Facts vs. media fictions about Terri's actual condition

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Topic:	Religions > Atheism
User:	"david ford"
Date:	25 Mar 2005 09:19:13 PM
Object:	Facts vs. media fictions about Terri's actual condition

The affidavit extracts below demonstrate the falsity of the old media's
erroneous allegation that 'no one is home' in Terri Schindler Schiavo.
Also, Terri can anticipate and feel pain.
A U.S. judiciary run amok and a shameless American Criminal Liberties
Union are intent on murdering via starvation an innocent/ guiltless and
defenseless woman.
Decency demands that this unjustified, court-imposed death sentence on
Terri Schindler Schiavo be stopped.
What, if anything, will you do to help Terri and stop a judiciary and
ACLU run amok?
action items to help Terri
http://www.terrisfight.org/actionitems.html
From
http://www.hospicepatients.org/terri-schindler-schiavo-docs-links-page.html
from the PDF "Affidavit of William Cheshire, Jr., MD 03-23-05":
AFFIDAVIT
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF DUVALL
Before me this day personally appeared William Polk Cheshire, Jr., M.D.,
who, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
I, William Polk Cheshire, Jr., M.D., have personal knowledge of the
facts stated in this declaration and, if called as a witness, I could
and would testify competently thereto under oath. I declare as follows:
I am a neurologist practicing in the State of Florida and am certified
by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In regard to my
educational background, I received an A.B. in biochemical sciences from
Princeton University, an M.A. in bioethics from Trinity International
University, and an M.D. from West Virginia University. I completed an
internship in internal medicine at West Virginia University, a residency
in neurology and a pain fellowship at the University of North Carolina.
I am also an appointed volunteer with the Florida Statewide Adult
Protective Services team, in which capacity I was called on March 1,
2005, to provide an independent and objective medical review of
allegations of possible abuse, neglect, or exploitation of Ms. Theresa
Marie Schiavo.
Although no one from the Department of Children and Families has
inquired about my personal views about treatment decisions in cases of
persistent vegetative state (PVS), I would like to disclose that I came
into this case with the belief that it can be ethically permissible to
discontinue artificially provided nutrition and hydration for patients
in a persistent vegetative state. Having now reviewed the relevant
facts, having met and observed Ms. Schiavo in person, and having
reflected deeply on the moral and ethical issues, I would like to
explain why I change my mind in regard to this particular case.
.....
Based on my review of extensive medical records documenting Terri's care
over the years, on my personal observation of Terri, and on my
observations of Terri's responses in the many hours of videotapes taken
in 2002, she demonstrates a number of behaviors I believe cast a
reasonable doubt on the prior diagnosis of PVS. These include:
1. Her behavior is frequently context-specific. For example, her
facial expression brightens and she smiles in response to the voice of
familiar persons such as her parents or her nurse. Her agitation
subsides and her facial demeanor softens when quiet music is played.
When jubilant piano music is played, her face brightens, she lifts her
eyebrows, smiles, and even laughs. Her lateral gaze toward the tape
player is sustained for many minutes. Several times I witnessed Terri
briefly, albeit inconsistently, laugh in response to a humorous comment
someone in the room had made. I did not see her laugh in the absence of
someone else's laughter.
2. Although she does not seem to track or follow visual objects
consistently or for long periods of time, she does fixate her gaze on
colorful objects or human faces for some 15 seconds at a time and
occasionally follows with her eyes at least briefly as these objects
move from side to side. When I first walked into her room, she
immediately turned her head toward me and looked directly at my face.
There was a lot of curiosity or expectation in her expression, and she
maintained eye contact for about half a minute. Later, when she again
looked at me, she brought her lips together as if to pronounce the
letter "O," and although for a moment it appeared that she might be
making an intentional effort to speak, her face then fell blank, and no
words came out.
3. Although I did not hear Terri utter distinct words, she demonstrates
emotional expressivity by her use of a single syllable of vocalizations
such as "ah," making cooing sounds, or by expressing guttural sounds of
annoyance or moaning appropriate to the context of the situation. The
context-specific range and the variability of her vocalizations suggests
at least a reasonable probability of the processing of emotional thought
within her brain. There have been reports of Terri rarely using actual
words specific to her situational context. The July 25, 2003 affidavit
of the speech pathologist Sarah Green Mole, MS, on page 6, reads, "The
records of Mediplex reflect the fact that she has said 'stop' in
apparent response to a medical procedure being done to her." The Adult
Protective Services team has been unable to retrieve those original
medical records in this instance.
4. Although Terri has not consistently followed commands, there
appeared to be some notable exceptions. In the taped examination by Dr.
Hammesfahr from 2002, when asked to close her eyes she began to blink
repeatedly. Although it was unclear whether she squeezed her grip when
asked, she did appear to raise her right leg four times in succession
each time she was asked to do so. Rehabilitation notes from 1991
indicated that she tracked inconsistently, and although she did not
develop a yes/no communication system, did follow some commands
inconsistently and demonstrated good eye contact to family members.
5. There is a remarkable moment in the videotape of the September 3,
2002 examination by Dr. Hammesfahr that seemed to go unnoticed at the
time. At 2:44 p.m., Dr. Hammesfahr had just turned Terri onto her right
side to examine her back with a painful sharp stimulus (a sharp piece of
wood), to which Terri had responded with signs of discomfort. Well
after he ceased applying the stimulus and had returned Terri to a
comfortable position, he says to her parents, "So, we're going to have
to roll her over...." Immediately Terri cries. She vocalizes a crying
