Man in “Persistent Vegetative State” for 23 Years, Wasn’t
Tags: Culture of Life, Morality.
Click here to get Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority by Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan.
The story:
A car crash victim has spoken of the horror he endured for 23 years after he was misdiagnosed as being in a coma when he was conscious the whole time.
Rom Houben, trapped in his paralysed body after a car crash, described his real-life nightmare as he screamed to doctors that he could hear them – but could make no sound.
‘I screamed, but there was nothing to hear,’ said Mr Houben, now 46, who doctors thought was in a persistent vegatative state.
‘I dreamed myself away,’ he added, tapping his tale out with the aid of a computer.
Doctors used a range of coma tests before reluctantly concluding that his consciousness was ‘extinct’.
But three years ago, new hi-tech scans showed his brain was still functioning almost completely normally.
Mr Houben described the moment as ‘my second birth’. Therapy has since allowed him to tap out messages on a computer screen.
The Culture of Death will be dismayed by this.
Honestly, people, we must always err on the side of life. Those who are insistent upon killing or allowing to die people we might perceive as being “brain dead” or what have you are making assertions of impossible knowledge. If someone’s heart is beating and his other vital signs are normal, then that person is alive – and for all we know is thinking deeply about his current condition while we think he’s vegetative.
We must not kill the innocent – or allow the suffering to die. We know a great deal about our brains, but even in that are our knowledge is still limited – and we know nothing of the mind which uses the brain to manipulate things in the natural world. We’re making judgments based on partial knowledge – and for entirely ideological reasons. Because some people want to think that a human being is just the accidental result of blind, materialist-determinist evolution, they will insist we kill those humans they believe are not up to snuff.
With stories like this, any person of good will must come down hard on the side of life – if someone is to die, then they will die…with more or less suffering, but entirely outside of our control. Our duty is to do as well as we can by the suffering and then leave the rest in the hands of the Author of Life.
Thank you for visiting Blogs For Victory. If you enjoy our content, please consider making a donation to help us cover the costs of our servers.Mark Noonan is co-author (with Matt Margolis) of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority. He also blogs at Nevada News and Views. Follow Mark on Twitter.
29 Responses to “Man in “Persistent Vegetative State” for 23 Years, Wasn’t”
Caucus of Corruption
Terri Schiavo.
cluster
you beat me to it………the filthy libs couldnt murder her fast enough…DISGUSTING!!
cluster,
Precisely – to kill or allow to die those among us who are in the worst condition is an act of despair…and such acts are central to the leftist worldview.
“filthy libs couldn’t murder her fast enough.”
What an absurd statement. Terri Schiavo had bulimia, starved herself and sadly was responsible for her own condition. A critical potassium deficiency caused her original coma and the massive brain damage that eventually resulted.
Rom Houmen was not Terri Schiavo. His brain was still intact, whereas neurological tests indicated that her cerebral cortex had turned to mostly liquid. Tom DeLay flat-out lied when he told the press that Terri “talks and she laughs.” An autopsy showed her brain “discolored and scarred, shriveled to half its normal size, and damaged in nearly all its regions…”
In 1994 my father suffered a cerebral hemmorhage that left him without any electrical activity in his brain. We kept him on artificial support long enough for his grandchildren to come see him one last time while his body was still warm. That he wasn’t “alive” any more was obvious, but still we grieved when we took him off life support.
Had the government or pro-life groups tried to force us to keep his body going long after his mind and personality had ceased, we would have been outraged. And had some idiot like neocon called us “murderers” he would have been putting himself at risk for bodily damage.
On the other hand, Mark, if you chose to keep your own father’s body going in such a state for decades, that would be your family’s choice to make. But if your mother nixed that decision, the law would be on her side – as it always was on Michael Schiavo’s.
Terri Schiavo had bulimia, starved herself and sadly was responsible for her own condition. A critical potassium deficiency caused her original coma and the massive brain damage that eventually resulted. – dennis
Who knew? I thought her injuries were a result of some domestic violence. But, let’s blame the woman, it will make the liberals feel better. Well done denny.
