Whitington has another pellet in his LIVER

[npincus]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/cheneys-chappaquiddick-i_b_15711.html

gee... this was some "peppering": first we are told injuries were superficial, then a deterioration in his victim's condition forces the information that "one" pellet has disturbed a vital organ (heart) but we are reassured that this one pellet is the "only pellet that is being watched the rest are of no concern" (not verbatim), NOW I read in this blog post there is also a pellet in his LIVER. His liver!

Now, can someone explain how THAT is not serious and newsworthy? Certainly the hospital is with holding the severity of the a-SALT (not to be confused with a-PEPPERING) and we are getting a drip... drip... drip.. of information here. Is the WH aware of his true condition and trying to collect its thoughts and get its story straight before the truth is eventually disclosed?

And get this: I heard on the news this morning that Whittington's family has PROHIBITED the hospital from giving further updates on his condition! Well, what the fuck!

Check out the (small) graphic below, showing the spray pattern on Whittington. He must have been very close to Cheney when Cheney blasted him.




And what about Dr. David Blanchard, who made such light of Whittington's injuries? Before the heart attack occurred, Blanchard gave no indication that pellets had entered Whittington's torso or major organs (we now know that at least one other pellet entered his liver). I found an interesting quote. After asserting that spiritual beliefs help people recover more quickly (which studies have suggested may be true), Blanchard said this of people with out of body and near death experiences:

"These people do quite well in their disease processes," he said. "The Lord wasn't quite ready for them yet . . . It makes believers out of them."

It's likely that Blanchard is also the same "Dr. David Blanchard" who is listed as Vice Chairperson of World Hope International, a Christian evangelical aid group.

Blanchard's certainly entitled to his own beliefs, and World Hope International (if he's the same Blanchard) has done some good work, albeit with a proselytizing bent. But most evangelicals in this country are ardent supporters of the Bush/Cheney Administration. This may explain the otherwize puzzling word choices Dr. Blanchard made to play down Whittington's injuries, especially before the heart attack made that more difficult to do.


(edited to add quote)

[northzax]

1. hell, if I were his family

I'd want privacy too. HIPPA is a wonderful thing.

[Mike Daniels]

28. Yep,..The family has every right to tell the hospital to STFU

It's not the hospital's business to inform the public of Whittington's health.

[The Backlash Cometh]

50. But it does involve a matter of public interest.

If the guy dies, Cheney gets charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Guys, this is far worse than lying about a blow job.

[drbtg1]

65. HIPAA laws may apply

The physicians and hospital could get into big trouble for talking.

[redqueen]

2. But ABC said it was just a pellet gun!

:eyes:


p.s. You left out Blanchard's quote.

[meganmonkey]

3. a-SALT & a-Peppering!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I'm so sorry, that caught my eye and I totally missed the rest of your post.

It's brilliant and hilarious!

[helderheid]

13. A Salt With a Deadly Pepa

In all seriousness, I wish him well and hope he recovers.

[Vektor]

44. HAHAHAHA!

What a great "blast" (no pun intended) from the past.

I love the S & the P.

[Pachamama]

77. Ooohh baby, baby, oh baby baby....

...shake it, shake it real good.... :bounce:


Bum bum bum bum bum bummmm.....badadadada,bum bum bum.......

:headbang:

(Sorry, I couldn't resist....you took me back to a moment from my college days...)

Your absolutely right, I hope Harry Whittington recovers....I also can't imagine what pain he is in...

I hope he lives to tell Cheney to go fuck himself....

[CountAllVotes]

4. wow how awful!

Attorney Whittingham: I have a message for you. I hope you do recover and get well soon!

This is serious, very serious. :(

:kick:

[FreedomAngel82]

27. It is

Especially if a spiritual advisor is coming around. When my grandfather was dying of cancer when they knew he was going away preachers and fellow preacher friends came by and said their respects etc.

[CountAllVotes]

43. yeah like the last rites

per the Catholic faith. And no, the priest doesn't come around usually unless the time is near in most cases. :(

I really feel sorry for Mr. Wittingham and his family ...

:kick:

[Nickster]

5. Holy Crap, that graphic makes it look like he took the brunt of the shot.

That means Dick had to have the guy directly in his sight before he pulled the trigger. Daaayyyuuummm

[converted_democrat]

12. That is exactly what I was thinking....n/t

[July]

37. From what hunters here are saying, he shot without knowing where

a member of the hunting party was, a breach of hunting safety practices. It's despicable that he blames the victim for his lapse, especially when, as you say, he must have had Whittington right in front of him when he shot.