sound, "Ugh, ha, ha, ha," presses her eyebrows together, and sadly
grimaces. It is important to note that, at that moment, no one is
touching Terri or causing actual pain. Rather, she appears to
comprehend the meaning of Dr. Hammesfahr's comment and she signals her
_anticipation_ of pain. This response suggests some degree of language
processing and interpretation at the level of the cerebral cortex. It
also suggests that she may be aware of pain beyond what could be
explained by simple reflex withdrawal.
6. According to the definition of PVS published by the American Academy
of Neurology, "persistent vegetative state patients do not have the
capacity to experience pain or suffering. Pain and suffering are
attributes of consciousness requiring cerebral cortical functioning, and
patients who are permanently and completely unconscious cannot
experience these symptoms."^6 And yet, in my review of Terri's medical
records, pain issues keep surfacing. The nurses at Woodside Hospice
told us that she often has pain with menstrual cramps. Menstrual flow
is associated with agitation, repeated or sustained moaning, facial
grimacing, limb posturing, and facial flushing, all of which subside
once she is given ibuprofen. Some of the records document moaning,
crying, and other painful behavior in the setting of urinary tract
infections.
.....
7. To enter the room of Terri Schiavo is nothing like entering the room
of a patient who is comatose or brain-dead or in some neurological sense
no longer there. Although Terri did not demonstrate during our 90
minute visit compelling evidence of verbalization, conscious awareness,
or volitional behavior, yet the visitor has the distinct sense of the
presence of a living human being who seems at some level to be aware of
some things around her.
As I looked at Terri, and she gazed directly back at me, I asked myself
whether, if I were her attending physician, I could in good conscience
withdraw nutrition and hydration. No, I could not. I could not
withdraw life support if I were asked. I could not withhold
life-sustaining nutrition and hydration from this beautiful lady whose
face brightens in the presence of others.
The neurologic signs are in many ways ambiguous. There is no guarantee
that more sophisticated testing would definitively resolve that
ambiguity to everyone's satisfaction. There would be value, I think, in
obtaining a functional MRI scan if that is possible.
This situation differs fundamentally from end-of-life scenarios where it
is appropriate to withdraw life-sustaining medical interventions that no
longer benefit or are burdensome to patients in the terminal stages of
illness. Terri's feeding tube is not a burden to her. It is not
painful, is not infected, is not eroding her stomach lining or causing
any medical complications. But for the decision to withdraw her feeding
tube, Terri cannot be considered medically terminal. But for the
withdrawal of food and water, she would not die [well, she would not die
now-- everybody dies eventually, sometimes sooner rather than later. We
never know when we will go to meet our Maker. -df].
In summary, Terri [Schindler] Schiavo demonstrates behaviors in a
variety of cognitive domains that call into question the previous
neurologic diagnosis of persistent vegetative state. Specifically, she
has demonstrated behaviors that are context-specific, sustained, and
indicative of a cerebral cortical processing that, upon careful
neurologic consideration, would not be expected in a persistent
vegetative state.
Based on this evidence, I believe that, within a reasonable degree of
medical certainty, there is a greater likelihood that Terri is in a
minimally conscious state than a persistent vegetative state. This
distinction makes an enormous difference in making ethical decisions on
Terri's behalf. If Terri is sufficiently aware of her surroundings that
she can feel pleasure and suffer, if she is capable of understanding to
some degree how she is being treated, then in my judgment it would be
wrong to bring about her death by withdrawing food and water.
At the time of this writing, Terri Schiavo, as the result of the
decisions based on what I have argued to be a faulty diagnosis of
persistent vegetative state, has been without food or water for 5 days.
She is thus at risk of death or serious injury unless the provision of
food and water can be restored. Terri Schiavo lacks the capacity to
consent to emergency protective services and must trust others to act on
her behalf. If she were to be transferred to another facility, it would
be medically necessary first to initiate hydration and ensure that her
serum electrolytes are within normal values.
How medicine and society choose to think about Terri [Schindler] Schiavo
will influence what kind of people we will be as we evaluate and respond
to the needs of the most vulnerable people among us. When serious
doubts exist as to whether a cognitively impaired person is or is not
consciously aware, even if these doubts cannot be conclusively resolved,
it is better to err on the side of protecting vulnerable life.
Respectfully submitted,
William Polk Cheshire, Jr., M.D., M.A., F.A.A.N.
[signature]
Sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before me this 23[rd] day of
March, 2005, by William Polk Cheshire, Jr., M.D.
[notary stamp and signature]
======================================================================
articles: livelier ones are by Thomas Sowell and William Kristol. Eric
Cohen's is very thoughtful.
http://www.townhall.com
Cal Thomas: Schiavo case matters in symbol and substance
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3adfseF68nkocU1%40individual.net
Justifications for taking of human life?
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3aj33dF67kgcuU2%40individual.net
any atheists against Terri Schindler Schiavo's being starved to death?
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3adrlvF69l60hU1%40individual.net
1997 Wesley Smith on Germany's slippery slope slide from devaluing some
human life to a little euthanasia/ killing to mass killings
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3abe1cF6ac7t2U1%40individual.net
ACLU: Legal Terrorists
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/27/195402.shtml
Terri Schindler Schiavo Case
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/10/16/223430.shtml
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43463
What, if anything, will you do to help Terri and stop a judiciary and
ACLU run amok?
action items to help Terri
http://www.terrisfight.org/actionitems.html
.

