Michael Schiavo's side of the story [sicko' barf-ola ALERT]

MSNBC ^ | 3/27/06 | Matt Lauer

[XR7]

CLEARWATER, FLA. - Michael Schiavo...has decided to tell his side of the story...

Schiavo invited us to his home in Clearwater, Florida to talk...It’s all in his new book “Terri the Truth.”

Matt Lauer: I guess you could’ve written a book to honor Terri. After reading it, it’s not really the book you wrote. This is a book that in some ways settles some scores, doesn’t it?

Michael Schiavo: Oh yes, it does.

Lauer: You did think about writing that honoring Terri book?

Michael Schiavo: Oh yes, many times. This book does honor Terri in a way. It sets her free. It tells the truth...

Lauer: You were her first date.

Schiavo: Uh-huh.

Lauer: You were her first kiss.

Schiavo: Uh-huh.....

But the medical examiner was skeptical...and could not conclusively determine just what caused her collapse 16 years ago.

Lauer (at Terri Schiavo’s grave site): How often do you come to her grave?

Schiavo: I try to get out here at least two or three times a month. I drive by a lot though.

On this day, approaching the one year anniversary of Terri's death, someone had left a crucifix by her grave, a grave marked with three dates: her birth date, the date of her collapse, and her death, with a final note from Michael: "I kept my promise."

Lauer: Why was it so important to put that in there?

Schiavo: It was from me to her — it had nothing to do with anybody else. It was very important for me.

Lauer: Do you ever come here Michael and wonder how she feels about this promise, so many years afterwards? Do you think it was it as important to her as it was to you?

Schiavo: Definitely, definitely. She's up there praising me right now… and saying thank you.

[retMD]

Surely you know how crucial rehab is to a recovering patient.

In many circumstances, yes. After two to three years with no improvement, I'd find it unlikely that there would be improvement.

Her earlier therapies had been working. There was a lot to be hopeful about.

Can you provide links to a credible medical source about this? I won't be back for several hours, so plenty time to find them. I don't recall anything on improvement in the GAL report.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Sadly, I suspect that Dr. Cheshire's hopes for her got the better of objective medical judgement.

Is that what you call it when a doctor doesn't perform the necessary medical tests to determine his patient's faculties?

In his defense, Terri Schiavo wouldn't be considered his patient. I don't think Cheshire was supposed to examine her, and he did acknowledge he hadn't in the report he wrote.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I was referring to Dr. Cranford, who did examine Terri, but didn't use all the means at his disposal to determine the extent of Terri's faculties. He is a doctor with a definite agenda, and he is not objective in his medical judgment. You criticized Dr. Cheshire, and I was trying to point out that there were other doctors who let their personal feelings (although not hope exactly) about Terri get in the way of objective medical judgment. If you are not familiar with Dr. Cranford, I suggest you inform yourself. He is very active in teaching student doctors all about the "ethics" in healthcare.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Here is one of the reports that I had read. On the third page, there are some notations about Terri's improvement. That was in 1991.

http://www.geocities.com/purple_kangaroo_angela/1990-1991/bayfront1990exam.pdf

[Ohioan from Florida]

Darn! I wish I had my links from my old computer! I am still looking for more resources which had indicated that Michael believed that Terri was improving and could improve. Also, my teenagers need the computer for a while, so I may not get back to you till tonight.

FWIW, could you tell me why Michael would be asking for money for Terri's care if he believed that she wouldn't improve? If he believed it, then why wouldn't he give her the rehab? It just makes no sense to say one thing and then do the opposite when the $$ comes in, unless one's motives aren't pure.

[Pepper777]

** I kind of thought that it was strange that the Shiendlers lived with Micheal for several years before it turned into a big media circus. Now if I had doubts that my son-in-law could have done harm to my daughter to put her in condition, I sure as Hell would not be living with him. **

Michael Schiavo didn't just live with the Schindlers, he lived off of their money and Terri's money. They supported him because they had no choice. Stop spreading the BS lie that Terri was brain dead. She was not.

You're either deliberately lying or very misinformed. Schiavo lied to Schindlers. He told them the money from the law suit would be used for her therapy. They had no idea early on that he planned to kill their daughter. They were good to him and he turned on them like a viper when he was awarded the money.

[Pepper777]

Great photo of the real monster.

[Pepper777]

** And Terri's *wishes* to be dehydrated to death were nothing more than H E A R S A Y, suddenly *remembered* and first spoken of by *hubby* S E V E N years later. **

You're exactly right, Miss Behave. I see several people are continuing the LIE that Terri was brain dead on this thread. She was not. In fact, during her early therapy, the notes in her records, indicate Terri was speaking words. Schiavo is quoted as saying Terri was saying words in those records too. People who are PVS or brain dead, do not speak. For some reason the pro Michael people ingnore the facts or don't know them.

Schiavo did an about face immediately after winning all those dollars. The Schindlers must have been horrified and shocked, when they realized his intention was NOT to get Terri the treatment she needed, but instead to kill her by removing her food and water.

[retMD]

I was referring to Dr. Cranford, who did examine Terri, but didn't use all the means at his disposal to determine the extent of Terri's faculties.

