There are rumors that fidel castro had an emergency tracheotomy on Friday, possibly causing the fidel is dead melee ensued.
Here’s what a tracheotomy is, from Health A to Z:
Definition
A tracheotomy is a surgical procedure in which a cut or opening is made in the windpipe (trachea). The surgeon inserts a tube into the opening to bypass an obstruction, allow air to get to the lungs, or remove secretions. The term tracheostomy is sometimes used interchangeably with tracheotomy. Strictly speaking, however, tracheostomy usually refers to the opening itself while a tracheotomy is the actual operation.
Purpose
A tracheotomy is performed if enough air is not getting to the lungs, if the person cannot breathe without help, or is having problems with mucus and other secretions getting into the windpipe because of difficulty swallowing. There are many reasons why air cannot get to the lungs. The patient’s windpipe may be blocked by a swelling; by a severe injury to the neck, nose or mouth; by a large foreign object; by paralysis of the throat muscles; or by a tumor. The patient may be in a coma, or need a ventilator to pump air into the lungs for a long period of time.
Precautions
Doctors perform emergency tracheotomies as last-resort procedures. They are done only if the patient’s windpipe is obstructed and the situation is life-threatening.
Emph. mine.
Health A to Z also cites a tracheotomy on anyone over 60 as “high-risk.”
Now, Im no doctor nor surgeon, so pardon me if Im just conjecturing here, but what is the point of doing this type of procedure on a patient that’s 81 years old? And if there is a valid medical reason, what are the chances, with a person that age and in poor health, as we’ve been told by the Cuban Government for over a year now, of a full and proper recovery?
Val, fifo’s dead, but raulita is delaying making the announcement to prove you wrong, make babalublog look bad. Keep quiet on the subject so they’ll finally make the announcement. You’re holding up the process. LOL.
LOL Jluix!
Mum’s the word….
is a Tracheotomy standard SOP during an autopsy?
or during the embalming process???
I think I saw a post late last week that questioned why would the Cuban Govt announce fifo’s death; if we sit back and analyze it, what conditions need to exist for them to make such an announcement? Or better yet, how would they benefit (cuban govt) from such an announcement? I don’t know but I think they will keep it quiet for as long as possible.
A tracheotomy is an emergency procedure; isn’t this a good excuse to explain why the valiant socialist doctors tried everything to save him but couldn’t?
Or maybe someone high in the government had the good sense to just slit his throat so the country can move on.
Fifo is such a nut!!! most people his age sign DNR’s…he probably thinks he can be the first person to live forever!!!
There’s no doubt that the Raul wants to deprive us from our “Ding, Dong, the witch is dead” moment, and the estatic, spontaneous jubiliation that would follow immediately after official announcement of his death. The official announcement will occur on Raul’s timetable, as their final bit of “control” over the process of Fid’s death. There’s a good chance Fid is gone, but as of now, IF this latest RUMOR is true, he is still alive, and any assertion about his death is speculative.
I, too, believe that Fifo is burning in hell at this moment as we speculate on his faith, but in the slight chance that he is still alive, we should rejoice that he’s had a tracheotomy, that means that he has tubes going up his ass and down his throat. He can’t be a happy camper, don’t you think? Good let him suffer.
By the way, don’t you think that US intelligence knows whether Castro is dead of alive? Yet, they are complicitous with the regime in not telling us.
Lucha,
…IF this latest RUMOR is true, he is still alive, and any assertion about his death is speculative.
that’s the whole point, why should we offer any more credibility to this “latest” rumor than the one preceeding it? Which one of the two is more logical? That an 81 year old man that has been ill for some time is dead, or that an 81 year old man that has been ill for some time had an emergency tracheotomy for some undertmined reason?
The announcement will be made when we least expect it..like the last one when Fifo handed over his power to Raul. I never saw it coming…not even a rumor.
So when you least expect it….expect it!
So right now, I am NOT expecting the announcement of FiFo’s death holding my “Bacardi 8” bottle of rum!
A tracheotomy. Amazing to what extent doctors had to go to shut him off.
I could have suggested other ways…
Any doctor will do whatever they can to save their patient. Also, do you want to be known as the doctor that couldn’t save Fidel or the doctor that saved Fidel?
I have thought for many days now that Castro took a turn for the worst but was saved and is now or was recently on life support.
It is probably safe to say that Fidel will not live through 2007. That the safest prediction that I want to make at this time.
havanjournal,
There have been reports that castro has been on life support since early last month. And yes, any doctor will do anything to save a patient, but any GOOD doctor do what’s best for the patient. I hardly think that a tracheotomy on an 81 year old can be good for that patient.
If you go back to the original reports from Nuevo Accion that go back about 3 weeks they said that the tyrant had taken a turn for the worse and was being kept alive through machines (which presume is a ventillator). If so, this report of his tracheotomy makes sense. He’s brain dead baby and they are just keeping what’s left of his shit filled body alive while they rearrange the deck chairs.