User: ""
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	09 Jun 2005 10:57:52 AM

DanWood wrote:

"david ford" <dford3@gl.umbc.edu> wrote in message
news:dford3-1118228225.243563.35990@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Richard Forrest wrote:

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

<snipped>

So does Dawkins write in excreable German then?
I tried to read 'Mein Kampf' in German, but gave up because the
language is so turgid and utterly impenetrable (and any German I have
ever mentioned this to agrees with me). The English translation I
skipped through made a rather vain attempt to improve the readablity of
the text, but it still remains well-nigh impossible to read.

Dawkins writes very well, in English not German, supports his arguments
with copious evidence, and does not rely on rhetoric to make his case.

You must be confusing him with someone else, David.

I plan to quote Hitler and compare that Hitler with similar remarks by
Dawkins, Humphrey, Dennett, Julian Huxley, Nietzsche, Marx, and Lenin.

If each person is responsibile for his own words and deeds, how
does anything Hitler said or did concern modern day Christians?
In no way is Hitler's crimes visited upon todays Christians.

Dan Wood, DDS (ret.)

Then Christians should stop trying to use people like Stalin & Pol Pot
as examples of the supposed evils of atheism.
nafc
.

User: "DanWood"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	09 Jun 2005 04:47:14 PM

<nafc@snet.net> wrote in message
news:1118332672.278263.153750@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

DanWood wrote:

"david ford" <dford3@gl.umbc.edu> wrote in message
news:dford3-1118228225.243563.35990@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Richard Forrest wrote:

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from
_Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

<snipped>

So does Dawkins write in excreable German then?
I tried to read 'Mein Kampf' in German, but gave up because the
language is so turgid and utterly impenetrable (and any German I have
ever mentioned this to agrees with me). The English translation I
skipped through made a rather vain attempt to improve the readablity
of
the text, but it still remains well-nigh impossible to read.

Dawkins writes very well, in English not German, supports his
arguments
with copious evidence, and does not rely on rhetoric to make his case.

You must be confusing him with someone else, David.

I plan to quote Hitler and compare that Hitler with similar remarks by
Dawkins, Humphrey, Dennett, Julian Huxley, Nietzsche, Marx, and Lenin.

Then Christians should stop trying to use people like Stalin & Pol Pot
as examples of the supposed evils of atheism.

I completely and totally agree. Stalin and Pol Pot alone are responsible
for their crimes.
Dan
Dan

nafc

User: "Christopher A. Lee"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	10 Jun 2005 11:13:49 AM

On 9 Jun 2005 08:57:52 -0700,

wrote:

DanWood wrote:

"david ford" <dford3@gl.umbc.edu> wrote in message
news:dford3-1118228225.243563.35990@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Richard Forrest wrote:

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

I plan to quote Hitler and compare that Hitler with similar remarks by
Dawkins, Humphrey, Dennett, Julian Huxley, Nietzsche, Marx, and Lenin.

Then Christians should stop trying to use people like Stalin & Pol Pot
as examples of the supposed evils of atheism.

The morons who do that see Christianity as a Borg-like collective.
They also see atheism as some kind of equivalent but opposite
ideology.
They're too stupid to grasp that an atheist is simply an individual
who doesn't happen to believe in a deity.

So they imagine that one evil atheist (even if he actually was one:
Hitler was Catholic, Stalin was a seminarian and Pol Pot was Buddhist)
"proves" that atheism is evil.
And they project their Borg-collective on responses and imagine we are
tarring all Christians with the same brush - even though they
hypocritically tried to do the same to all atheists using a falsehood.
None of the Christians they know would slaughter 6 million Jews, etc.
And because it's a collective where they're all the good guys no other
Christian would either. So Hitler couldn't have been Christian.
Alternatively because it's a collective pointing out the bad deed of
one lays the blame on all - including them
They have neither the common sense not courtesy they're doing the same
to us - even if atheism were the kind of collective ideology they
imagine.
All it does is show their ignorance of the bloody parts of their own
history, their hypocrisy and their stupidity.

.

User: "Richard Forrest"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	08 Jun 2005 06:55:59 AM

david ford wrote:
Richard Forrest wrote:

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

I plan to quote Hitler and compare that Hitler with similar remarks by
Dawkins, Humphrey, Dennett, Julian Huxley, Nietzsche, Marx, and Lenin.

Distort in an attempt to deceive, in other words.
Why not add quotations from the Bible to that list?
I'm sure you can find plenty which are comparable not only to the words
of Hitler but to his actions as well.
This sort of exercise may please your petty vanity, David, but it is
intellectually and morally bankrupt.
RF
.

User: "Robert J. Kolker"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	08 Jun 2005 06:22:29 AM

david ford wrote:

I plan to quote Hitler and compare that Hitler with similar remarks by
Dawkins, Humphrey, Dennett, Julian Huxley, Nietzsche, Marx, and Lenin.

Implying what? You do not see Dawkins, Dennett or Huxely spouting
collectivist fascistic nonsense. On the other hand Marx and Lenin -are-
collectivists.
Bob Kolker

User: "John Vreeland"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 11:50:16 AM

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

Hitler, Adolf, during meal times to his innermost circle plus the
occasional reliable guest, e.g. Himmler, as prepared by Hitler's
secretary Martin Bormann. 1953. _Hitler's Secret Conversations:
1941-1944_, translated by Norman Cameron and R.H. Stevens, with an
introductory essay "The Mind of Adolf Hitler" by H.R. Trevor-Roper (NY:
Farrar, Straus and Young), 597pp.

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?
.