[Pachamama]

78. And its not like he was in a large "hunting group" (excluding all his SS)

guys....

I have been bird hunting (not for quail, but for duck and pheasant) and I can say that there is no friggin way that these wounds were inflicted by someone who a) was conducting proper gun and hunting safety practices b) at the "range" and manner at which they describe....

[notadmblnd]

63. did you see all those shots in his neck vein?

I'm just wondering now since they've said he has one in his liver too, if they entered his circulatory system? I'm not a medical person, does anyone know if this is possible?

[sybylla]

76. I've heard others say this is possible on DU

That was on one of the first threads I saw on Monday morning, but I haven't seen it repeated since. The BB's are small - about 2mm - and could definitely travel the larger veins and arteries. Seems plausible to me.

[Deep13]

6. I gotta think having a lead pellet in ones heart and liver...

...cannot be very healthy.

This is a really petty side note, but isn't a 28 guage kind of a youth gun? Don't standard guages run from largest to smallest 12, 18, 20, 28 and 0.410 cal? My aunt shoots a twelve guage and I don't know of anyone personally who goes smaller than that.

[Botany]

9. Not that gun.

http://www.bullseyesportingarms.com/shotguns_m-z.htm

Perazzi MX-28 SC-3 Grade. Baby frame. 28 gauge with 29 1/2" vent rib barrels, fixed game chokes. Stocked with beautiful upgraded turkish walnut with lots of dark streaks and swirls. 15" lop small pistol grip. Beautiful full coverage scroll engraving. Pattern #101. This is the only MX-28 I have seen done like this. Weighs 6 lbs.2 oz. Gun is brand new and unfired in original hard case with all paperwork and accessories. Perazzi makes very few of these guns. The ultimate Argentina dove machine. New $17,995.00

[hwmnbn]

36. $18,000.00 dollars for a .....

fucking bird hunting gun!?!

I can't believe how weird that is.

[Nickster]

10. Well, you don't want to have too big of a shotgun when you're hunting

otherwise there would just be a smoking pile of bird feathers after you hit it, good thing for Whit too.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. But weren't they hunting quail?

[Nickster]

47. Yeah, but that's a pretty small bird compared to the damage a 12 gauge

would have done to it. The .28 gauge was the appropriate weapon to use for hunting quail.

[CottonBear]

49. Quail are little birds not much bigger than doves. n/t

[CottonBear]

11. 28 guage is for small birds like quail. A 12 Guage would obliterate them.

I was actually in a gun shop yesterday (buying binoculars, don't own a gun or know how to operate one) and I asked the guy in the shop about the type of gun and shot Cheney used. He said 28 is for this type of quail and dove hunting.

edit: Gun shop guy told me that the shot COULD penetrate the skin and make it into organs (even through clothes) but that the shot is too small and light to cause destruction of bone. He said that the shot's velocity is high and that's why it can penetrate.

[ret5hd]

18. well, i do know that quail are really small birds...

and you don't want to tear them to pieces if you intend to eat them. IF (a very big if) i decided to go quail hunting, i would be comfortable with that gun.

But also, IF (a very big if) i decided to go quail hunting, i would try very hard to not shoot my hunting buddy.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

72. I don't see him taking them home to Lynn to cook for dinner.

He just wants to Kill 'Em.

[Zen Democrat]

84. Oh, I'm sure they have a big quail dinner after the hunt.

That dinner was so important to Cheney that he stayed behind for it, instead of going to the hospital with Whittington.

Can you imagine that he didn't go the hospital that night? He must have been drunk, or with a woman, or something he wants to hide. It's unnatural that he wouldn't go to the hospital that night. It makes a lie of all his comments that Mr. Whittington's condition was of paramount importance -- so much so that he couldn't report the accident to the press.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

88. oooh, wasn't aware of that (that he didn't go to the hospital that night).

And I have seen ALL the news reports over and over, ad nauseum, so you'd think someone would have mentioned it.:shrug:

It would be perplexing, except that now it has all been swept under the rug. This morning all the reports were clucking, "poor Cheney..., showed a side of himself that people rarely see...poor guy, with his weak heart and all..."
:nopity: :puke:

[txindy]

89. Oh, it makes for fascinating reading.

Harry was being airlifted from the first hospital to a larger one with a Trauma Center, while ol' Darth was chowing down at the ranch. Jebus. Can they get any colder? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=428207

[DemonFighterLives]

90. He could have gone in the ambulance

Or at least with his covey of SS in a motorcade.
Well he had to eat and drink to the good hunt and he felt so bad that he didn't want to see anyone.
:freak:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

91. Beef Whittington?

:hide:

[kayice]

22. Cheney runs to the hospital when he gets a cold......

but this man suffers a heart attack after Cheney shoots him, with pellets to the heart and liver and it is no big deal----well wishes from Dick. What a freakin' scumbag.

