I'm going to start with a disclaimer: I thought it was wrong to pull the feeding tube, and am on record here as saying so. However, I'm really disturbed at a lot of the rumor, innuendo, and misinformation that gets thrown around as "fact". To start, I've heard a lot of what Dr. Hammesfahr has to say, and he isn't credible. He has said that Mrs. Schiavo was learning to walk with parallel bars shortly after being discharged from the hospital. I've never seen any corroboration of that, and I've read quite a few of the documents related to her case. When she was discharged from the hospital, she was unresponsive, and had a feeding tube, which would have been a problem with walking between parallel bars. How is it that an unresponsive woman can support herself between parallel bars?
Another thing I keep hearing is that she never had swallowing tests. She had three early on - and failed them. What good would it do for her to have had more? I've seen posted that she could have improved with therapy. Well, she had therapy, a lot of it in the beginning, and I know that the argument is that the therapy stopped when MS got the settlement money. But addition therapy doesn't do a lot of good when most of the cerebral cortex is gone because of the original therapy. You don't grow new brain tissue.
I see posted and hear it said that MS caused her initial collapse, trying to kill her. He may well have, but we don't know that for a fact. There isn't any evidence to prove that. Don't assume that my saying this means I'm a "Michael supporter", I'm not, the guy creeps me out. But I care about facts - we don't know what he may or may not have done.
I'm sorry, but I get beyond annoyed when people like me get lumped in with some nebulous group called the "death ghouls" or the "kill Terri" crowd. I've been shocked by the calls for violence against the MS, the judges, lawyers and politicians. I'm sure I'll get trashed for this post, but I really don't care anymore.
No problem with your reply. I just wanted to give her a chance. She didn't get it.
What can I say, except, "well said". I'm not going to trash you. Nothing worthy and valuable ever gets tossed away in my world. :)
I need to correct that sentence. It should "because of the original injury" rather than the "original therapy". I'm really tired.
Not by me.
The Terripalooza Industry has a lot at stake now and is fighting for its very existence after this autopsy report. There are undoubtedly several nonprofit foundations (with cushy expense accounts) and lots of jobs on the line.
Hopefully, Mark Furhman's new book will remedy that! I think it'll be out in a week or two.