User: "david ford"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	10 Jun 2005 07:26:33 AM

John Vreeland wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

Yes.
Hitler encounters the T0E: A Victory for Atheism
http://groups.google.co.in/group/talk.origins/msg/e9b71ae73bcf99a3?
.

User: "AC"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 12:15:32 PM

On 7 Jun 2005 09:50:16 -0700,
John Vreeland <Vreejack@hotmail.com> wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

You mean you're just starting now? He's been talking about "atheocracies"
for quite a while, though he seems to get a little odd when someone brings
up some of the delightful history of Christianity. A guess what's good for
the goose may not necessarily be good for the gander.
--
mightymartianca@hotmail.com
.

User: "Christopher A. Lee"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 12:11:12 PM

On 7 Jun 2005 09:50:16 -0700, "John Vreeland" <Vreejack@hotmail.com>
wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

Ford needs to explain why this source is at odds with all the others.
.

User: "Boikat"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 04:22:07 PM

"Christopher A. Lee" <calee@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:j8lba1lb4nki56j15hnj6gfc1eqccptqhf@4ax.com...

On 7 Jun 2005 09:50:16 -0700, "John Vreeland" <Vreejack@hotmail.com>
wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

Ford needs to explain why this source is at odds with all the others.

And why that sourse should be accepted as more accuate than the other
sources it's at odds with.
Boikat
--
<42><
.

User: "david ford"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	08 Jun 2005 06:00:19 AM

Boikat wrote:

"Christopher A. Lee" <calee@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:j8lba1lb4nki56j15hnj6gfc1eqccptqhf@4ax.com...

On 7 Jun 2005 09:50:16 -0700, "John Vreeland" <Vreejack@hotmail.com>
wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

Ford needs to explain why this source is at odds with all the others.

And why that sourse should be accepted as more accuate than the other
sources it's at odds with.

Names of "the other sources"?
.

User: "david ford"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	08 Jun 2005 05:53:01 AM

Christopher A. Lee wrote:

On 7 Jun 2005 09:50:16 -0700, "John Vreeland" <Vreejack@hotmail.com>
wrote:

david ford wrote:

Can I invoke Godwin's Law on anything David Ford will ever say in the
future?

Ford needs to explain why this source is at odds with all the others.

Names of "the others"?
Is Rauschning among "the others"?
.

User: "Robert J. Kolker"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 11:29:47 AM

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

Dawkins has no plans to conquer the world. Bwwwwaaaahhhhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaaaa.
Let me review your logic.
Hitler was a Materialist/Atheist
Hitler was an evil Nazi.
X is a materialist/atheist
Therefore
X is an evil Nazi.
Some logic that is.
Bob Kolker
.

User: "AC"
Title: Re: Hitler was a materialist/ atheist	07 Jun 2005 12:14:23 PM

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:29:47 -0400,
Robert J. Kolker <nowhere@nowhere.com> wrote:

david ford wrote:

Hitler was a materialist/ atheist. In reading sections from _Hitler's
Secret Conversations: 1941-1944_, I may as well be reading Dawkins.

Dawkins has no plans to conquer the world. Bwwwwaaaahhhhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaaaa.

Let me review your logic.

Hitler was a Materialist/Atheist
Hitler was an evil Nazi.
X is a materialist/atheist

Therefore

X is an evil Nazi.

Some logic that is.

Except that David won't accept the same kind of logic when we start with
"Martin Luther was a vocal anti-semite". David is simply trying to fine
tune his anti-evolutionary propaganda. It's the same tired game. Somebody
commented a few weeks ago that they thought David was getting cleverer. I
think he's just getting more desperate.
--
mightymartianca@hotmail.com
.

User: "david ford"
Title: Re: Facts vs. media fictions about Terri's actual condition	09 May 2005 07:11:54 PM