[janx]

25. NO! I posted this quite a bit yesterday. Here is a 28g:

[lectrobyte]

48. 18? You mean 16 right? There's also 10 guage, I think, too.

[Deep13]

53. Thought it was 18, but could be mistaken. 10 is obsolete.

I freind of mine back East has a 10 gauge, but it is a black-powder model with external hammers.

[TX-RAT]

58. 10 is obsolete.?

Somebody forgot to tell Ithaca and Browning.

Ithaca gold Centennial Mag 10
Ithaca Road Blocker Mag 10
Browning BPS Mag 10

http://www.gamaliel.com/cart/catalog/product_5136_Browning_Gold_Light.html

[Deep13]

66. I'll have to defer to you on that.

I don't remember ever seeing a ten gauge except for antiques.

[Ilsa]

54. self-delete.

[Pachamama]

81. I used to hunt w/ a 12 gauge over under.....don't know much about the 28

or about quail hunting.....but I'd like to assume that this was the proper gauge shotgun for the job.... :shrug:

[Larissa238]

7. What did Blanchard say?

It seems to not be in the post.

Otherwise, great post! very informative.

[npincus]

20. quote added!

the "pellet-in-liver" news really threw me for a loop, forget to add the rest!

thanks

[Rex_Goodheart]

8. Who created that graphic?

How would they know the pattern on Mr. Whittington's body?

[npincus]

23. From NYT- article link here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/politics/15cheney.html

graphic link in left column.

[phusion]

32. That pattern was released

in the Texas Parks and Wildlife report:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0213061cheney1.html

[Hubert Flottz]

14. Lead pellets anywhere in someone's body can't be too healthy...

I think the guy is hurt worse than they have said all along too. I'll bet some shot went into the lungs too.

I doubt if Cheney's "PRAYERS" will amount to much help for the man. "Dear Gawd, if you can't get me outta this shit, then Go F?ck Yourself!"

[calmblueocean]

19. Pellets aren't made of lead anymore

But they still ain't good for you.

[BrotherBuzz]

34. Lead shot is only outlawed for waterfowl (ducks and geese)

Lead is still used for 'upland' game (dove, quail, pheasant, etc)

[calmblueocean]

40. Thanks for the info!

I didn't know that.

[Hubert Flottz]

42. Really???

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/upland/lead_game.asp

[AnneD]

15. I am waiting for them to show up

in his lungs. If he develops pneumonia...he is in deep trouble. I am now thinking he was much closer that 30 feet. I can see penetration in chest but abdomen raises questions for me.

[catabryna]

16. There is definitely a lot going on behind the scenes...

but, I am not going to begrudge his family not wanting his personal health information out there for public fodder. I'd love to have ALL the information, but whether they are asking that his health information be withheld for personal, political or legal reasons is not really the issue. The issue is that the man is entitled to his privacy in spite of our appetite to get the facts.

[Ian David]

17. Remember: Harry Whittington is THE FUNERALGATE LAWYER

Harry Whittington is
THE FUNERALGATE LAWYER

Related thread- Remember: Harry Whittington is THE FUNERALGATE LAWYER
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=426465&mesg_id=426465

CHENEY: Harry, we're going to attack Iran in a few days, and I need a distraction

HARRY: I agree. Hey, be careful with that thing. Why don't you put down that beer before you reload?

CHENEY: I need you to take a hit for the team, Harry.

HARRY: Anything for you, Dick. You know that.

CHENEY: When I said I need you to take a hit for the team, I meant I need to shoot you.

HARRY: Excuse me?

CHENEY: I'm going to shoot you in the shoulder. Just pepper you a little.

HARRY: Dick, you're drunk. Get back in the truck.

CHENEY: Come on, hold still! I can't get a clear shot!

HARRY: Why don't you shoot the Swedish chick instead?

CHENEY: No, we need her to launder the Afghanistan heroin money going into the CIA accounts. Besides, you're being a pain in the ass about that parking garage and executing the retards.

HARRY: But if you shoot me, people will start talking about FuneralGate again.

CHENEY: Nobody cares about feeding Jewish corpses to pigs. Besides, it's all so complicated and esoteric. Nobody will pay attention to that. Come back and hold still!

HARRY: No! You're a crazy drunken fool! I won't let you shoot me!

CHENEY: Hey, Secret Service guy... hold him still for me!

SECRET SERVICE GUY: I got him, Mister Vice President.

