kenderstest

3 comments:

Caoilfhionn said...

We're all working on this, hang in there.

This is a reminder to all BlogsForTerri bloggers. The BlogsForTerri action plan has been posted below.

Please help to see that it is distributed to all of the members of the BlogsForTerri blogroll. The plan has been prepared by those of us that have direct contact with the Schindlers and that are closest to what is going on. We encourage Terri's bloggers to help us address the items in the plan and not lose focus or waste precious time by doing something that could be completely counter-productive to Terri's survival.

Money for Michael Schiavo is not the issue.

The issues that we can address pertain to the Legislature and public opinion. All three of these are addressed in the plan. Let the attorneys and the Schindlers deal with the financial matter. Things are going on behind the scenes that many are not aware of.

Stay the course, work together as a team, spend your talents and energies on the things that will do the most good. We need everyone's help, but we need everyone working together.

February 19, 2005 at 3:41 PM

Caoilfhionn said...

Misdiagnosis of the vegetative state: retrospective study in a rehabilitation unit

The key messages that can be derived from this study include:

1. Many patients who are misdiagnosed as being in the vegetative state are blind or have severe visual handicap; thus lack of eye blink to threat or absence of visual tracking are not reliable signs for diagnosing the vegetative state.

2. Any motor activity, no matter how slight, that can be used for communication by the profoundly disabled patient should be identified at an early stage and repeated at regular intervals.

3. Identification of awareness in the presence of profound and complex neurological disabilities requires the skills of a multidisciplinary team experienced in long term management of disability due to brain damage.

None of these things have been done for Terri Schiavo!

This study that has important implications in the Terri Schiavo case, was undertaken to identify the number of patients who were misdiagnosed as being in the vegetative state and their characteristics, a retrospective study of the clinical records of the medical, occupational therapy, and clinical psychology departments was conducted in a 20 bed unit specialising in the rehabilitation of patients with profound brain damage, including the vegetative state.

In the study, it was determined that of the 40 patients referred as being in the vegetative state, 17 (43%) were considered as having been misdiagnosed; seven of these had been presumed to be vegetative for longer than one year, including three for over four years. Most of the misdiagnosed patients were blind or severely visually impaired. All patients remained severely physically disabled, but nearly all were able to communicate their preference in quality of life issues--some to a high level.

The results of the study indicate that the vegetative state needs considerable skill to diagnose, requiring assessment over a period of time; diagnosis cannot be made, even by the most experienced clinician, from a bedside assessment. Accurate diagnosis is possible but requires the skills of a multidisciplinary team experienced in the management of people with complex disabilities. Recognition of awareness is essential if an optimal quality of life is to be achieved and to avoid inappropriate approaches to the courts for a declaration for withdrawal of tube feeding.

February 19, 2005 at 3:42 PM

Caoilfhionn said...

1. "BlogsForTerri" (in behalf of all 110+ blogs) will place an ad in the Sunday edition of the St Petersburg Times(largest paid circulation in Florida - 450,000+). The ad will be an open letter to the residents of Florida from BlogsForTerri, which will have it's URL in the ad along with sponsors that wish to be included. All of Terri's bloggers will be clearly listed with links and posts at the site.

The St Petersburg Times has done more damage to Terri than any other paper by what it has said and what it has failed to say - although mostly by someone who is no longer with the paper. We have spoken with the Times and it appears that they would be willing to run the ad subject to their approval.

Between all the blogs, blog readers and sponsors (one medical center has already pledged $300 and we haven't even started asking), we need to raise $10,000. We are in contact with a 501(c)3 that could be willing to accept the funds in a Bank lockbox arrangement so that the donations would be tax deductable. No overhead charges are expected.

2. BlogsForTerri will conduct two massive and simultaneous email campaigns, one for Florida residents and one at the national level - both directed to Legislative members, the Governor, and President Bush. Our goal is one million emails to the Florida legislature, and the participation of resident of Florida that we can convince that Terri is worth saving.

3. BlogsForTerri will conduct massive 24/7 blogging of the actual facts - Terri is not in a PVS, etc. We'd like to divide up the workload so that some blogs are researching and writing about Michael, some on Judge Greer and the hospice/Felos connection, and some on Terri's actual condition and right to live.

Together, as a highly organized group of bloggers working as a team, we are indeed a powerful force.

We will be asking bloggers to commit to several posts a day on the facts about Terri.

This plan is still developing, and has required a lot of preparation. We ask your patience for just a few more days, and ask that those of you with specific expertise in massive emails and getting people to make telephone calls, please email us at BlogsForTerri, ProLifeBlogs, or Hyscience.

In a few days all of the emails will be directed to BlogsForTerri.

February 19, 2005 at 3:44 PM