this country is not yours, it's ours.
Second Atheists or not believing in God doesn't make you less of an American or a criminal.

I believe people like you are the real danger to a free thinking society.

I am sure you would like to have more Judges that would want to squash all that don't believe in the Bible as well.

Put a turban on and learn the Koran, they seem to feel the same way about people who don't see things their way.

[commonerX]

""I have been employed in the medical field for about 25 years.""

So, what does that prove.
Are you a Neurosurgeon?
Are you a coroner?

I have 2 sister-in-laws that have been in the medical field at least that long.

The one sister-in-law had to watch her grandmother suffer from being paralyzed from the neck down for 4 years. Her grandmother repeatedly begged to have the machines turned off. But no she just had to lay there waiting for her death, day in and day out. Her neck was broken severely and no hope of regaining it. You can say what ever you wish. But if you could have seen her and listen to her anguish day in and day out and asked her, she would have told you herself.
I already know you answer, "she didn't really know what she wanted" right.

Sometimes people have a right to not want to live under certain situations like that, and it is cruel to force them.

[I still care]

That's true, I know. I was just making the point that so little is truly known about how the brain functions, and how it compensates.

I remember years ago my grandmother was supposedly in a irreversable coma from a brain tumor. She later regained some conciousness, and we found out that she had been hearing much of what the doctors told us she couldn't.

I didn't say anything I wouldn't have wanted her to hear, myself, because I never do trust that doctors know everything. But a few people had spoken in front of her words they wished they could have taken back. So I am always skeptical. The mind is a marvelous thing.

[lugsoul]

I'll send you a blank if you'll dupe me a copy. What format?

As far as the judges looking at it, you can't point to a single filing in court where it was ever tendered. Needless to say, I'm skeptical.

[LauraJean]

I guess a colostomy which removes waste is an artificial means of prolonging life. How about insulin. I had seizures when I was kid. Was the dilantin and phenobarbital, that kept me from going in continuous seizures an artificial means of keeping me alive? Define your parameters please.

[lugsoul]

If you'd die without it, yes.

And it is not the place of the state to force you to have it.

[jdhljc169]

****I would like to hear how it is possible to diagnose someone as PVS without taking into consideration the fact that they are blind. Didn't all their analysis get derived from her ability or lack of ability to make eye contact? One has to wonder how qualified these Dr's were when they did not even diagnose that she was blind. Very disturbing.


Dr. Hammersfer (?sp) did say she had very little vision. He is the one who spent so much time with her and did the balloon video. The other drs. did not diagnose it, and yes that is disturbing. It makes you wonder if they made the right diagnosis.