I'm not clear what other means medical experts feel should have used. What means? What information would have been added? The CT scan alone was pretty convincing.

[retMD]

Here is one of the reports that I had read. On the third page, there are some notations about Terri's improvement. That was in 1991.

I looked over the documents you linked, and also did some other searching.

First, a mea culpa - it looks like it was an error for me to say that she never had an MRI – it appears she did, before the thalamic stimulator was placed.

Now on to the material you reference, which are "snapshots" of a few periods of time:

June of 1990, 5 months after her cardiac arrest. The exam from Bayfront indicates eye contact and threat response (likely a blink to something in front of her face). They describe reports from the family of “verbal output” and note that the examiner did not observe any verbalization. They do not mention as to whether the family reported random noises or coherent speech.

The third page is from March of 1991. The Monthly summary indicates slight increase in responses, but questions whether the variation is merely due to time of day of testing.

The second page is dated a year later than the first page, June 1991. Under “cognitive/communication” it states “no significant change” but does note vocalizing, and says “occ will say ‘stop’ to nursing during procedures.”

According to the GAL report: July 19, 1991 - “Ms. Schiavo is transferred to Sable Palms skilled care facility where she receives continuing neurological testing, and regular and aggressive speech/occupational therapy through 1994.”

From the partial notes presented, it appears she was given therapy through 1994, with any improvement noted only in the early stages - 1991. I have to say I'd want the complete set of notes to form a good conclusion; sometimes they give a different picture. Observers do vary, and the most accurate picture would be from reading all the notes. Also, if these notes are “cherry picked” (and I couldn’t say one way or the other) they could be very deceptive.

The GAL, who presumably had access to ALL of her medical reports, says: "During the previous four years [1990-1994], he [MS] had insistently held to the premise that Theresa could recover and the evidence is incontrovertible that he gave his heart and soul to her treatment and care. This was in the face of consistent medical reports indicating that there was little or no likelihood for her improvement."

In the face of no improvement for 3 years, (and maybe even deterioration) I'm not surprised that the experts felt further improvement was very unlikely. More therapy was extremely unlikely to have changed anything.

[retMD]

People who are PVS or brain dead, do not speak.

People who are PVS may make random vocalizations, just as they may have random eye movements. Actual words are different matter, but family members sometimes read words into random sounds. That might be what Randall Terry did when he claimed she said, "I want to live."

[bjs1779]

I think they are just lost. I wish them well.

[Pepper777]

** I don't give a flying fig what that autopsy report said--I saw her respond. I heard her laugh and I heard her try to vocalize. I am not someone easily fooled, either.**

Excellent post!!! The Schindlers asked for another doctor to observe the autopsy, but the request was denied. That was an outrage, imho. You're so right about the videos of Terri. She responded to every command when asked to open her eyes. How anyone can view that video and not admit, Terri was NOT PVS, is beyond me.

Another excellent point you mentioned was concerning Haleigh. The doctors who wanted her to die, said she was both blind and deaf, which was clearly WRONG. Those doctors were obviously guessing or just making things up to justify removing her life support. Thank God they were stopped and Haleigh wasn't tortured to death by the removal of her food and water.

[bjs1779]

I'm glad to see you on here tonight Doc. Did you ever come to a conclusion that dehydration can cause blindness? The autopsy never make the distinction whether it was recent or otherwise, nor did they mention the other previous attempts to dehydrate her and what damage that may of caused.

[bjs1779]

That might be what Randall Terry did when he claimed she said, "I want to live."

Source?

[Pepper777]

**Terri deserved to live with her family that loved her**

I totally agree. Schiavo could have gone on with his life with his new family. The Schindlers only wanted to care for their precious daughter. I'll never understand why an American family was put through such horror.

Schiavo even admits now why he didn't give the Schindlers guardianship - the little brat has stated on national TV that he was mad at them.

[Pepper777]

Conflict of interest - The first court appointed guardian ad litum, stated Michael had a CONFLICT OF INTEREST because he would get Terri's trust funds if he killed her. I agree with him. Schiavo should have been removed as guardian. He broke many guardianship laws, but was protected by Judge Greer.

[Pepper777]

Terri was able to swallow. Nurses and care givers testified to that fact. Also there is such a thing called SWALLOW THERAPY. It teaches a person to learn to swallow again, if they can't. Schiavo stopped all therapy, including swallow therapy.

One of my relatives had therapy like that and re-learned to eat. She was worse off than Terri but was allowed to improve dramatically. Doctors do not know all there is to know about the brain and the body. They are not gods. The diagnosis of PVS is abused in many cases. The use of the word vegetable to describe a human being is an outrage and is used to de-humanize the person, imo. Studies have proven the diagnosis of PVS is wrongly used over 40 percent of the time.

[bjs1779]

Terri was able to swallow. Nurses and care givers testified to that fact.

It never hurts to mention the facts, which our MD has so far, ignored.

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[BagelFace]

I'm glad you're out of this conversation, you don't seem to belong in it.

??? au contraire... i've been following your exchange silently, but this is the most classic case of projection I have ever seen. it seems to me that you've been talking through your hat for the entire conversation. it is also clear that they should only let individuals over age 18 sign up for an account at FR.

[Pepper777]

Excellent post!!