Denny,
You should be disgusted with yourself for that – blaming the victim and then resolutely missing the point…until the autopsy was done, we didn’t KNOW what was going on. Given that, any decent person errs on the side of life and hope.
“I thought her injuries were a result of some domestic violence.”
Based on what? Forensic evidence? An established history of domestic violence? There never was a shred of documentation for any such claim, much less proof.
From the autopsy report: “No trauma was noted on any of the numerous physical exams or radiographs performed on Mrs. Schiavo on the day of, in the days after, or in the months after her initial collapse. Indeed, within an hour of her initial hospital admission, radiographic examination of her cervical spine was negative. Specifically, external signs of strangulation including cutaneous or deep neck injury, facial/conjunctival petechiae, and other blunt trauma were not observed or recorded during her initial hospital admission.”
Disgusted? Granted I should have said “apparently” starved herself as there was no proof of this either. However there was a known history of obesity, weight loss of around 100 lbs, excessive caffeine dependency and a critical potassium deficiency after her collapse, typical of eating disorders. Given the complete lack of evidence of physical abuse, the indicators point to a self-inflicted condition, no matter how unintended.
“Filthy libs couldn’t murder her fast enough” is not only baseless but an idiotic and truly disgusting charge. Until you stand in the shoes of someone like Michael Schiavo you have no idea of the torment family members experience in such a circumstance.
denny, the autopsy and post-mortem investigation found no proof that she had an eating disorder, so your “assertion” is just flat out wrong. My suspicion of abuse is based on friends and relatives accounts of marital discord, which makes that event likely. Mr Schiavo had remarried, and Terri’s parents wanted to become her legal guardians once again and pay for her care. What is wrong with that? And who the hell are you to make judgements for other people?
denny,
Didn’t you make the following assertion:
And had some idiot like neocon called us “murderers” he would have been putting himself at risk for bodily damage.
Aside from finding this comment laughable coming from a panty waist liberal, why do you object to Terri’s parents wanting to have the same legal rights you want?
Mark, are you saying if someone wishes to die if and when they are in such a state, they don’t have the right to die?
Unfortunately, it appears this case is a hoax because his communication is being facilitated by a lady.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34132340/ns/health-health_care/
Watch how fast this “facilitator” is typing for him:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31388323/vp/34111007#34111007
Guy comes out of a coma, apparently has no control of extremities and yet she can type that fast based on his finger movements? I seriously doubt it.
pelirrojo,
you go to hell if you commit suicide, and it makes it that much worse for yourself when you want to further this mentality in the mind of a person. If that person doesn’t want to die, and you remove medical care anyway, then that’s negligence on your part, not just in a legal essence, but negligence before Almighty God. And He does not mess with an unrepentant murderer, you are a waist of time, because you are just building God’s burning anger towards you.
waste
jerry, it was a rather simple question, and ill rephrase it for you, and try to give a yes or a no. If someone writes a living will stating their wish to have no medical care when in such a state, should they have such a right? (given it’ll end their life)
pelirrojo,
It’s a more complex issue than you try to make it out to be…take Terry Schiavo for example, the State got involved in the issue, leaving it to her husband in disregard for her parents wishes, and it is natural for parents to hope for the best when it comes to their children, and I believe the State should have taken their wishes into consideration above her husband’s wishes. Unfortunately, that was not the case. And, of course, I don’t think she, at least at her age anyway, had even thought about a living will. That she (Terri Schiavo) couldn’t state her own wishes, yet was conscious enough to open her eyes and have an expression upon her face when someone entered the room but could not verbally communicate, was proof that her body and spirit were still together … and I believe God can and does still speak to the hearts of those individuals. In that case, I believe we should always do what we can to preserve life…never doing anything which might take or destroy life. So, as to that scenario, the answer would be a definitive no. Ultimately it is between Terri Schiavo’s husband and God now that they’ve made the decision to remove her life support, albeit, leaving her parents with a deep void, and much grievance and pain to contend with. And this, to me, shows that Mr. Schiavo was not taking into consideration the wishes of Terri’s family. He simply did not care. He wanted to spend his money and resources on himself and not the person he pledged to defend and protect through sickness and health.
