Hillary Clinton’s Illness: Is She Unfit For Office Or Is It All Just Rumors? [Videos]
Hillary Clinton’s illness, whatever it may turn out to be, has been one of the hottest topics of conversation among political pundits all year. Is she unfit for office or is it all just rumors? Aside from hearing directly from her personal physician, it’s hard to know for sure. But we have heard from her physician, and people are talking. They’re watching her every move, especially her critics from the other side of the aisle, and taking notes.
Controversy was ignited when her fainting and falling episode meant she was unable to testify before a House committee about the horrific deaths of four Americans in Libya. Thinking it was all a bit too convenient, Republican Representative Allen West “diagnosed” her illness as “Benghazi flu.” She did end up testifying at a later date.
On December 31, more than three weeks after the incident, Mrs. Clinton’s doctors announced the results of an MRI scan that was positive for a “right transverse sinus venous thrombosis.” It was a clot in the vein that’s situated in the space between the brain and the skull behind her right ear. The report revealed that the clot “did not result in a stroke or neurological damage.” Other physicians disagreed with those findings, saying the cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) wasn’t caused by a concussion, but was actually the cause of her fainting. They even went so far as to suggest she had indeed suffered a mild stroke. Symptoms of CVST include fainting and blurred vision, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website. The report goes on to say that the chain of events occurring during a CVST is part of a stroke.
There have been contradictory reports, some claiming Mrs. Clinton had a stroke and others saying she did not. By definition, according to these findings, CVST appears to be part of a stroke. The signs she has demonstrated since, we’ve come to find, are indicative that the reports are correct. Shortly after her fainting episode, she returned to work and was then seen wearing extremely thick glasses, which may have further contributed to the speculation. The glasses are often used in patients who have experienced brain injuries. Only one week afterward, she resigned from her position as secretary of State, fanning the flames of even more speculation about her health.
The Clinton camp quickly worked to reassure Americans that it was merely a little dehydration and a fainting episode. Then the Washington Times reported that her husband Bill Clinton said it “required six months of very serious work to get over” a “terrible concussion,” further continuing concerns that her health issues might be more complicated than we were led to believe. Had this been an isolated incident, perhaps the rumors and speculations might have died down. But it wasn’t.
Hillary Clinton’s illness profile included a blood clot in her leg in 1998. A blood clot, known as a deep vein thrombosis, can be life-threatening. There is a risk of the clot breaking off and forming an embolism that can travel to the heart or lungs, resulting in pulmonary embolism or even death. Then in 2005, Mrs. Clinton fainted while giving a speech in Buffalo, N.Y. In 2009 she fell in the State Department garage, breaking her elbow. In 2011 she collapsed while boarding a flight in Yemen. This Clinton health history was also reported in the Washington Times. Shortly after her infamous fainting episode in December 2012, a spokeswoman for the State Department, Victoria Nuland, spoke out in favor of the argument that appeared to downplay the severity of Hillary Clinton’s illness.
“Judging by the woman we saw this morning and the workload she’s got, she seems to be fully recovered.”
Then came the rapidly spreading wildfire of the American people trying to determine the severity, or lack of, of Hillary Clinton’s illness. As her campaign began to come to life, she was often seen as appearing fatigued and unsteady. Unusual facial expressions, jerking head motions, and a visually evident altered gait didn’t help to quell rumors.
One of the most unsettling incidents in recent weeks has been Mrs. Clinton’s moments of going blank for a moment during public appearances. Recently, she was seen speaking to a large crowd when she stared into space and went silent. A man quickly appeared by her side and instructed her to keep talking, assuring her she would be fine. It is the same man who’s reportedly been seen in constant close proximity to Clinton carrying an auto-inject pen labeled, “Diazepam,” the generic name for Valium. Valium is often given to help halt a prolonged seizure. It is unclear whether there has been any proof that he was carrying the injector pen for Hillary Clinton.
Fox News host claims Hillary Clinton had SEIZURE on camera, has 'secret' health issues https://t.co/ffnrrk5ZY3 pic.twitter.com/IdwYFbZ32e
— Give Biafra Referendum???? ?? (@paragonna011) August 15, 2016
Even Dr. Drew Pinsky has said he is “gravely concerned” about whatever Hillary Clinton’s illness might be, and about the treatment she is receiving, says a report from Breitbart News. It would appear that there are numerous people speculating about her health issues, not in the least Donald Trump and his campaign. Mr. Trump has been saying for quite some time that Hillary Clinton lacks the “stamina” to be president. He’s even gone so far as to question whether or not Mrs. Clinton is “all there.” Trump’s spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson, suggested recently that Clinton might have dysphasia, a condition often seen in post-stroke patients that affects their speech. It is unclear whether she has any proof of the Democratic nominee being diagnosed with such an illness or if it’s something she herself determined by watching Mrs. Clinton in her appearances.
In defense of some of the Clinton “healthers,” as those who assert that Hillary Clinton isn’t healthy, we do know her health history isn’t spotless. Her supporters might argue that no one with a solid resume of working in high-stress jobs who is nearing the age of 70 has a perfect health record. One of Hillary Clinton’s illnesses that has been confirmed is hypothyroidism, says a letter from Mrs. Clinton’s physician in a report from the Washington Post. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland under-produces a hormone that regulates metabolism. She is also on a blood thinner to prevent further clots, a medication that can have potentially serious side effects such as hemorrhaging.
Another symptom of illness that has concerned Americans is Hillary Clinton’s chronic cough. She’s had awkward, prolonged coughing spells during her speeches. Her camp dismisses it as a “tickle in her throat” for which she drinks tea and uses a humidifier at night. Sean Hannity has spoken of some of her coughing fits and lengthy pauses, along with unusual facial expressions. Others have suggested the exaggerated facial expressions and jerking head motions are the result of seizures.
In defense of Hillary Clinton, CNN News published an article on Wednesday that refutes the reports of Hillary Clinton’s illness as rumors. The piece carries a subtitle, “Debunking the Hillary Clinton health conspiracy.” In another case, a surprising voice was heard speaking out against the speculations around Mrs. Clinton’s health. After hearing a clip of Dr. Drew Pinsky discussing his concerns for her, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke up.
“With all due respect to television doctors, when you have a doctor who has never seen the patient begin to give you a complicated, fancy-sounding analysis based on what? I mean, I would be very cautious and I would recommend to doctors for professional reasons to be very cautious deciding you’re going to start analyzing people.”
The Inquisitr recently reported that leaked health claims of seizures have been unproven. Is Hillary Clinton’s illness an issue? Is she really unfit for office, or have we allowed ourselves to presume certain things based on her appearance and rumors we’ve heard? Please sound off in the comments section below.
[Photo by a katz/Shutterstock]
