Is Terri Schiavo Dead? Eat, drink, and vegetate

Reason ^ | 10-23-03 | Ronald Bailey

[ambrose]

October 23, 2003

Is Terri Schiavo Dead?

Eat, drink, and vegetate

Ronald Bailey

Terri Schiavo has been in a persistent vegetative state since 1990. Her husband wants to withdraw the nutrition and hydration her body has been receiving and allow her body to die. Her mother, father, and sister—and now Florida Governor Jeb Bush—want to continue supplying her body with food and water until... what? She wakes up? Dies of pneumonia?

What is a persistent vegetative state? According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke people in PVS "have lost their thinking abilities and awareness of their surroundings, but retain non-cognitive function and normal sleep patterns. Even though those in a persistent vegetative state lose their higher brain functions, other key functions such as breathing and circulation remain relatively intact. Spontaneous movements may occur, and the eyes may open in response to external stimuli. They may even occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh. Although individuals in a persistent vegetative state may appear somewhat normal, they do not speak and they are unable to respond to commands." People suffering from PVS can generally be distinguished from afflicted but cognitively intact patients who suffer from "locked-in syndrome" by the fact that "locked in" patients can track visual stimuli and use eye blinks for communication.

According to most neurological experts, Terri Schiavo is definitely PVS—her eyes do not really track visual stimuli and she cannot communicate using eye blinks. However, Terri Schiavo's parents have posted several short ambiguous video clips online which are meant to show that Ms. Schiavo responds to stimuli. But what they show seems to fit an AMA's report of how PVS patients can respond to environmental cues without being aware. Specifically, the report notes, "Despite an 'alert demeanor', observation and examination repeatedly fail to demonstrate coherent speech, comprehension of the words of examiners or attendants, or any capacity to initiate or make consistently purposeful movements. Movements are largely confined to reflex withdrawals or posturing in response to noxious or other external stimuli. Since neither visual nor auditory signals require cortical integrity to stimulate brief orienting reflexes, some vegetative patients may turn the head or dart the eyes toward a noise or moving objects. However, PVS patients neither fixate upon nor consistently follow moving objects with the eyes, nor do they show other than startle responses to loud stimuli. They blink when air movements stimulate the cornea but not in the presence of visual threats per se."

Ms. Schiavo has been in this state for 13 years. What are her chances of recovering at least some awareness? Minnesota neurologist Ronald Cranford told the Washington Post, "There has never been a documented case of someone recovering after having been in a persistent vegetative state for more than 3 months. However, the journal Brain Injury reported the case, of a 26-year-old woman who, after being diagnosed as suffering from a persistent vegetative state for six months, recovered consciousness and, though severely disabled, is largely cognitively intact. However, it is generally agreed that if a patient doesn't become responsive before six months, his or her prognosis is extremely poor. A report on PVS by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council finds that "patients in a state of post-coma unresponsiveness may emerge from it to become responsive," that "the probability of emergence becomes progressively less over time," and that "there is general agreement that emergence is less likely in older people, and in the victims of hypoxic brain damage." Terri Schiavo is the way she is because oxygen was cut off to her brain for 14 minutes; in other words, she suffered severe hypoxic brain damage.

So is Terri Schiavo still alive? The odds are way against it. It's time that her long-suffering parents and the grandstanding politicians let her go in peace.

[FITZ]

Yes ---- starvation can happen even to a fat person --- but it's pretty easily detectable from common lab tests. You can't just guess someone is starving ---- that would be just speculation.

[Calpernia]

Has there been anything posted that says what caused this alleged damage to Terri's cerebral cortex? 'Cause damage to the cerebral cortex is not a typical symptomatic result of a heart attack.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The fact that Terry's brother in law and his wife also testified in favor of Schiavo's claims can be easily dismissed and ignore, with the mantra "he alones claims."

I.e. Michael's kin. Why didn't any of these folks step forward with these statements before Felos entered the picture?

[kaylar]

The bruises on the neck is what I wonder about....And the multiple bone fractures. And he's so eager to have her IMMEDIATELY cremated...If he's innocent of physically harming her, why doesn't he insist on an autopsy upon her death, to clear his name?

[TaxRelief]

The article defines a Persistent Vegitative State but presents no evidence that Terri is in a PVS.