In the scenario that you present, if the person who has written a living will states that they do not wish to receive medical care in the event of an traumatizing accident, and that person is in a coma, completely unable to respond or open their eyes or move their body parts (arms, fingers, legs, toes, etc) then the answer would be yes, which is entirely understandable and would be rightfully described as a ‘vegetative state’, as the brain has completely stopped interacting with its surroundings. You see, the spirit is part of the body, and they are separated when the brain no longer reacts, God withdraws His spirit in this instance and takes it back to Himself to be judged.
Another point on this, there are those whose philosophy we must reject when it applies to these scenarios…say someone like Dr. Kavorkian, who actually brainwashed people to kill themselves, and then intentionally, with malice aforethought sought to destroy life by hooking up life-destroying instruments to their bodies, or putting poisons into their system intravenously. This is the mind of one who is a murderer, much the same as that of those in Germany during Adolf Hitler’s very cruel reign.
All in all, there dividing lines and believe we should err always on the side of good, life-saving intent, rather than ill intended, murderous intent.
Thank the Lord that this man’s life was spared.
roughridersfan,
There is no evidence of a hoax. Why make such a claim? Just that filled with hate?
pellirojo
If you want to jump from a bridge tomorrow morning, go to the New River Gorge overlook the New River 876′ above the raging rapids and if you have a burning desire to jump, Is that someone else’s fault? If you’re pushed that’s a different matter. If I throw you a lifeline you’re lucky in todays society.
To assist any person in a case that causes that persons death is murder. As in the case of Dr Korvorkian, Dr of Death. He has no mentality or reality to understand what life truly is. God gives life and Only God can take life. Otherwise we are held accountable. When babies are slain by the millions in America and we have those who pursue this heinous act and are no better than the Doctor of Death. Our Commander in Chief is seeking the approval of other nations to assist in monetary wages to do this very act. Its against Gods word and its against our very Foundational Morals of America. To change or do otherwise we will fall under Gods judgment on judgment day.’ ‘Great work Jeremiah -the truth will set you free.
Jeremiah-
Some things i’m not so sure about Jeremiah but one thing I know God loves all mankind and its His desire that all have life and have it more abundantly and in the reality of it all, we can have life through Jesus Christ and nobody can steal that not even Dr Korvorkian, not angels, nor principalities nor even death itself.
I commend you and Mr Noonan on a great job, I don’t always agree with Mr Noonan but respect his blog on this one.
–truth will set you free–
Truthisright,
I think we can all agree (except for a majority of those on the Left who are left-wing liberals) that this issue could remain outside the political arena…however, that’s not always the case in today’s era when so many minds of communistic philosophy are guiding our institutions of learning, persuading the younger minds in increments (through grades) to their ways of thinking and now supporting the same mindsets in our government positions of leadership, who want to develop a system of eugenics very much the same as that of the Germans in the ’30s and ’40s. So, it’s something that we not only have to fight politically, but spiritually as well, as that’s where the battle is ultimately being waged.
As to this situation, it’s a complex one to say the least, but once you’re on the side of life I think you’re pretty much on par with what Our Creator would want you to do, and you’ve already made it to that point, as has Mark. I want to be careful about making a judgment on this, because I’m not always sure about some things myself, and that’s why I want to seek the advice of others who are principally on the same page to better inform myself in this area, even though I had already had my mind made up.
Other people have their minds made up, too. But they are on the opposite side of the fence, like Dr. Kavorkian there, who fought to do the devil’s bidding to kill, steal, and destroy as many lives as he could.
As far as Mark and I doing a good job, well, Thanks. However, I’m not a contributor (writer for the blog) or anything here, I just join the discussion here on some of the issues that I have some understanding of and feel led to share my thoughts.