CHENEY: Should I shoot you now, or wait 'til I get home?

HARRY: Wait 'til you get home!

SWEDISH AMBASSADOR CHICK: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!

BLAM!

HARRY: Oh, the pain! The pain!

CHENEY: I told you to hold him still, damn it!

SECRET SERVICE GUY: I'm afraid you shot my hand, Mister Vice President.

CHENEY: Shut-up, you son-of-a-bitch! I told you to hold him still!

BLAM! BLAM!

SWEDISH AMBASSADOR CHICK: Oh my God! You killed the Secret Service Guy!

CHENEY: It's not the first time, either. Hey, other Secret Service Guy... activate Operation Windex.

HARRY: Oh, my head! It hurts! It hurts!

CHENEY: You think that hurts? Pull down your pants, you pussy bastard!

HARRY! Hey! What are you... NoOOoooooo!!!

CHENEY: I always like a little Brokeback Mountain action after I kill a man! Take it, bitch!

HARRY: NooooooOOOooo!!!!

[passy]

59. I always like a bit of drama.

Not sure about the Bareback Mountain bit at the end though.

[Javaman]

21. Are the pellets made of lead? and could he get lead poisoning? nt

[SCDem]

30. I was thinking of that also

but a lot of ammo these days is not made of lead - If it is he might have to go through a series of chelation.

[northzax]

33. well, you would be kinda stupid

to use lead pellets in a game bird gun, the odds are someone is biting into a pellet during lunch.

[SCDem]

38. I used to work in Lead Poisoning

and many of our childhood elevated cases were do to kids playing in the yard and putting things in their mouth - many things being lead bullets.

[TX-RAT]

61. 90% of all shotgun shells contain lead.

Only those used on migratory birds ( ducks geese ) are required to use steel, tungsten, or bismuth.

[Javaman]

73. Thanks for the informative reply. :) nt

[Auntie Bush]

71. Yes, (game bird pellets are made of lead) I just asked

my husband who sells those multi thousand dollar shotguns.

Edited to add -- See post 34. He is correct...according to MDH.

[ClintonTyree]

24. This guy is toast........

at his age, with all of that buckshot traveling through soft tissue, winding up in his heart and other vital organs, he's not long for this world, in my opinion. The complications from this are going to be long reaching, this is just the beginning of this guy's problems.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. He could be really healthy for his age though

I don't think that's known is it? My grandfather was always ten years healthier than what he was (besides some heart problems from past smoking he still was really in great health). :shrug:

[Ganja Ninja]

51. If one goes to his brain he's done.

They're probably having a lot of trouble finding them since they're moving around and they can't use an MRI and have to rely on X rays.

location of liver

"""You need a healthy liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The liver fights infections and stops bleeding. It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood. The liver also stores energy for when you need it."""

http://seniorhealth.about.com/library/conditions/blhepa1.htm

[npincus]

41. thanks- I was wondering about that

if you overlay the blast graphic (enlarged, see post) it makes sense.

[Coexist]

26. in his LIVER... oh my.

this is much worse than they portrayed it.

[Julius Civitatus]

35. The 30-yard shooting argument is a LIE, IMHO

I doubt these pellets could lodge themselves all over this man's body with this type of gun, from so far away. And so deep into his body as well.

I'm willing to bet this shot was at close range.

When this is all said and done, I believe we will find out this took place at a much closer range than they led us to believe. That, if the WH is not twisting arms all over Texas to keep this one under wraps (like the "beer or two" comment suspiciously deleted from NBC.

[Ganja Ninja]

52. Yup! My guess is they were standing together and somebody's

gun went off by accident due to some drunken mishandling.

I'm waiting for the blame to be placed on the gun maker next.

[smoogatz]

56. Yeah--the spread pattern and depth of penetration sure look funny

A 28 gauge loaded with #7.5 birdshot will barely knock down a dove at 30 yards, apparently. Whittington was shot at considerably closer range--15 to 20 yards, max--and took the bulk of the payload in his upper chest. Which means Cheney was looking him square in the face, close enough to read the NRA logo on his ball-cap. The "official" story is bullshit.

[npincus]

39. BLAST GRAPHIC enlarged here:

Not so clear, but here it is:

[Mabus]

45. Great job

The pictures are the report on thesmokinggun.com are pretty hazy. Thanks for blowing this one up.

:applause:

I'd give you hearts but I just opened by gas bill.

[npincus]

46. thank you kindly!

I didn't get my gas bill yet, but the rest are bad enough!