Terri wasn't in a "persistent vegetative state," but instead had a
minimal level of consciousness and was mentally disabled.
Contents:
Three medical persons
Pain
Eating
Talking and Other
Dr. Cranford
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Three medical persons
23 March 2005 William Cheshire affidavit: someone is there; Terri can
anticipate and feel pain
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3ak2l1F6att0vU1%40individual.net
September 2002 William Hammesfahr report (Hammesfahr was "nominated"
for a Nobel by a congressman, not by a Nobel committee)
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3aq5f3F6dhsi9U1%40individual.net
August 2003 Alexander Gimon affidavit
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am219F6b8bn7U1%40individual.net
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Pain
27 June 1990 Terri Schiavo exam at Bayfront Medical Center by or for
Dr. Baras
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504201751.4e8392c7%40posting.google.com
NEUROLOGICAL: Patient is awake. She does give eye
contact to family members. She will close her eyes to any
threatening response around her face and blink appropriately.
Tracking is inconsistent. There was no verbal output during
this exam but it has been reported by husband and other family
members and therapists over at College Harbor. No voluntary
movement as far as on command at this time. Sensory: She
does respond to painful stimulation....
2005 Nora Wagner: Terri Feels Pain
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504091947.7ef10df3%40posting.google.com
aka
http://tinyurl.com/a59ae
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Eating
September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net
10. At least three times during any shift where I
took care of Terri, I made sure to give Terri a wet
washcloth filled with ice chips, to keep her mouth
moistened. I personally saw her swallow the ice
water and never saw her gag. Olga and I
frequently put orange juice or apple juice in her
washcloth to give her something nice to taste,
which made her happy. On three or four
occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls
of Jello, which she was able to swallow and
enjoyed immensely. I did not do it more often
only because I was so afraid of being caught by
Michael.
September 2002 William Hammesfahr report
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3aq5f3F6dhsi9U1%40individual.net
In the spring of 2000, three physicians, including
Dr. Jay Carpenter, who is a former Chief of
Medicine at Morton Plant Hospital, filed affidavits
after observing Ms. Schiavo. All three physicians
stated that it is visually apparent that Ms Schiavo
is able to swallow and, in fact, does swallow her
own saliva.
==
The first two hours of the exam, focusing on
cognitive awareness of her surroundings, was
carried out in a chair. The last one hour on
videotape was carried out in her bed. In neither
position did she have difficulty handling any
saliva or secretions. Only briefly, for a few
minutes at a time, did she appear to tire and lose
the ability to respond, track or interact with her
surroundings. She had no tube feedings or water
during the entire time of the exam.
==
During various portions of the exam, she would be
moved or have her position readjusted. She
continued to handle her saliva during this time,
never being observed to choke on her saliva.
==
ENT: The patient can clearly swallow, and is able
to swallow approximately 2 liters of water per day
(the daily amount of saliva generated). Water is
one of the most difficult things for people to
swallow. It is unlikely that she currently needs the
feeding tube. She should be evaluated by an Ear
Nose and Throat specialist, and have a new
swallowing exam.
Before she was starved to death, Terri Schindler Schiavo could be fed
by hand. Judge Greer ruled in one of his more outrageous and sicker
rulings that Terri's parents couldn't give her food and water by hand.
Greer PDF is at
http://www.terrisfight.org/documents/030805orderdenyfood.pdf
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Talking and Other
17 June 1991 Mediplex Rehab notes (and 15 & 28 March 1991 notes on
Terri's responsiveness)
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504211205.469167b6%40posting.google.com
Cognitive/Communication
No significant changes.
Vocalizing when prone in P.T.
Occ. will say "STOP" to nursing during
procedures. to T.R. groups. More relaxed
to therapist's voice, touch (habituation).
August 2003 Alexander Gimon affidavit
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am219F6b8bn7U1%40individual.net
C 01 (Examination of Dr. Cranford on July 9,
2002) - After Terri's mother enters the
room, Terri greets her by speaking the word
"Hi," and makes good eye movement toward
her. Later Dr. Cranford touches Terri's face
much in the same manner as her mother
typically does. Terri responds to this
stimulation initially by smiling, but the smile
is not sustained, and it is not equivalent to
her response to her mother.
December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who
worked from April 1995 to 11 August 1996
where Terri was
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3al49lF6ajhdbU1%40individual.net
8. When I came into her room and said "Hi, Terri", she would
always recognize my voice and her name, and would turn her
head all the way toward me, saying "Haaaiiii" short of,, [sic] as
she did. I recognized this as a "hi", which is very close to what
it sounded like, the whole sound being only a second or two
long. When I told her humorous stories about my life or
something I read in the paper, Terri would chuckle, sometimes
more a giggle or laugh. ....
Michael Schiavo ex-girlfriend Cindy speaks
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504151723.4c0b915e%40posting.google.com
....he's a real loud guy, he [Michael] would go through the nursing
home and he said immediately, as soon as he got near the door
her head was already looking at the door because she would
recognize his voice... and she [Terri] would start crying when he
got
ready to leave....
2005 Joel Belz's "Media malpractice"
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=1115341991.515929.200540@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com
September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net
9. Terri reacted very well to seeing a picture of her mother,
which was in her room. ....
15. During the time I cared for Terri, she formed words. I have
heard her say "mommy" from time to time, and "momma," and
she also said "help me" a number of times. She would
frequently make noises like she was trying to talk. Other staff
members talked about her verbalizations.
December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who worked from April 1995 to 11
August 1996 where Terri was
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3al49lF6ajhdbU1%40individual.net
7. Terri's medical condition was
systematically distorted and misrepresented.
When I worked with her, she was alert and
oriented. Terri spoke on a regular basis in my
