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.]
What prompted you to ask that question?
Did you read Dr. Cheshire's report linked at reply #303?
I'm confused; isn't that what everybody was demenading before, saying it would be the kindest thing for her parents?
And once again, now that he's actually done what they wanted, they're off to the races to condemn him for that, too?
He continues to call Michael Schiavo, Judge Greer and others "MURDERERS", and there is no excuse for a man of the cloth to lead a witch hunt against these men.
If he feels the way he does, he should be encouraging others to pray for them, but leave out the "MURDERER" part.
It might have not occurred to you or Fr. Pavone, but there are countless Catholics out there who believe in Living Wills, or if one isn't drawn up, believe that the law of this land upholds a husband's right over any other relative to make a life or death decision.
He's not the kind of Priest who would comfort my husband should HE have to enforce my living will... sw
"SCHIAVO REMAINS INTERRED
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA, June 20, 2005--The remains of Theresa Marie Schiavo were interred today at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida. Mr. Schiavo, certain of his brothers, and a priest were present. Mrs. Schiavo's parents, as ordered by the court, have been advised of the exact location of Mrs. Schiavo's site."
FUE, ping the list?
Dr. William Cheshire spent one hour in Terri's room observing her and, also, watched the full set of the exam videos of Terri. He has concluded that Terri has been misdiagnosed and is not in PVS, but instead is in a minimally conscious state.
Well, if that's all it takes. Watching someone for an hour and looking at some videos, I guess those other doctors who actually EXAMINED Terri, ran tests and testified under oath feel like fools. They all diagnosed her as being PVS.
And given the state of her brain function as per the autopsy, I think I'll stick with the people who actually treated and examinted Terri. But thanks anyway.
Impossible...according to the autopsy (which we are discussing) she was blind.
Sorry for being.... obtuse.
Let me ask you straight up: Do you believe, based on your knowledge of the autopsy report, that Schiavo's murder was justified? Or do you think that her murder was NOT justified? Thanks in advance for your straight reply.
Regards,
LH
Because the autopsy report page 35 paragraph 6 pointed out that the "hypoxic damage and neuronal loss in her occipital lobes which indicate cortical blindness."
You don't read my posts to you? In #421 I quoted from Dr. Cheshire's report.
I don't think they could have stopped the words "Murderer" from coming out of their mouths..ALL of them. Michael wasn't up to hearing that anymore. Who can blame him?
It is amazes me, even though it shouldn't, that people are still this incredibly looney. By the way, I wonder what kind of desecration of the gravesite these loons will make.
If you do not agree with the church on the above, you cannot in good conscience call yourself a Catholic. In the eyes of the church, the fact that other Catholics see things as you do, gives NO credence to your viewpoint.
Murderer is the legal term. But the common understanding of the term has changed over the years and many people no longer view it as a legal term but a stronger word than killer.
I believe Judge Greer ruled erroneously in the Schiavo case and I see it as murder as well.
BTW, I am painfuly aware of the many people who proclaim themselves to be Catholic, yet disagree with church teaching on many issues and have been well aware of that reality since childhood.
It was 90 minutes, page 6.
I guess those other doctors who actually EXAMINED Terri,
It was discussed at the time, Dr Cheshire was not allowed to touch Terri in any way.
And given the state of her brain function as per the autopsy
Where in the autopsy is there a definative statement on her brain function? Dr Nelson was VERY careful to state there could be a diagnosis only on a living brain.
The autopsy swung the door wide open for the Schindler's to file a myriad of lawsuits and I hope they pursue every avenue. They deserve it.
I don't know if they could take any more emotional turmoil.
421 would indicate you read Cheshire's report. Yes, I read the autopsy.
I think a Doctor's ability to determine whether or not someone is blind is more accurate while they are living than when they are dead.
Though Terri was known to have poor eyesight, not a single doctor who examined her when she was alive EVER said she was blind. Not even those who agreed with you.
Thus, I believe the autopsy report was wrong about that particular issue.
OTOH, I know how the Church feels about artificial Birth Control for example...and YET, Catholics still go against the Church teachings on this, and receive the sacraments in sin. I'm saying there are few Catholics who abide by ALL the teachings of the Church.
As for your explanation of the word "Murderer"...Nahhh. I don't buy it.
sw
Ad hominem does not mean attack. It means "to the man," or in nice shirtsleeve English, changing the subject. It is to discuss the messenger instead of the message. This is a logical fallacy precisely because it is off the subject. Instead of discussing Terri, or Dr. Hammesfahr's findings about Terri after he worked with her for ten hours, ad hominem changes the subject, for example, to Dr. Hammesfahr's advertising.
It's a left-handed compliment to Dr. Hammesfahr. If he had not been an effective spokesman for treating Terri, he would not be getting the disparaging comments he does from those on the other side of the question.
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