Terri's husband isn't the enemy, guardian says

Orlando Sentinel ^ | February 25, 2005 | Mike Thomas

[EveningStar]

Wolfson's report is based on court files, depositions, medical records and interviews with everyone involved.

That said, I begin with the most explosive allegation:

Did Michael try to kill Terri?

Wolfson laughs. "No!"

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Wolfson's report states that in the four years after her collapse, Michael "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 . . . In late autumn of 1990, following months of therapy and testing and formal diagnoses of persistent vegetative state with no evidence of improvement, Michael took Theresa to California, where she received an experimental thalamic stimulator implant in her brain. Michael remained in California caring for Theresa during a period of several months."

Says Wolfson now: "Michael was adoring of her. One nursing home complained he was hostile and abusive of the staff in championing her care. She was immaculately kept. In 13 years, she never had one bedsore."

[Peach]

Thanks for inserting that. The Schindler's doctors simply were not credible, but they've prolonged the controversy and for that, they should be ashamed.

[MortMan]

I appreciate the links to the testimony. While I do not believe I can be disuaded from my current opinion, I will certainly avail myself of the opportunity to do more homework.

BTW - The thalmic (sp?) probes were supposed to have been removed, but are now a 'reason' for not doing an MRI. It's a problem for me when people (attorneys and parties to the suit) disregard expert advice and subsequently find the consequences useful for disregarding other expert advice. I try to be a logical thinker, and cannot find any logic in the "probe sequence", personally.

[Smartaleck]

"BTW - The thalmic (sp?) probes were supposed to have been removed, but are now a 'reason' for not doing an MRI."

Do you by chance a link to where this is coming from? Something new, old? Sounds interesting.

Thanks

[palmer]

I bet you $1,000 right here and now that the Schindler's will be the first to cash in on this tragedy.

Felos already has, get your checkbook out.

[Peach]

Hi, MOrtMan.

I'm trying to find out whether experts recommended the probes be removed as well; I don't know for fact that it was recommended.

Just as a side note, I'm not trying to persuade anybody. I couldn't do that because I don't even have a strong feeling about what is right or wrong to do in this case.

What I don't like to see are continuous mis-representations by various freepers and have tried, along with a host of other freepers, to make sure that we aren't like DU in spreading lies.

[MortMan]

What I don't like to see are continuous mis-representations by various freepers and have tried, along with a host of other freepers, to make sure that we aren't like DU in spreading lies.

I couldn't agree more. Obviously, I need to do better than my usual 2 or 3 independent source rule for this particular case.

[Howlin]

Not like I've seen it in the last 48 hours.

[harpo11]

I don't care how adoring, how loving, how caring of Terry her husband may have been in the past. It's all water under the bridge.

Today Terry is being made to suffer and ultimately die a brutal and tortorous death for no reason other than her husband's words that cannot be substantiated with her writing.

Heck, that brutal murderous dictator Saddam has been given rights beyond anything that Terry Schiavo has been afforded. His prison cell conditions I imagine are far better than hers and he still gets his regular meals.

The Red Cross was so concerned that he and his terrorist scum prison buddies were being treated unfairly and inhumanely. Well, where is the Red Cross now? I don't see them entering Terry's death chamber.

Why does Terry have to die by the flick of the pen of one man? At least Terry should be given a trial by a jury of her peers. Let the handicapped and disabled be her peers. Let the loving and caring parents and husbands and wives of the handicapped and disabled be her peers.

Let Terry have the same rights any murderer, serial killer, rapist are afforded.

Let Terry be Liberated and FREE TO LIVE!!

[Dog Gone]

I think Congress is making a mistake here, but they're going to do it.

What will be interesting is to see whether this law is challenged as being an unconstitutional intrusion into a state's sovereignty, or whether it's just accepted. From a practical standpoint, I don't have an objection to another look at Terri's condition. I do have a legal and constitutional problem with this solution being offered.