Henry,
ordinarily, I would agree with your statement, It’s smart and logical, however, just how much time do they need to arrange the deck chairs? They’ve had over a year to plan this party already.
They cant still be arranging the deck chairs, what theyre waiting for is the perfect and most opportune moment to divulge the truth. This tracheotomy reads like a ruse to me.
They need a good diversion, like a hurricane.
Val,
I ask this again in more direct terms; what interest does it serve them to announce his death at all? Are the Cubans in Havana striking or demanding some news? No, so I can’t see how it would serve Raul, other than satisfying his own ego of being the man, to announce FiFo’s death.
Diversion? Did someone say diversion?
🙂
Man, I hadnt thought of that…
…ahem…
maybe, six months from now, when we’re all still waiting for the official announcement, and on the off chance that the MSM grows some balls between now and then and starts, you know, asking for the truth, the Cuban government can say that yes, fidel castro is alive and well, but that he cant grant any interviews or speak publicly anymore because of that emergency tracheotomy he had back in August….
Sheer brilliance!!!
Actually, the delay in announcing that fidel died is due to a delay in the free tshirts that Raul purchased from a new vendor in China. Cuba will give away one free tshirt per family for everyone that participates in the street rally/mourning throughout Cuba when they announce his death. More tshirts are available for 19.99 each US dollars!
LongIsland,
The Cuban is h=havana arent asking about his health because it’s illegal to and I seriously doubt, after 50 years of oppression, that cubans would finally take to the streets for such a mundane thing as info on fidel castro’s health.
it could be any number of reasons why the Cuban governmnet wouldnt want to annonuce the news. from discesionin the ranks of the elite, to concern over a mass exodus or people taking to the streets, or over economic issues, concern over US reaction, the loss of Venezuelan subsidies…etc.. Your guess is as good as mine.
That’s my point, I can’t think of a scenario where they would announce his death…it’s not in their interest…
LongIsland,
Agreed that it’s not in their best interest, short term. In the long term – and basically for any discerning person, it’s been a year now – it diminishes their credibility (or what little credibility they now have).
How long do you think they can pull it off, with showing fidel only in suspect photos and crappy videos and “written” editorials?
the longer they draw this out, the worse it is for the Cuban governemnt.
Good point and putting the emotional aspects of this aside, the political intrique is fascinating…there must be so much shit going on behind the scenes…power struggles, backstabbing, fear, etc.
I have heard (radio bemba) that Juanita castro is in Havana. I dont know if anyone in Miami has heard that. If thats the case then we know for sure that castro is in its fial days. Because I have heard that she hasn’t been back since she came in the 60’s.
For what it’s worth, don’t know if this was posted somewhere else on the site. Pardon me if I have duplicated this:
Miami’s police chief says there is reason to believe something is going on with Castro.
Chief John Timoney said, “Two nights ago, the head of the FBI called me, at about 11 o clock at night at said the chatter is stronger and more frequent then usual, so, there is something there.”
Full link here http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=61933
Val,
In answer to your your statement about how long it takes to rearrange the deck chairs, it depends. I know you have been saying all along that fidel has been dead for some time. I disagree. I believe in Ockhams razor and that probably the simplest explanation is the actual one. Here’s what has happened in my opinion.
Fidel had an acute attack of divericulitis last July. He refused the colostomy they recommended. They tried to repair the damage without the colostomy. He bled profusely and was barely hanging on when his lackeyes made the announcement that Raul would be temporarily taking over.
Unfortunately for us he recovered somewhat and we soon saw the first adidas pictures. He is said to have had several surgeries. I believe that one of those was after the initial track suit pictures but before the “frankenstein in the elevator” video.
That frankenstein video was the worst shape anyone has ever seen fidel. After that they released a couple of video and images with him significantly fuller in the face than the frankenstein video.
What I think we saw was a man who was swinging in the pendulum between recovery and death.
The problem this creates for the lackeyes is that if he were to make a full a recovery then anything they did while he was sick would be subject to his criticism. As you know that’s not a good thing. So everyone kept on as if fidel were 100% and looking over their shoulder.
In my opinion, the Nuevo Accion reporting is probably accurate. Fidel had recovered enough to be moved from the hospital to a residence. But once there he took a turn for the worse.
Now there’s no recovering. Only planning about how to make the announcement and when. How much pressure to apply to the dissidents, etc.
Val:
He can’t speak or give interviews, but can he DANCE?
Claudia
I believe they gave my dad one when he fell into his coma from a stroke. It made the resporator easier to use but once they turned off the machine he died within a day.
If the regime announced fidel’s death:
What would they do without the object of the cult of personality they built?
When will it all fall apart for them?
Where would they get the money to continue operations, once probate proceedings across Europe and Asia freeze and seize overseas Cuban assets?
Why would the Americans refrain from exploiting the resulting state of weakness, considering castroite agents’ history of sabotage and subversion in the USA?
How long do they think they can keep this charade up?
San Antonio Maria Claret, please, please, please, I’m counting on your prophesy to come true.