(Thanks to Denise Karuth for the heads up on this) “Silent Minds” by Jerome Groopman is in the latest edition of the New Yorker magazine. It’s a summary of the research into the consciousness of people labeled with persistent vegetative state (PVS) and minimally conscious state (MCS). Much of it will be familiar to readers … Continue reading New Yorker: “Silent Minds” – article on PVS research and consciousness
`That’s a great deal to make one word mean,’ Alice said in a thoughtful tone. `When I make a word do a lot of work like that,’ said Humpty Dumpty, `I always pay it extra.’ — Lewis Carroll Bioethicists and other healthcare advocates must be paying a bundle to the term “end of life,” using … Continue reading “End of Life” – Questions and a Suggested Response for Disability Advocates
In early August, before we started this blog, there was a flurry of attention given to the latest research showing an intervention that brought about remarkable improvement in a man who was in a “minimally conscious state.” This is not the first development in this area to make the news, but it might have created … Continue reading Minimally Conscious State, Research, and the Elephant in the Living Room
Things are a little behind here, in terms of posting and commenting on news items. On Sunday, September 16th, Diane Coleman and Steve Gold were quoted in a Seattle Times article titled “Some favor slower right to die for paralyzed.” Not the best title, but a predictable one. An alternative and accurate title might have … Continue reading Diane Coleman and Steve Gold in Seattle Times Story
Last week, during the national ADAPT Action here in Chicago, several people forwarded one of those stories that brought to mind Yogi Berra’s “This is like deja vu all over again.” The story that provoked this “I’ve seen this before” feeling was about Jill Finley, who came out of a coma – 14 days after … Continue reading Miracles, Malpractice, Survivors and Recovery
