(Prolifer)ations 3-30-12
by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
- Welcome to our newest blog by University of Michigan Students for Life, which is celebrating the group’s first known baby saved in their Pregnant on Campus Campaign. The students used flyers, chalkings, and signage to acquaint students with resources available for them to choose life. Congratulations to them!
- ProLife NZ shares news of an anti-euthanasia flash mob in France. The secretly planned event was in counter-protest to a public pro-euthanasia demonstration:
Seven hundred people, young and old, holding red hearts with the slogan “Caring, not killing,” filled the esplanade facing the Eiffel Tower and danced to the sounds of Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.”…Participants [turned] to show the other side of their paper hearts bearing the words: “Solidarity with those who are the most fragile,” after which they lay on the ground to symbolize victims of euthanasia.
- Wesley J. Smith writes a tongue-in-cheek response to a recent article deriding the obese for driving up healthcare costs. Smith suggests if this lifestyle is to be punished, then the sexually promiscuous one should be as well:
If that’s the kind of society we want, if we really intend to unleash the lifestyle police, then let’s also target the promiscuous. After all, under the LA Times’ logic… living promiscuously increases the likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, experiencing or causing an unintended pregnancy, suffering depression and other mental health problems, and so on. In fact, when you think about it, promiscuity leads directly to deadly and very expensive diseases such as AIDS — and in a much faster time frame than either smoking or overeating!Maybe this is an issue the First Lady would like to tackle as well. Then again, maybe not.
- Pro-Life Wisconsin reports that liberal blog Think Progress is shocked – shocked -to find that a conservative summit had a booth that displayed pro-life literature. They write:
The next room… featured a bevy of literature warning women about the supposed dangers of birth control and telling them that “Chastity is the best choice for single people.” One handout explained that contraception is unnecessary because “Saving yourself for your future spouse is guaranteed to prevent pregnancy before marriage.” Another answered the question “Is it safe?” with a simple “No.” The literature on emergency contraception warned that it could cause cancer before telling women simply, “Be good to yourself. Don’t use the morning-after pill.”We are so busted. Informing the public on chastity and on how birth control pills work? Oh the disgrace!
- Soapbox Five examines abortion proponent Margie Kelly’s claim that fetal health is important – and that pro-lifers aren’t doing enough to address it:
While glossing over the fact that she supports the idea of mothers killing their fetuses arbitrarily, Kelly blames pro-lifers for not doing enough to make the “fetal environment” healthier through environmental regulations which would lead to better health for mother and child….Is death at the hands of one’s mother preferable to being gestated in a potentially less-than-ideal environment? Clean water and air are hugely important for all human beings, but I have to ask: Abortion advocates… do you really want to say that pro-lifers aren’t doing enough to save fetuses because we aren’t focusing all our efforts on eradicating pollution?….
Apparently Ms. Kelly has no problem with such a claim. Ms. Kelly believes women should be able to have their children scraped and suctioned from their wombs in pieces, but she also believes that fetuses should have the very best possible environment.
- Stand for Life posts a frightening 911 call following an abortion, in which abortionist Martin Haskell is heard laughing. Just another day for the abortionist who lacks admitting privileges at nearby hospitals:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI52qAjFZB8[/youtube]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Martin Haskell is a very sick man.
Oh Feminists??? Where is your outrage??? I thought legal abortion was supposed to SOLVE THIS.
Unless he changes his ways, he won’t be laughing in the hereafter.
The Think Progress article is a joke.
“If a major conservative group disseminating literature attacking women’s reproductive health…”
So pointing out the side effects and risks of bc is “attacking women’s reproductive health”? I thought this was the kind of thing the doctor was supposed to mention before prescribing it. Funny, my doctor never mentioned any risks or side effects. That’s why this kind of literature is necessary.
An anagram of his last name clues you in to where he gets his “medical instructions”. (Ha ha!)
Ask Hell.
You could not make up this stuff pro-lifers about abortionist Haskell, it is unbelievable. God help these women.
I love Soapbox Five’s response about fetal health. You couldn’t make that one up either “rather have a dead baby than a polluted one, we’re all about cleaning up the environment, you know.”
‘The Cincinnati abortionist told an emergency dispatcher his patient was “in continuous seizures” since coming out of anesthesia. Haskell described the condition as “status epilepticus,” a life-threatening condition in which the brain is in a state of persistent seizure lasting more than five minutes.’
I wonder if this wasn’t nervous laughter, since he knew he screwed up (inappropriate anesthesia dosing or allergic reaction comes to mind) and the patient’s medical condition was out of control and deteriating. I wonder what the outcome was for the patient, it couldn’t of been good, as prolonged and continuous seizing can cause oxygen deprovation and brain damage. What a sad story :(
Hi Rachel C.
My guess would be this woman was an epileptic and the seizures likely had nothing to do with anesthesia itself. At least I’ve never seen this happen. A friend of mine who worked ICU told me that a certain anesthestic gas was used in her unit to control these seizures, which I thought was quite interesting.
She may have a history of difficulty controlling seizures or was poorly controlled, or did not take her medication as ordered.
Anyway, this is something that certainly should have been assessed prior to her having a general anesthetic. Its also possible she never told them of her epilepsy or she did and the staff didn’t properly assess her.
The fact paramedics were bagging her is no surprise, she was likely exhausting herself.
We always ask about the history, medications taken, severity, last seizure, etc prior to any surgical procedure.
Very tragically the daughter of a co worker with no history of epilepsy suddenly went into status epilepticus for no reason that could ever be determined and died. Autopsy findings were also inconclusive.
Everyone,
I must correct myself. The anesthetic gas was used to treat status asthmaticus, which like it sounds, is an ongoing asthma attack that does not respond to treatment.