As far as you not agreeing with Mark on some things, I don’t think there is much contention politically, maybe moreso on theological terms, but… no big deal.
marktative:
my deep space dad is 82
very active
still rides his bike, tennis, golf, sails
he’s a virtuous, giving person also
he tells me if he even gets close to some debilitating condition
to just “unplug” him
and he’s not kidding
does this mean he and i will both go to hell?
please expound….
dennis
baseless but an idiotic and truly disgusting charge. Until you stand in the shoes of someone like Michael Schiavo you have no idea of the torment family members experience in such a circumstance.
Uh Huh…….the guy is lower than whale SHIITE. and so are you drooling lemmings who defend him.
And had some idiot like neocon called us “murderers” he would have been putting himself at risk for bodily damage.
BWWWWAAAAAAA HA HA HA, I live in a state with the right of self defense, up to and including lethal force. I fully participate in that right. so as the man says COME on DOWN!! lets see what ya got!
markveg:
so that means neo gets real ill…..shiavo style
he can lethally force himself into death
ala…..9mm
quick, cheap and no govt intervention necessary
cosmically cool
dennis
EDUCATE your self FOOL!!
In February of 1990 at the age of 26, Terri Schiavo collapsed at home and oxygen was cut off to her brain for several minutes. The cause of the collapse is disputed. Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband, blames a cardiac arrest induced by a potassium imbalance associated with bulimia. The Schindlers suspect he tried to strangle her, based on court testimony by a neurologist that Terri had suffered a neck injury when she was admitted to the hospital.
No one was aware Terri Schiavo had an eating disorder. The Schindlers told WND that Terri was very conscious of her weight because she had been heavy in high school and her husband put pressure on her to stay thin, reportedly making comments like “If you ever get that fat again, I’ll divorce you.”
Specifically, they point out he changed his story after winning more than $1.5 million dollars in a medical-malpractice lawsuit against Terri’s physicians who, Schiavo successfully argued, should have treated her potassium imbalance before it resulted in cardiac arrest. As WND reported, Michael Schiavo filed a petition in May 1998 to disconnect his wife’s feeding tube reportedly to carry out her wishes.
During the malpractice-suit trial nearly six years earlier in November 1992, Michael Schiavo made no mention of his wife’s alleged wish to die and conversely pleaded for the opportunity to personally take care of his wife at home for the rest of his life. He sought $20 million to cover the cost of her future medical and neurological care, estimating her life expectancy was 50 years.
Schiavo told the jury he was studying nursing because he wanted “to learn more how to take care of Terri.” According to a transcript of his testimony, Michael Schiavo was asked how he felt about being married to Terri, given her condition.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43463
Na Nu Na Nu
so that means neo gets real ill…..shiavo style
he can lethally force himself into death
ala…..9mm
quick, cheap and no govt intervention necessary
cosmically cool
That is OK by me.
just do not force it upon others who may be killed for money as was terry.
markveg:
neo and i agree
if you want to take yourself out you should be able to
despite threats of catholic hell
but
please forgive neo for what he says/types…
“others who may be killed for money”
that opens up a huge can of wookie worms
and has been going on for centuries on your floating blue marble
The autopsy report on Terri Schiavo showed that the part of her brain that was so severely damaged was the part that allows communication, but that the part controlling awareness was nearly completely intact.
This means that she was aware of what was going on around her, but could not communicate, the stuff of nightmares. The nurses who removed her feeding tube said she fought violently, making panicked noises and sobbing, which they felt, from working with her for so long, were not just mindless spasms of reaction to a procedure but an awareness of the meaning of this particular procedure at this particular time.
I have always been haunted by the image of an essentially intact intellect, deprived of the ability to effectively communicate, in full awareness of her impending murder and unable to register any coherent objection to it.