[mewzilla]

To my mind, the only thing that's germaine here is what Terri's Schiavo's wishes were. Considering the room for doubt, somebody's lying, I don't have a problem with the Federal court system getting involved. The prospect of different states having differernt standards gives me the willies. Surely a life ought to have the same worth in all fifty states, and if it takes Federal involvement to ensure that, so be it.

[Howlin]

From a practical standpoint, I don't have an objection to another look at Terri's condition.

Exactly. I don't know why it hasn't been done before, but evidently other judges agreed with Greer; but now that we are here, maybe that should happen.

I do have a legal and constitutional problem with this solution being offered

And you are smart to; this open the door to a friend or an aunt or an uncle taking a spouse to court because they don't agree with a decision a couple makes.

[palmer]

this open the door to a friend or an aunt or an uncle taking a spouse to court because they don't agree with a decision a couple makes.

It simply opens the door to federal control for due process, before someone's life can be terminated there must a finding of fact that they are dying or have no chance of recovery and that their wish was to have life support terminated. Both conditions are controversial in this case and the legal proceedings to make those determinations have been woefully inadequate.

[Howlin]

It opens the door to EVERY SINGLE person on a feeding tube in this country this very minute to go through this same process; the Congress will now decide who lives and dies.

Whether or not we agree with the decision her husband made, she's had more "due process" than any living party to an ongoing case.

[Dog Gone]

The prospect of different states having differernt standards gives me the willies. Surely a life ought to have the same worth in all fifty states, and if it takes Federal involvement to ensure that, so be it.

Do you object to the fact that some states have the death penalty and others don't?

[Smartaleck]

"I'm trying to find out whether experts recommended the probes be removed as well; I don't know for fact that it was recommended."
(I'm with you on the non-persuasion one way or the other.)

I've look for a bit of info on "brain death" and PVS and found some links below.

My sense is the CT-scan that was performed is used often times as a tool for PVS diagnosis and some indicate much more accurate than MRI. This is not to say that an MRI can't be used also.

While the reading in the links below is lengthy, it is informative, explains how the brain functions and explains who she might have eye movement, make noise etc. yet be in a PVS. (The lower brain functions are specific and different from the upper brain.) In a nutshell, the lights on but nobody is home. The first link provides this tidbit of info...
"Many patients emerge from a vegetative state within a few weeks, but those who do not recover within 30 days are said to be in a Quick Facts about: persistent vegetative state
The chances of recovery depend on the extent of injury to the brain and the patient's age, with younger patients having a better chance of recovery than older patients.
Generally adults have a 50 percent chance and children a 60 percent chance of recovering consciousness from a PVS within the first 6 months. After a year, the chances that a PVS patient will regain consciousness are very low and most patients who do recover consciousness experience significant disability.

The longer a patient is in a PVS, the more severe the resulting disabilities will be. Rehabilitation can contribute to recovery, but many patients never progress to the point of being able to take care of themselves."

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/T/Tr/Traumatic_brain_injury.htm

http://hydranencephaly.com/drshewmonsarticle.htm

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm

[palmer]

the Congress will now decide who lives and dies.

No, even in this case the courts are deciding and Congress is second-guessing. If you are correct about your assessment of the separation of powers and the federal involvement in a state case, then Congress's law (if they can pass one) will be shot down in federal court. Many people here won't be happy about that, but that will be the end of it IMO.

[Howlin]

will be shot down in federal court.

I agree.

Many people here won't be happy about that, but that will be the end of it IMO.

I wouldn't count on that. :-)

[af_vet_1981]

It doesn't appear you've spent much time reading the actual court proceedings?

Are those bedtime stories you read yourself to assuage your complicity ?

[the Deejay]

Shoot....I laugh at just about every other post! LOL

Excellent point!! (I hear ya!)

[amystitz]

So I guess you have these little talking points saved as a word document, because you seem to like to bounce from thread to thread (regarding Terri) and cut and paste. Could you at least take out that "without stating my opinion" bit...it is rather disingenuous.