My apologies.
Another possiblity would be that local anesthetic was used and the woman developed toxicity from it. This can happen under the best of circumstances, fortunately it hasn’t to me, knock on wood, but the staff is prepared to treat it. I’ve seen mild toxicity like blood pressure and heart rate drop, ear ringing, but thankfully no seizures.
I don’t know that a person would go into status epilepticus though but I could be wrong about this. Usually they seizure then go into a cardiac arrest.
Anyway, we have to be careful not to jump to conclusions here and I don’t say that out of any respect for Haskell. There are just a number of possible factors at play here.
Point taken, Mary, still I’m not going to give an abortionist, with a record of hiring incompetent physicians (to do his dirty work) and working outside the law and health regulations, the benefit of the doubt.
Hi Rachel C.
Believe me, I have no fond feelings for the man either. But until we know the facts about this woman and her medical history, and how this whole incident came about, I would reserve judgment.
I thought he was chuckling over the fact that this poor misguided call-taker was asking if the great and wonderful him had been given “medical instructions”.
I have no desire to play the call again.
I would also wonder if the woman really was in status epilepticus or was having a prolonged grand mal seizure and then was unresponsive. Anyone who has witnessed one will know they seem interminable and can be very unnerving to observe. If this was the case then it may have been toxicity from a local anesthetic…if he used one… or it could just be the woman didn’t take her anti-seizure medication.
Again, I can only speculate.
Mary,
I’m familiar with epilepsy and seizures (both grand mal and partial complex/petit mal) both on a personal and professional level. I have a first cousin who’s had epilepsy and a history of grand mal seizures since he was a newborn and is on an anticonvulsant medication, in addition he has moderate developmental delays (his mother is not sure if it was congenital or a result of his multiple seizures as an infant before his epilepsy became under control with medication). Fortuantly, his seizures are far and few imbetween.
On the other hand, a few years ago, I had a client with severe/profound developmental disabilities and poorly controlled epilepsy, despite being on anticonvulsant medication. During the year and a half I worked with this individual, they were receiving emergency Diastat anywhere between once to three times a month for a continuous grand mal seizure lasting greater than five minutes and had been sent to the hospital twice for status epilepticus. *Shakes head* I witnessed quite a few first hand, it is unnerving to say the least.
Then when the company I am working for offered a 2 hr CEU on epilepsy, I took advantage of the opportunity to further educate myself on the condition (I know I can sound rather ignorant at times, but it’s been a few years since I took the CEU :P )
Hi Rachel C,
You are not at all ignorant sounding. I hope you never thought that was what I was implying and I apologize if that is how I came across. It was not intended. I’m afraid my posts may have been disjointed as I was getting ready to leave for the day.
If anything, I question Haskell’s assessment as to whether this was really status epilepticus or a grand mal seizure lasting several minutes. As you say they can be terrifying to observe and can seem interminable, while in fact they didn’t last all that long.
I also wonder if she has a history or if he injected local anesthetic which was toxic to the patient, resulting in a seizure. With only limited info, it is best to reserve judgment. There are just too many factors that could be at play here.
I’ve seen status epilepticus and another seizure starts as the previous one finishes. The situation of a co worker’s daughter that I mentioned was so bizarre as no reason could be found. They never could get her seizures under control and she died. Very tragic and completely out of nowhere!
Speaking of strange, I happened to wander into the wrong aisle at Target when a young man suddenly threw himself into the shelves and fell to the floor seizing violently. His relatives were with him and said he was epileptic, and had been out drinking. I could smell the liquor. Verrry bad combination, epilepsy and liquor. A real problem too with young epileptics. Anyway he came out of it fine and the paramedics took him to the hospital. I was mostly concerned about a head injury as I heard his head hit the floor!
I was wondering if it might be nervous laughter, also, before listening. Not out of any respect for abortionists, but just out of a desire to be certain of the facts. Unfortunately, having listened to the call, I don’t think that’s the case. Haskell doesn’t sound nervous at all. In fact, he sounds almost like he is laughing because he thinks it’s funny that the dispatcher wants to know if he wants medical instructions. Either because “I’m a bone-ah fee-day dockter, hurr, hurr,” or because “Look, I just want this chick out of my building” I don’t know, but he sounds condescending rather than nervous.
I pray this woman is alright but we probably will never know. She may already had a history of seizures, etc. but reactions to anesthetics are a potential reason as well. Case in point in L&D women having allergic reactions to anesthetics or analgesics can range from mild itching to severe reactions that it can cause seizures, respiratory or cardiac arrest, brian damage or even death (rare but it can be catastrophic). Some women have been known to plead with the anesthesiologist to keep the anesthesia going even though they and their babies are at risk of dying. Ever wondered why there is a crash cart sitting right outside of the patient’s room? Educating women regarding potential benefits, risks and alternatives so they are giving informed consent even if they say “I don’t really want to know” is essential.
Question: How many post-abortive women do you think are given complete information so they can give informed consent (excluding fetal development information)? Those who post here and are post-abortive did you give informed consent before your abortion regarding the medical risk? Just wondering.
Hi PLL,
You certainly have a point about the local injectable anesthetics like labor epidurals, etc.
They need to be treated with the respect they deserve. They can go a long way toward providing a patient with much needed pain relief, both short and long term, but they can also be very dangerous, even deadly if inadvertently injected into a blood vessel or the patient has an allergic reaction. Another point is a patient may be unaware of any allergies, until they have a serious reaction!
So the young woman in Haskell’s case could well have been an epileptic…or she could have had an allergic reaction or been given a toxic dose into a blood vessel, which wouldn’t take much. I’ve seen it happen and I understand why crash carts are available and ready to use!
WooHoo SFL in Michigan!!!!