I have also been thoroughly disgusted with the determination of the death crowd to deny her humanity, to dismiss her evidence of awareness, and to demand her death. The lying of the media ghouls, claiming among other things that her “brain had liquified” was so profoundly disgusting, it moved those talking heads to my permanent Not Worth A Bucket of Warm Spit file, and to this day I refuse to watch even a few seconds of such as Olbermann and Cooper, as I can never forget their incessant drumbeat of KILL NOW.
Her caretakers said she could swallow, could tell the difference among different tastes and communicate which she preferred, reacted differently to different visitors, became severly withdrawn and depressed after being left alone with her husband and became obviously excited and happy when her family visited. The clinical observations of health care professionals who worked with her day in and day out support the autopsy findings, that she was aware but simply could not communicate except through physical actions such as head-shaking, facial expressions, and incoherent vocalizations.
BTW, nice to see yet another ghoul try to justify her murder on the grounds that she deserved whatever she got. Nice work, dennis. There may be a future for you on health care panels under the ‘government option’.
And two of hubby’s many girlfriends testified that he had repeatedly told them he had no idea of what Terri would have wanted. He didn’t come up with this delayed memory of not wanting to be kept alive for years, and only after nurses and caretakers said they thought she might be able to make some progress. He not only refused to allow even the most basic and humane therapy, such as range of motion exercises to keep her muscles from contracting, causing great phsyical pain, he threatened to have caregivers fired when they felt so sorry for Terri’s obvious physical anguish they went ahead and did basid stretching exercises.
Her entire death sequence was based 100% on what her husband said, what he did, and what he decided.
If Terri had in fact discussed end of life issues with ANYONE, if she had in fact made a written contract detailing under what circumstances she would want life support removed, if she had in fact stated that starving to death would be preferable to being surrounded by a loving family just because she couldn’t talk to them any more, then the story would have been completely different. But she didn’t. Hubby admitted as much, for years, before conveniently remembering a fleeting comment that did not even depend on being on ‘life support’ but on “being full of tubes”. That was important, because she was not on life support when he decided to kill her off, but she WAS being fed by a tube.
I can understand scum like Michael Schiavo deciding to kill an inconvenient wife, or deciding that he did not want to risk the possibility that she might ever regain the ability to communicate and tell people what really happened that night. There are people like this. But I have never been able to understand why or how so many people made the conscious choice to ignore and/or deny evidence that this woman had the right to live, and furthermore had the potential to live a life that, although diminished, would be full of love. The characteristic that allows otherwise decent people to just deny, loudly and vociferously and sometimes violently, any evidence that might interfere with the taking of the life of an innocent stranger, solely on the testimony of an obviously nasty man, escapes me. These people WANTED HER DEAD.
Too creepy—but you have to understand how that determination on your part has tainted the opinions of so many regarding other beliefs you hold dear. It’s hard to think highly of a person once you have seen him or her stridently demanding that a person be starved to death on the word of a thoroughly dispeputable husband. These people reminded me of the image of those who gathered to watch hangings or beheadings, enjoying the spectacle.
denny sounds like a real sweetheart. I hope he is not a First Responder.
I can see him standing at the scene of a bad car wreck, saying “He was driving way too fast—don’t bother to cut him out of the wreckage”. Or being a fireman saying “Looks to me like he was drunk and smoking in bed—let ‘im fry.”
(Funny, though, how this never extends to pregnancy. These same judgemental self-styled Morality Police who determine that Terri Schiavo made her bed and now could damned well die in it never say to a woman at an abortion mill, “Well, you couln’t be bothered to keep your legs together, so now you should be responsible, have the baby,and give it up for adoption”.)
No, the determination of personal responsibility is very very flexible…
Amazona
And two of hubby’s many girlfriends
In the end MS had a live in girlfriend and TWO bastard kids with her, what a man!!
(sarcasm off)
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pelirrojo says:
November 27th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
jerry, it was a rather simple question, and ill rephrase it for you, and try to give a yes or a no. If someone writes a living will stating their wish to have no medical care when in such a state, should they have such a right? (given it’ll end their life)
YES!