Emails, State Department briefings—even her own doctor’s official “clean bill of health”—they all show how Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s health is a legitimate concern for voters.
On May 4, 2009, in an email exchange with her longtime aide, Huma Abedin, made public by Judicial Watch as a result of its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department, Clinton said, “I still don’t feel great.” She asked that Abedin schedule her for an Air Force transport because waiting on a commercial shuttle flight would be “too burdensome” to her.
Clinton’s illness that day, based on the transcript of the State Department daily press briefing, was “mild allergies.” But, as anyone with allergies can attest, “mild allergies” are easily treatable with over-the-counter medication or essential oils, depending on one’s preference.
“Mild allergies” are generally not debilitating or incapacitating, unless there is another underlying medical condition. According to then-State Department spokesman Robert Wood and his exchange with the press, Clinton had been suffering from her “mild allergies” for several days.
The Clinton campaign has frequently pointed to the July 28, 2015, letter from her personal physician, Dr. Lisa Bardack, in which she refers to the Democratic presidential nominee as being in “excellent health.” The report is supposedly based upon a May 21, 2015, examination, but, if you actually read the letter, the doctor notes Clinton has had a number of issues.
According to the letter, Clinton has been on anticoagulation medication since 1998, not since her 2012 fainting incident as has been widely reported. And, both of her parents had histories of cardiovascular issues—her father died of a stroke, and her mother died of congestive heart failure.
Following her first deep vein thrombosis—a blood clot in the leg—in 1998, she was told to take Lovenox, a short-term blood-thinning drug, whenever she planned to take long-distance flights. After her fall, concussion, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis—a blood clot in the brain—in 2012, she was permanently placed on Coumadin due to her family’s health history.
Clinton’s 2012 CVST was likewise far more serious than has been reported. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine:
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain’s venous sinuses. This prevents blood from draining out of the brain. As a result, blood cells may break and leak blood into the brain tissues, forming a hemorrhage.
This chain of events is part of a stroke that can occur in adults and children. It can occur even in newborns and babies in the womb. A stroke can damage the brain and central nervous system. A stroke is serious and requires immediate medical attention …
CVST is a rare form of stroke. It affects about 5 people in 1 million each year.
Treatment for CVST can only be done in a hospital, with a treatment plan the would likely include:
- Fluids
- Antibiotics, if an infection is present
- Antiseizure medicine to control seizures if they have occurred
- Monitoring and controlling the pressure inside the head
- Medicine called anticoagulants to stop the blood from clotting
- Surgery
- Continued monitoring of brain activity
- Measuring visual acuity and monitoring change
- Rehabilitation
Although Bardack says Clinton showed no signs of the CVST during a 2013 follow-up, there are a number of potential long-term side effects as a result of the original clot/stroke. These include:
- Impaired speech
- Difficulty moving parts of the body
- Problems with vision
- Headache
- Pressure on nerves
- Brain injury
Bardack’s letter also addresses Clinton’s hypothyroidism, a condition in which her thyroid fails to produce enough of the necessary hormones. Primarily, it affects one’s metabolism, making the patient’s body processes slow down, giving the appearance of “sluggishness.”
It can also impair one’s mental faculties.
Clinton has been prescribed Armour Thyroid, a natural drug made from the thyroid hormones of animals, most often pigs. According to the drug’s manufacturer, if her dosage is off, it can lead to a number of side effects, including:
- Mental/mood changes (such as nervousness, mood swings)
- Tiredness
- Shaking (tremor)
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
Any and all of these health conditions could impede her ability to perform as president, particularly in times of crisis.
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