Posted on 06/19/2005 6:04:50 PM PDT by wagglebee
Dr. William Hammesfahr, nominated for a Nobel Prize for his work in Medicine, has been recognized by agents for Medicare, the federal government, and others for new approaches to helping the brain injured.
Dr. Hammesfahr has been identified in helping patients with chronic brain injuries from many causes actually leave long term disability, and return to work.
Dr. Hammesfahr was identified the first physician to restore deficits caused by stroke.
Dr. Hammesfahr has released the following statement in response to the autopsy report on Terri Schindler Schiavo:
We have seen a lot on the autopsy of Terri Schindler Schiavo in recent days, that I feel needs to be addressed. To ignore these comments will allow future 'Terri Schiavo's' to die needlessly after the wishes of clinicians and family are ignored.
Considering that there were so many physicians and therapists who were willing to step forward to treat Terri Schiavo, from university based practitioners to those in private practice, it clearly shows that the mainstream medical community across the board, those involved in treating patients, knew that they could help Terri.
The record must be set straight. As we noted in the press, there was no heart attack, or evident reason for this to have happened (and certainly not of Terri's making).
Unlike the constant drumbeat from the husband, his attorneys, and his doctors, the brain tissue was not dissolved, with a head of just spinal fluid. In fact, large areas were "relatively preserved."
The purpose of the therapies offered by so many, from major universities, brain injury centers, and from private practice physicians, is to improve and restore quality of life, and function, which the mainstream medical community clearly tried to get to her.
I have had a chance to look at Dr. Nelson's analysis of the brain tissue, and essentially, as a clinician, these are my thoughts.
The autopsy results confirmed my opinion and Dr. Maxfield's opinions, that the frontal areas of the brains, the areas that deal with awareness and cognition were relatively intact. To use Dr. Nelson's words, "relatively preserved." In fact, the relay areas from the frontal and front temporal regions of the brain, to the spinal cord and the brain stem, by way of the basal ganglia, were preserved, thus the evident responses which she was able to express to her family and to the clinicians seeing her or viewing her videotape. The Spect scan confirmed these areas were functional and not scar tissue, and that was apparently also confirmed on Dr. Nelson's review of the slides. Dr. Maxfield's estimates of retained brain weight were apparently accurate, although there may have been some loss of brain weight due to the last two weeks of dehydration.
Dr. Maxfield and myself both emphasized that she was a woman trapped in her body, similar to a child with cerebral palsy, and that was born out by the autopsy, showing greater injury in the motor and visual centers of the brain. Obviously, the pathologists comments that she could not see were not borne out by reality, and thus his assessment must represent sampling error. The videotapes clearly showed her seeing, and even Dr. Cranfoed, for the husband, commented to her that, when she could see the balloon, she could follow it with her eyes as per his request.
That she could not swallow was obviously not borne out by the reality that she was swallowing her saliva, about 1.5 liters per day of liquid, and the clinical swallowing tests done by Dr. Young and Dr. Carpenter. Thus, there appears to be some limitations to the clinical accuracy of an autopsy in evaluating function.
With respect to the issue of trauma, that certainly does not appear to be answered adequately. Some of the types of trauma that are suspected were not adequately evaluated in this assessment. Interestingly, both myself and at least one neurologist for the husband testified to the presence of neck injuries. The issue of a forensic evaluation for trauma, is highly specialized. Hence the wish of the family to have observers which was refused by the examiner.
Ultimately, based on the clinical evidence and the autopsy results, an aware woman was killed.
s/Dr. W. Hammesfahr
[Dr. Hammesfahr was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1999. The Nomination was for work started in 1994. In 2000, this work resulted in approval for the first patent in history granted for the treatment of neurological diseases including coma, stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy, hypoxic injuries and other neurovascular disorders with medications that restore blood flow to the brain. It was extended to treat successfully disabilities including ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette's and Autism as well as behaviorally and emotionally disturbed children, seizures and severe migraines.]