I am deeply disappointed in Reason. I have never seen them put their Libertarian agenda ahead of fact-finding on an individual case before. They seem to be catering to their association with "EndofLifeChoices.org" ahead of reason in this individual case.

I have always respected and embraced the Libertarian mantra of "use no force" except to prevent the use of force, yet here they are condoning the use of force to end the life of a young woman despite the fact that tears poured down her cheeks when her parents told her that her feeding tube was being removed.

[HiTech RedNeck]

EndofLifeChoices.org

I.e. the Hemlock Society... they got "smart" and ditched the "poison" name.

[george wythe]

You have chosen a side, and nothing will convince you to change your mind.

[FITZ]

No --- I know there are obviously two sides. One's side is a man who wants his wife dead, he has been in a relationship for quite a number of years, he wants to "move on", he wants freedom --- and whatever else comes with the death of his wife. The other side is a family which still cares about this wife.

You just have to look at motive. A man with a lover and maybe an insurance policy or two, or something to hide has motives, you can see where some of his motives could be questionable. I see no questionable motive from the family ---- yes it's possible they are wishful thinking when they see responses from Terri ---- but they have no bad motive in wanting her to live and finally get some proper therapy.

The best for all it would seem ---- hand Michael a divorce, he can forget someone he believes is no more than a cabbage. Let her just go to her family.

[Calpernia]

So have you.

[FITZ]

You have chosen a side

Yes --- when there is any doubt --- choose life. It's so short anyhow, all of us are here so very briefly. If she wakes up to a new day ---- how does that hurt anyone?

[TrebleRebel]

Yes, all of the articles report many facts except the ones that weaken their personal agenda. Its just too critical and too personal an issue to be tried in the media, and the best that could come of it would be for others to get their own personal wishes formalized before it happens to them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I'd have to put car jumper cable clamps on my nose not to smell the fishiness that is emanating from Mike and George.

[sweetliberty]

Not sure specifically. Given the extremes of misinformation being generated by Felos and his dancing ponies, I would want to see results of a PET scan and know a heck of a lot more of her medical history before I would presume to make a judgement about it.

As I have said several times before, it doesn't take a medical expert to see the difference between allowing someone to die who is being forced to live and allowing someone to live who is being forced to die. But what do I know? I'm just a reasonably well-educated human being with conscience and faith. I wasn't endowed with the godlike powers of the courts and the "experts."

[FITZ]

From what I've read there was never an investigation done on why a woman in her mid twenties just one day collapsed and experienced a severe brain injury ----- one that is more likely from severe trauma than dieting.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You know, I wonder if there isn't yet another reason for Mike's so eagerly wanting to send Terri to the next world, than has been stated anywhere. Namely, he's into the new-age stuff with Felos and thinks he needs to do it for his karma (or similar).

[PleaseNoMore]

Have you got an extra pair for Felos to put on his mouth?? That man sickens me...

[HiTech RedNeck]

lololololol

[jwalsh07]

The problem Ambrose is that the medical charts, her family and nurses that cared for her all indicate that she verbalises on cue. Still does now even after all those years without therapy.

If that is indeed the case then she isn't in a PVS and starving her to death is murder.

Judges today do not have the wisdom of Solomon. It should be clear to the casual observer that M Schiavos interests and T Schiavos interests are no longer coincident.

Would you agree that there is reasonable doubt as to Terri Schiavos wishes when her friends and blood relatives say one thing and MS and his blood relatives say another? It's a they said, they said. Absent physical evidence in a rape case should judges be deciding wether the Mr He Said or Ms She Said is telling the truth and convicting on that basis?

[jwalsh07]

From what I've read there was never an investigation done on why a woman in her mid twenties just one day collapsed and experienced a severe brain injury ----- one that is more likely from severe trauma than dieting.

Thats my understanding also Fitz. It doesn't compute.

[texaslil]

I don't think anyone really expected MS to inherit a million. He may have in the beginning thought she was hopeless and saw that money slipping away. Perhaps he thought she'd die soon, but she didn't. Now after all is said and done, Felos has about 400,000 of it. Another attorney has 80,000 of it and MS has nothing, unless one might consider Felos kicked back some of it. Personally, my take would be that after all this time, it's become personal. MS against the Schinlers, the source of all his present poverty.