presence, saying such things as "mommy",
and "help me". "Help me" was, in fact, one of
her most frequent utterances. I heard her say
it hundreds of times. Terri would try to say
the word "pain" when she was in discomfort,
but it came out more like "pay". She didn't
say the "n" sound very well. During her
menses she would indicate her discomfort by
saying "pay" and moving her arms toward
her lower abdominal area. Other ways that
she would indicate that she was in pain
included pursing her lips, grimacing,
thrashing in bed, curling her toes or moving
her legs around. She would let you know
when she had a bowel movement by flipping
up the covers and pulling on her diaper.
September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net
5. Terri had very definite likes and dislikes. .... She did
not like
being tucked in, and especially hated it if her legs were tightly
tucked. You would always tell when Terri had a bowel
movement, as she seem agitated and would sort of "scoot" to
get away from it.
December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who
worked from April 1995 to 11 August 1996
where Terri was:
Terri would try to say the word "pain"
when she was in discomfort, but it came
out more like "pay". She didn't say the
"n" sound very well.
Ref:
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3al49lF6ajhdbU1%40individual.net
On 18 March 05, Terri tried to say "I want to live," but couldn't say
the "n":
Terri made a partially-successful attempt to say "I want to live"
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3amonmF6b3vb2U1%40individual.net
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43383
Vitadamo:
Mrs. Weller begged Terri to try to say, "I want to live."
Terri's eyes opened wide, she looked at Mrs. Weller with
great concentration and said, "Ahhhhhhh." Then, with
great effort, she screamed, "Waaaaaaaa" so loudly that....
Weller:
....she looked me square in the face, and with a look
of great concentration, she said, "Ahhhhhhh." Then,
seeming to summon up all the strength she had, she
virtually screamed, "Waaaaaaaa." She yelled so loudly
that....
September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net
7. I worked side-by-side with another CNA named Olga and
could tell that she and Terri were especially close. Olga took a
definite personal interest in Terri, and Terri responded to her. I
could tell that Terri was very satisfied and happy with Olga's
attentions to her.
8. When Olga was talking with Terri, Terri would follow Olga
with her eyes. I have no doubt in my mind that Terri
understood what Olga was saying to her. I could tell a definite
difference between the way Terri responded to Olga and the
way she reacted to me, until she got used to my taking care of
her. Initially, she "clammed up" with me, the way she would
with anyone she did not know or was not familiar or
comfortable with. It took about the fourth or fifth time taking
care of her alone, without Olga, that Terri became relaxed and
cooperative and non-resistant with me.
15 & 28 March 1991 notes on Terri's responsiveness
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504211205.469167b6%40posting.google.com
September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a Terri nursing home from March
1997 to mid-summer of 1997
13. I witnessed a priest visiting Terri a couple of times. Terri
would become quiet when he prayed with her. She couldn't
bow her head because of her stiff neck, but she would still try.
During the prayer, she would keep her eyes closed, opening
them afterward. She laughed at jokes he told her. I definitely
know that Terri "is in there."
////////////////////////////////////////////////
Dr. Cranford
Cast of Characters page: shows many of the conflicts of interest
http://myopiczeal.blogsome.com/2005/03/25/cast-of-characters-in-the-schiavo-case/
Dr. Ronald Cranford, M.D. is the neurologist hired by Michael
Schiavo. [URLs:
http://www.bioethics.umn.edu/faculty/cranford_r.shtml
http://swdesertrat.blogspot.com/2005/03/michael-schiavos-star-witness-dr.html
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43447
Cranford is a renowned euthanasia advocate referring to
himself as "Dr. Humane Death."
Authored a section in "Intended Death: The Ethics of Assisted
Suicide and Euthanasia". His section addresses the issue of "the
Physician's role in killing and the intentional withdrawal of
treatment." (WND article)
Cranford examined Terri Schiavo one time for 45 minutes. It
was his testimony and medical opinion on which Judge Greer
based his entire "finding of fact".
Admitted on CNN, March 30, 2005 that he had misdiagnosed at
least one case of "permanent vegetative state" (PVS) in the case
of Sergeant Mack in 1979 or 1980. He was never asked if there
were others.
Cranford has been involved in numerous PVS cases as an
advocate for death. Some of these are very suspect (In the case
of Nancy Cruzan for example, she did not even require a
feeding tube but Cranford said she should be starved insisting
that food and water were considered medical treatment.)
Cranford is hardly an objective medical consultant and is used
frequently as a pro-death advocate. You can find it all here
[URL:
http://www.nationalreview.com/script/printpage.asp?ref=/comment/johansen200503160848.asp
along with some doctors who have called the medical behavior
in this case "criminal".
Schiavo's 'Dr. Humane Death' Got 1980 Diagnosis Wrong
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/4/12/150705.shtml
Judi McLeod's "Mainstream media unreported conflicts of interest in
Schiavo tragedy"
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504070722.4ececd46%40posting.google.com
Then there's Dr. Ronald Cranford,
handpicked by Michael Schiavo to examine
Terri and on whose say-so Terri was
categorized in "persistent vegetative state".
Cranford is the MD who officially ordered
Terri's feeding tube removed on March 18. [no, Greer did]
A neurologist, Cranford testifies in cases such
as Terri's around the country, always
pumping the dehydration and starvation side.
He was 1992's featured speaker for the pro-
euthanasia Hemlock Society, which was
renamed The Choice in Dying Society.
(WorldNetDaily). Cranford nicknamed
himself, "Dr. Humane Death". A bioethicist,
and a pioneer in euthanasia and right-to-die
issues, Dr. Humane Death is a fully-fledged
member of The Choice in Dying Society.
I heard on the radio that Cranford saw Terri after 9/11, and wasn't
allowed to bring any equipment into the building. He was allowed to
bring in his car keys.
August 2003 Alexander Gimon affidavit
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am219F6b8bn7U1%40individual.net
C 01 (Examination of Dr. Cranford on July 9,
2002) - After Terri's mother enters the
room, Terri greets her by speaking the word
"Hi," and makes good eye movement toward
her. Later Dr. Cranford touches Terri's face
much in the same manner as her mother
typically does. Terri responds to this
stimulation initially by smiling, but the smile
is not sustained, and it is not equivalent to
her response to her mother.
.