[Ksec]

62. He had to be close ,

most shotguns would spread way wider than that, even with a full choke barrel at 30 yds. My guess is 10 maybe 15. Thats the distance apart they were walking imo, when Cheney (with safety off) bumped the trigger somehow. The fact that they had just exited a car tells me theyre lucky something like this hadnt happened before , because thats a good time for an accident to happen.

[schrodingers_cat]

69. Geez, you couldn't get off a shot much closer to the heart if you tried!

How'd he do that!?!

[VOX]

87. Thanks, very helpful! n/t

[uppityperson]

55. Hepatic artery and portal vein lead into liver-pictures and text here

Circulatory Function of the Liver

While the liver is technically part of the gastrointestinal system, it also plays an important role in blood circulation. The liver has been called the "antechamber of the heart" because it collects and processes all of the gastrointestinal blood through the portal vein and delivers it to the right side of the heart. The liver receives blood through two vascular systems, the portal vein and hepatic artery.


The portal vein is formed by multiple branches of veins (superior and inferior mesenteric, splenic) that supply the small and large intestine. Thus, all blood leaving the intestine will flow into the portal vein and then into the liver. This helps to explain how colon cancer cells leave the intestine and travel, via the portal vein, to the liver and then grow into tumors. About 75% of the total blood flow to the liver comes from the portal vein.


What this means is if tiny pellet got into blood system, it could get into liver. Or heart. However, blood leading into liver via portal vein comes from small intestines. Did he get shot hard enough to get pellets into his aorta (leading out of heart, down into body) or what?

[npincus]

67. thanks- very interesting

... so the hospital will keep him "7 days for observation". 7 days?

[Horse with no Name]

57. As long as it isn't causing bleeding in his liver

It really isn't that big of a concern.
The bullet will eventually be encapsulated and surrounded by healthy tissue.
The liver is the only organ that regenerates itself.
IF there is bleeding in the liver caused by this pellet, then it becomes deathly serious.
And truthfully, for this to even be reported, means that it is probably bleeding like a stuck pig.

[Larissa238]

60. Yeah, but it can travel from the liver

If it gets into the portal system, a pellet could end up in his brain. Not to mention that he has one in his heart. I dont see him living for much longer.

[Horse with no Name]

64. Depending on where it is

If it is actually lodged into tissue, that is a remote possibility.
It can travel through the main arteries and become an embolus causing stroke or myocardial infarction,or it can also travel to his lower extremities lodging in the femoral artery causing blockage. There are many scenarios, and since I am not his physician and don't know the specifics, it is hard to say what his actual condition is or if it is fatal.

[H2O Man]

68. Has it been reported

anywhere in the news? I think it would be reported in other places if it were true.

[npincus]

70. here ya go

http://www.slate.com/id/2136206/

At what range was Harry Whittington hit? The official story is that the blast from the vice president's shotgun hit Whittington at a distance of 30 yards. Hunters at the Vaughn Building are skeptical. The hunt took place on a cold, windy afternoon. Whittington and his fellow hunters were probably wearing warm clothing—say, a jacket and a flannel shirt. Cheney was using a 28-gauge shotgun, a smaller-diameter firearm with pellets smaller than BBs. Whittington's friends question whether the pellets could have penetrated his layers of clothing and skin at that range. Yet two pellets lodged against his larynx, another was in his liver, and another migrated into the heart muscle, causing the heart attack. The pattern of wounds was between the lower chest and the forehead, a pretty tight zone for shot of 30 yards. If the range was considerably less than 30 yards, then it is likely that Whittington's injuries were worse than the initial statement by Katharine Armstrong indicated. (The blast "knocked him silly," but "he was fine.")

[BuyingThyme]

74. BREAKING: Whittington suffers liver attack.

[Auntie Bush]

75. Good God! How awful!!! Did it bite him!

[spanone]

79. Looks like my kidney stone. Hope it didn't hurt like it.

[Harper_is_Bush]

80. A medical condition can worsen, and doctors are not perfect

the hospital may very well be witholding information, but the claim that they've lied about the severity of this is unfounded.

I have heard several doctors say that these pellets can migrate within the body.

[fortyfeetunder]

82. Where was the Secret Service when all this was going on?

Like wasn't Whittington carrying a gun when he was coming up to Cheney? And they weren't playing hide and go seek?

This is a head-scratcher....

[Harper_is_Bush]

83. "Whittington's family has PROHIBITED the hospital from giving

further updates on his condition!And get this: I heard on the news this morning that Well, what the fuck!"

What the fuck is wrong with that?

[upi402]

85. "just a little over-spray of birdshot"

These neocons are insane -literally.

[flyarm]

86. i posted that yesterday..there are also 2 in his larynx...n/t