YOu make a statement that Jeb IS grandstanding- and, it appears as tho you have no reason to offer why it is you THINK he is grandstanding???? And it appears, based upon your post, that he reason why you will not discuss your thoughts on the matter is because you don't respect me?
I love the debate pointers I have picked up here! ROTFLMAO!!!
Of course my comment was my opinion. What did you think it was?
I never said you had to agree. You wish to make a "debate" out of it out of personal pique, evidently, because there doesn't appear to be any other reason you are obsessed with pouncing all over the place when you come up against disagreement.
Now-that is really silly.
A spouse with limited guardianship due to conflict of interest but still the spouse.
Well, I'll tell you why *I* think Jeb is grandstanding.
Before Terri died, he gave a press conference with lots of big talk. Push came to shove, and he did nothing. Just blow a lot of hot air.
Now, after the autopsy confirms the PVS, ha latches onto this as a last-ditch attempt. Does anyone really think this will go anywhere? It sure looks like persecution to me - he doesn't like the guy, and will try anything to make a charge stick. I've lost a lot of respect for Jeb over the way he's handled this.
The neck injuries were SO obvious in every video. I thought it interesting that the autopsy didn't bear this out.
That is correct.
Your rude tone, your deliberate twisting of words and assigning meaning to comments that is not there and the ALL CAPS TO CONVEY WIDE-EYED SHOCK at the most mundane observations have not earned my respect.
I have respected you in other discussions. The topic of homeschool vs public school springs to mind.
How can I disagree with you when you don't offer up anything! OF course everyone knows that is whole reason you are avoiding making a comment about why you think JEb was grandstanding. You just want to post that he was grandstanding and I will disagree and run....
This is non-sensical. I don't have to justify my opinions to you. I don't expect you to "run", either. Don't project your own thinking process onto others.
And please, do try and get over obsessing on my opinions.
OK...So, Jeb was grandstanding because he wants to persecute some guy.
Ok.
But- why does he want to persecute some guy?
You have a tagline like you have and then make a comment like you did?
You are aware, are you not, that when Terri entered the hospital her parents were there. They did not notice injuries of any kind, including the neck injury you claim can be clearly seen in ALL the videos.
Her discharge summary, after being examined by numerous doctors and nurses makes no mention of a neck injury. Or any other injuries.
You are just making stuff up.
Who determines the conflict of interest in a marriage?
Seems logical if and when the guardianship is questioned before the courts by a third party, limited guardianship should be a tool that the judge could use if it is determined that the "spouse" may have reason not to make proper decisions for the dependent as was the case with Michael and his new family.
How old are you?
See post #230.
Just as a point of interest, are you aware that in the early 90's, the St. Petersburg Times interviewed the Schindlers and Michael several times.
In all cases, the Schindler's spoke highly of MS and said they regarded him as a son. They also said in at least one interview and then again under oath in court that they encouraged him to move on with his life and find compansionship when doctors told them there was no hope that Terri would recover.
And you don't like me.
Well gee golly Cyn, I am so hurt.
Boo hoo.
I don't know highball, highball doesn't know me. I'm guessing he saw your comment and wanted to offer his own opinion.
Again you are off and away reading things into comments that simply don't exist.
What neck injuries? The hospital discharge summary made no mention of neck injuries. Her neck was stiff, as was most of her body as she was having seizures due to the decerebration she suffered. She was placed on Dilantin for the seizures.
Some big leaps being made around here; some of the posters are so hysterical they don't even make sense.
Really bad idea to tell him that don't you think?
Sorry, perhaps I didn't make myself clear.
We know he's grandstanding because his deeds didn't match his words.
I'll add on his most recent actions - he's launching an investigation that nobody really believes will go anywhere. Why? The only plausible explanation is more grandstanding - to please the base.
Bad idea to tell MS that there was no hope (based on what the doctors said) and that he should get on with his life?
It was the truth.
The Schindlers were financed and used by the radicals within the pro life movement. That's when their story began to change. Interesting that before they were used to further another agenda, there was no mention of a problem with the timeline or abuse, etc.
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