If the whole reason Terri is in the state she is in now ia because excessive dieting resulted in a heart attack, then how come her heart is still beating strong after 13 days without food or water?
Posted by Rachel Ann at March 31, 2005 12:00 PMWell, I haven't been here in a while, the last message I had read was about the Monkey being in a snuggle stage. I loved that post, among other things it reminded me to enjoy the time with my youngest, who is also a monkey who likes to snuggle. Indeed, that is why I mostly read this blog, to keep up with family doings. (And maybe Israeli politics)
Everything since the monkey post has been about Terri Schiavo. I really appreciate the posts because obviously there is a lot of passion there and they really made me think.
First, I want to answer the question of today's post, about her heart attack and now being alive 13 days without food and water.
Terry appears to have had buliema, which is not excessive dieting, but a repeating long term cycle of binge/purge behavior. My guess is that it had been going on for some time before the heart attack. Check out http://www.addictionintervention.com/addiction/bulimia.asp where it says: "The recurrent binge-and-purge cycles can impact the entire digestive ... lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body ... that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death."
As sad as her current situation is, it seems very reasonable to me that she not have a heart attack in 13 days. Very different circumstances.
As for the overall issue, I have very conflicted feelings about this situation. But there is one specific piece of this that I do have passion about. That is about how to find the truth.
If you notice, above I said she "apprears" to have had bulimia. On line, you will find all sorts of conflicted views. Then there is the question about her current state. Does she have even minimal awareness. Again, on line you can find anything.
From the sources I have read, I think it is clear she did have bulimia, and currently has no ability to think at all, now or in the future.
The morality of the situation is a wonderful thing to debate on line. What I hate is the way that the truth is twisted by so many in pursuit of their moral view. I'm not saying this blog tries to distort the truth. Rachel has the same problem I have, how do you know what you read is true or not? What I am saying is that the nature of the internet is such that the truth is distorted, and that aspect of this case disturbs me more than the case itself.
An example from here a few posts ago there was a post here with Dr. Cheshire saying he examined Terri, and made convincing arguements that she is aware. I read a good chunk of that and was very convinced. But you can find a rebuttal from Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, president and founder of the American Council on Science and Health (and a life-long Republican if that matters) at http://techcentralstation.com/032405I.html says "As it turns out, Dr. Cheshire is not "renowned" as a neurologist ... never conducted a physical examination of Ms. Schiavo, nor did he do neurological tests."
Where is the truth? Hard to figure out.
Posted by: DAve at March 31, 2005 02:50 PMThe heart issue she had before I believe was as a result of potassium deficiency brought on by her bulimic behavior and its effect on her body. This probably isn't the case now. Her activity level wasn't exactly off the charts, either.
The tragedy here is that a woman who hated her body so much she made herself sick, now has no control over it being plastered all over the media in worse condition than the one which caused her to hate it.
I gotta believe she would choose 13 days of starvation over 15 years of everybody all up in her sh*t--literally--day in and day out. And I believe Michael Schiavo believes the same.
Posted by: tallglassofmilk at April 4, 2005 08:55 AM