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 are correct. I meant that the autopsy has confirmed the brain damage (and added on the fact that she was blind as well). Mea culpa, and thank you for the correction.
My poor choice of words does not change the fact that the autopsy has revealed the Terripalooza crowd to be medically inaccurate in their group diagnoses.
You shouldn't end sentences with prepositions. :p
Dude, Hammersfarb is a con man, a snake oil salesman, a swindler, just like all the other chumps involved with this sorry issue. Sellin' snake oil to chumps, thats all it is.
The way some posters here brandish his forged, credentials I'm starting to believe that they think he did.
The Schindlers were not going to be granted guardianship by MS; they were increasingly bizarre in their assertions under oath what they would do to keep her alive.
For instance, they testified under oath that even if they knew that Terri wouldn't want to be kept alive in that condition, they would keep her alive.
They also testified that even if she required multiple amputations due to poor circulation so often associated with PVS patients, they would keep her alive. Regardless of her desire.
If my husband had moved on after being told there was no hope, as I would expect and want him to do, I would still expect him to ensure that my wishes were carried out and not turn me over to parents who would not comply with my wishes.
http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/schiavo/timeline.htm
February 14, 1993
Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers have a falling-out over the course of therapy for Ms. Schiavo; Michael Schiavo claims that the Schindlers demand that he share the malpractice money with them.
July 29, 1993
Schindlers attempt to remove Michael Schiavo as Ms. Schiavo’s guardian; the court later dismisses the suit.
March 1, 1994
First guardian ad litem, John H. Pecarek, submits his report. He states that Michael Schiavo has acted appropriately and attentively toward Ms. Schiavo.
May 1998
Michael Schiavo petitions the court to authorize the removal of Ms. Schiavo’s PEG tube; the Schindlers oppose, saying that she would want to remain alive. The court appoints Richard Pearse, Esq., to serve as the second guardian ad litem for Ms. Schiavo.
December 20, 1998
The second guardian ad litem, Richard Pearse, Esq., issues his report in which he concludes that Ms. Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state with no chance of improvement and that Michael Schiavo’s decision-making may be influenced by the potential to inherit the remainder of Ms. Schiavo’s estate.
Pearse GAL Report
I can't link PDFs directly, but you can find the link easily at the above link.
You are just making stuff up.
Unfortunately, the ER report has been removed from the Net. But this report from June 1990, just 3 months later, is still up. It states that she "keeps her head to the position on the right". The report is from Bayfront Medical center.
Yes, I noticed the contactures in her hands and arms. If she had had daily range of motion therapy, those contractures would have been far less severe.
Like I said..not too smart. Maybe not evil but lacking all the same.
No.
I know a corporate lawyer that can do civil law and can win this case in a minute.
Most interesting. Thank you, DJ.
No one ever stated she had no brain damage.
the autopsy has revealed the Terripalooza crowd to be medically inaccurate in their group diagnoses.
The autopsy did not and could not state she was PVS. There is now no way to confirm either PVS or minimally concious.
Bob, after the courts handling of Terri's case, I find it difficult to believe.
Thanks.
Although we still disagree, has the tone changed on these threads?
What must we be thinking?
Cat fight!!!
(Just kidding)
There are old pics of her outside with MS in her wheelchair. She used to have special braces that didn't allow the contractures. Unfortunately, I don't have the pics.
Yes. Thank you for the reminder. I well recall them.
Yes. Dr Cheshire.
It supports what everyone knew already. That she was brain damaged from the get go.
Now if it had said she was previously brain dead..that would have changed everything.
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