User: "david ford"
Title: Re: Facts vs. media fictions about Terri's actual condition	11 May 2005 08:42:11 AM

"Progress for Man Who Spoke After 10-Year Coma"
http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/105/107841.htm?printing=true
Extracts/ what I bracketed while reading the article:
May 4, 2005 -- Buffalo, N.Y., firefighter Donald Herbert is all over
the news, having uttered his first words in a decade after suffering a
severe brain injury while fighting a fire in 1995.
==
The change came about three months after Ahmed prescribed medications
targeting chemicals in the brain, including norepinephrine, dopamine,
and serotonin.
==
Ahmed also told WebMD that Herbert's condition may fluctuate. "He is
not continuously answering questions and talking. It's never happened
before -- a big change for him. We are hoping he should progress more."
==
Ahmed says that before Herbert started talking, he was diagnosed as
being in a persistent vegetative state. Ahmed says he'd heard that
Herbert may have moved, understood more, and may have been more
responsive -- which could indicate that he was actually in a minimally
conscious state, not a coma -- but Ahmed says he himself never saw that
happen.
In a minimally conscious state, "there's inconsistent but definite
behavioral evidence that the patient has an awareness [that] may be
better or worse at some times," says Childs, who has worked for 18
years with patients with catastrophic brain injuries and disorders of
consciousness.
==
"Patients who reach minimal consciousness within the first few months
do better than those who are vegetative," says Childs. But "nobody
knows" what predictors or factors might explain cases like Herbert's,
she says.
==
Herbert's case "kind of gives hope to all the families out there who
are waiting for that miracle. These things do happen," says Demato.
"Several months ago, there was a woman in Kansas who began to speak
after 20 years. It doesn't mean that they're 'waking up' after that
period of time. It means certain things are beginning."
==
Since then, Sarah Scantlin has told people she knew about the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing, says Scantlin. Those
events happened while she was in the minimally conscious state.
==
Sarah Scantlin has had three surgeries in five weeks. "Her feet, hands,
and arms all atrophied, so they're getting her in a position where she
can use them again," says Jim Scantlin.
==
SOURCES: Jamil Ahmed, MD, University of Buffalo, New York. Nancy
Childs, MD, neurologist, Texas NeuroRehab Center
==
Terri wasn't in a "persistent vegetative state," but instead had a
minimal level of consciousness and was mentally disabled:
Three medical persons
Pain
Eating
Talking and Other
Dr. Cranford
http://groups.google.co.in/group/talk.origins/msg/8ecedff6423d6fcd?
I emphasize this line from the WebMD article:
Ahmed says that before Herbert started talking,
he [Herbert] was diagnosed as being in a persistent
vegetative state.
Compare
Youngson, Robert. 1998. _Scientific Blunders: A
Brief History of How Wrong Scientists Can
Sometimes Be..._ (New York: Carroll & Graf
Publishers, Inc.), 338pp.
Cerf, Christopher and Victor Navasky. 1984. _The
Experts Speak: The Definitive Compendium of
Authoritative Misinformation_ (New York:
Pantheon Books), 391pp.
Murray, David, Joel Schwartz, and S. Robert
Lichter. 2001. _It Ain't Necessarily So: How
Media Make and Unmake the Scientific Picture
of Reality_ (USA: Roman & Littlefield
Publishers, Inc.), 249pp.
Bell, Robert. 1992. _Impure Science: Fraud,
Compromise and Political Influence in Scientific
Research_ (USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.),
301pp.
Broad, William and Nicholas Wade. 1982. _Betrayers
of the Truth_ (also on the cover: "Fraud and Deceit
in the Halls of Science") (New York: Simon and
Schuster), 256pp.
Judson, Horace Freeland. 2004. _The Great Betrayal:
Fraud in Science_
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0151008779/qid=1110209249/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-9994632-5341564?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Feynman has stated that nobody is honest.
Ref:
Davies, National Academy of Sciences, Dawkins, Feynman
http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=Pine.SGI.3.96A.990511230015.1040149B-100000%40umbc9.umbc.edu
.

User: "Deadrat"
Title: Re: Facts vs. media fictions about Terri's actual condition	09 May 2005 07:37:40 PM

"david ford" <dford3@gl.umbc.edu> wrote in message
news:dford3-1115683914.394927.244340@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

Terri wasn't in a "persistent vegetative state," but instead had a
minimal level of consciousness and was mentally disabled.

Terri couldn't have had a minimal level of consciousness because
her mental disabililty was the absence of a cortex.

Contents:
Three medical persons

More accurately,
Three "medical" persons
You post the results of a *1990* exam that includes
Tracking is inconsistent
No verbal output
No voluntary movement
And 15 years later you want us to believe that she
was simply "disabled."
And 15 years later you can tell that vocalizations
Ahhhh Waaaa mean "I say folks, please let me live
in this persistent vegitative, er, I mean, disabled state."
How do you know she wasn't trying to call out
for Anwar Sadat?
Deadrat

Pain
Eating
Talking and Other
Dr. Cranford

////////////////////////////////////////////////
Three medical persons

23 March 2005 William Cheshire affidavit: someone is there; Terri can
anticipate and feel pain

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3ak2l1F6att0vU1%40individual.net

September 2002 William Hammesfahr report (Hammesfahr was "nominated"
for a Nobel by a congressman, not by a Nobel committee)

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3aq5f3F6dhsi9U1%40individual.net

August 2003 Alexander Gimon affidavit

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am219F6b8bn7U1%40individual.net

////////////////////////////////////////////////
Pain

27 June 1990 Terri Schiavo exam at Bayfront Medical Center by or for
Dr. Baras

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504201751.4e8392c7%40posting.google.com

NEUROLOGICAL: Patient is awake. She does give eye
contact to family members. She will close her eyes to any
threatening response around her face and blink appropriately.
Tracking is inconsistent. There was no verbal output during
this exam but it has been reported by husband and other family
members and therapists over at College Harbor. No voluntary
movement as far as on command at this time. Sensory: She
does respond to painful stimulation....

2005 Nora Wagner: Terri Feels Pain

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504091947.7ef10df3%40posting.google.com

aka
http://tinyurl.com/a59ae

////////////////////////////////////////////////
Eating

September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net

10. At least three times during any shift where I
took care of Terri, I made sure to give Terri a wet
washcloth filled with ice chips, to keep her mouth
moistened. I personally saw her swallow the ice
water and never saw her gag. Olga and I
frequently put orange juice or apple juice in her
washcloth to give her something nice to taste,
which made her happy. On three or four
occasions I personally fed Terri small mouthfuls
of Jello, which she was able to swallow and
enjoyed immensely. I did not do it more often
only because I was so afraid of being caught by
Michael.

September 2002 William Hammesfahr report

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3aq5f3F6dhsi9U1%40individual.net

In the spring of 2000, three physicians, including
Dr. Jay Carpenter, who is a former Chief of
Medicine at Morton Plant Hospital, filed affidavits
after observing Ms. Schiavo. All three physicians
stated that it is visually apparent that Ms Schiavo
is able to swallow and, in fact, does swallow her
own saliva.
==
The first two hours of the exam, focusing on
cognitive awareness of her surroundings, was
carried out in a chair. The last one hour on
videotape was carried out in her bed. In neither
position did she have difficulty handling any
saliva or secretions. Only briefly, for a few
minutes at a time, did she appear to tire and lose
the ability to respond, track or interact with her
surroundings. She had no tube feedings or water
during the entire time of the exam.
==
During various portions of the exam, she would be
moved or have her position readjusted. She
continued to handle her saliva during this time,
never being observed to choke on her saliva.
==
ENT: The patient can clearly swallow, and is able
to swallow approximately 2 liters of water per day
(the daily amount of saliva generated). Water is
one of the most difficult things for people to
swallow. It is unlikely that she currently needs the
feeding tube. She should be evaluated by an Ear
Nose and Throat specialist, and have a new
swallowing exam.

Before she was starved to death, Terri Schindler Schiavo could be fed
by hand. Judge Greer ruled in one of his more outrageous and sicker
rulings that Terri's parents couldn't give her food and water by hand.
Greer PDF is at
http://www.terrisfight.org/documents/030805orderdenyfood.pdf

////////////////////////////////////////////////
Talking and Other

17 June 1991 Mediplex Rehab notes (and 15 & 28 March 1991 notes on
Terri's responsiveness)

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504211205.469167b6%40posting.google.com

Cognitive/Communication
No significant changes.
Vocalizing when prone in P.T.
Occ. will say "STOP" to nursing during
procedures. to T.R. groups. More relaxed
to therapist's voice, touch (habituation).

August 2003 Alexander Gimon affidavit

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am219F6b8bn7U1%40individual.net

C 01 (Examination of Dr. Cranford on July 9,
2002) - After Terri's mother enters the
room, Terri greets her by speaking the word
"Hi," and makes good eye movement toward
her. Later Dr. Cranford touches Terri's face
much in the same manner as her mother
typically does. Terri responds to this
stimulation initially by smiling, but the smile
is not sustained, and it is not equivalent to
her response to her mother.

December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who
worked from April 1995 to 11 August 1996
where Terri was

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3al49lF6ajhdbU1%40individual.net

8. When I came into her room and said "Hi, Terri", she would
always recognize my voice and her name, and would turn her
head all the way toward me, saying "Haaaiiii" short of,, [sic] as
she did. I recognized this as a "hi", which is very close to what
it sounded like, the whole sound being only a second or two
long. When I told her humorous stories about my life or
something I read in the paper, Terri would chuckle, sometimes
more a giggle or laugh. ....

Michael Schiavo ex-girlfriend Cindy speaks

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-b1c67abe.0504151723.4c0b915e%40posting.google.com

....he's a real loud guy, he [Michael] would go through the nursing
home and he said immediately, as soon as he got near the door
her head was already looking at the door because she would
recognize his voice... and she [Terri] would start crying when he
got
ready to leave....

2005 Joel Belz's "Media malpractice"

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=1115341991.515929.200540@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com

September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net

9. Terri reacted very well to seeing a picture of her mother,
which was in her room. ....
15. During the time I cared for Terri, she formed words. I have
heard her say "mommy" from time to time, and "momma," and
she also said "help me" a number of times. She would
frequently make noises like she was trying to talk. Other staff
members talked about her verbalizations.

December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who worked from April 1995 to 11
August 1996 where Terri was

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3al49lF6ajhdbU1%40individual.net

7. Terri's medical condition was
systematically distorted and misrepresented.
When I worked with her, she was alert and
oriented. Terri spoke on a regular basis in my
presence, saying such things as "mommy",
and "help me". "Help me" was, in fact, one of
her most frequent utterances. I heard her say
it hundreds of times. Terri would try to say
the word "pain" when she was in discomfort,
but it came out more like "pay". She didn't
say the "n" sound very well. During her

menses she would indicate her discomfort by
saying "pay" and moving her arms toward
her lower abdominal area. Other ways that
she would indicate that she was in pain
included pursing her lips, grimacing,
thrashing in bed, curling her toes or moving
her legs around. She would let you know
when she had a bowel movement by flipping
up the covers and pulling on her diaper.

September 2003 Heidi Law, who worked at a
Terri nursing home from March 1997 to mid-summer of 1997

http://groups.google.co.in/groups?selm=dford3-3am3raF6b8ckoU1%40individual.net

5. Terri had very definite likes and dislikes. .... She did
not like
being tucked in, and especially hated it if her legs were tightly
tucked. You would always tell when Terri had a bowel
movement, as she seem agitated and would sort of "scoot" to
get away from it.

December 2003 Carla Sauer Iyer, who
worked from April 199