Boy have I got to stop watching CSPAN! I cant help it though it is so rich in pathology. I was watching Rep. Barney Frank when he was discussing the A.I.G. issue. At first it was hard to get through his aphrasia and his velopharyngeal incompetence but when I closed my eyes it was the aprosody that was so striking! It is just like the responses I get when I catch a prescription drug abusers trying to convince us that they need pain medications in the ER for something that they dont have. Then in between questions he had classic Biot's breathing which makes me think that there may be hydrocephalus or at least something worthy of a mri and tap for opening pressure.
I know that I mentioned this before and I am sure that it is probably why the whole HIPPA law was enacted, but cant we make sure that every elected official has a complete physical and mental health exam before running for or taking office? I mean we can comply with HIPPA and keep all information private except to the election commission who could simply state, "you cant run because you have a brain defect on MRI". Oh, wait a minute, that would be discrimination and they passed laws agaist that as well. How then do you get rid of an elected official who has a major health issue that prevents his or her ability to fill their post? Are there guidelines and then who enforces them? I'll bet money that the amount of Senators with Lewey bodies on MRI would scare the pants off of us. What about the meds that they are on? Would you trust your representative if you found out that they take 1 mg of Xanax tid for anxiety, adderal for ADD and then Effexor for depression and that they have bipolar characteristics? We have already had a president with Addisons disease and associated steroid psychosis and he managed to put nuclear missles in Turkey and take us to DEFCON 4. How do we even know what the blood alcholol level is of our Congressman when they vote on bills? Is there routine drug testing? Do you even notice that Sen. Feinstein has conjunctival irritation and mydriasis? I hope that it is allergies and the result of her medications!
Back to CSPAN, Sen. Dodd is talking, does he have ocular hypertelorism?
5 comments:
Aphrasia
A person may be able to speak or understand single words but is not able to communicate with words that are arranged in meaningful phrases or sentences.
Velopharyngeal incompetence
The inability of the velum (soft palate) and related musculature to close the nasopharynx, separating the oral and nasal cavities for the production of oral consonants. A VPI can be caused by a deficiency of the velum or an increased size of the pharynx.
Aprosody
A lack of variations in normal speech characteristics, such as speed, tone, and varied emphasis.
Biot's respiration
An abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by groups of quick, shallow inspirations followed by regular or irregular periods of apnea (interrupted breathing). It generally indicates a poor prognosis.
Hydrocephalus
Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles (cavities) of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, and mental disability.
Lewy Body Disease
An array of dementia and motor symptoms. Abnormal microscopic protein deposits are found in structures in mid-brain nerve cells that disrupt the brain's normal functioning, causing it to slowly deteriorate.
Mydriasis
Prolonged abnormal dilatation of the pupil of the eye caused by disease or a drug.
Ocular Hypertelorism
An increase in the inter-orbital distance, often associated with defective development of the cranial bones and by the complete or partial absence of the collar bones, and sometimes with mental deficiency.
Aneurysm
Vice President Joe Biden, 65, released medical records detailing the treatment of two brain aneurysms in 1988 and other, mostly minor medical problems.
HA! Andrew - I should have just come right into comments and then I could have read yours. Geez..I just came out of google. looked everything up but the hydrocephalus.
Throckmorton.. I often have to look things up in here, but that's okay..learned some new things. :)
Throckmorton you said, "Would you trust your representative if you found out that they take 1 mg of Xanax tid for anxiety, adderal for ADD and then Effexor for depression and that they have bipolar characteristics?"
Could they really function on all that? Oh wait...it feels like our elected officials aren't functioning. Silly me. Um... i think you could ass the officials in the treasury department to those conditions.
Barney Frank. For the life of me I do not understand why he gets away with all that he has done with Fanny mae and freddie mac. ???
And when he puffs up and blames others for the financial downfall I have to disengage because I can barely tolerate him and his ilk.
So disingenuous. I don't know why he remains a prominent political figure. ???
Clever...yet disturbing post.
You know... I was just in drudge, watched talking heads earlier and I should be used to it by now... but I just feel like our government is way out of control and when I see theses supposed leaders who are in charge...having their way with everything, it seems so surreal and it is unnerving/scary/disturbing.
I know a lot of people would disagree with me... but yesterday while waiting for my scan films, friend and I felt so good seeing GW's face on the television. It was like seeing a trusted friend... reassuring. I know he made financial mistakes too but at least felt safe militarily...as much as one can during these trying times.
And something else struck me. Obviously... he was not an eloquent speaker (although have seen him speaking fluidly), but he seemed humble and respectful. I could be wrong... but I also feel like we are seeing such arrogance with the new political leaders in power. It just feels so wrong.
And I don't mean to sound petty... but what's up with the president going on Leno joking around when we are in such dire financial straights right now? He was funny though. But without seeing anyone's opinion...it just hit me as inappropriate at this time...while he is still new and our country/citizens are going through such a financial crisis.
It just seemed that he needed to be more presidential... that we need to feel his strength and not be laughing at or with him on some comedy show.
One last thing...if Bush had made that comment about the developmentally disabled population and the special Olympics... oh my gosh! Can you just imagine all the AIRTIME on almost all the news networks and written about in various publications and how he would've been raked over the coals?
I understand people make mistakes...it is the hypocritical media reporting and hypocrisy of the officials in power.
I think Obama is going to be on 60 minutes Sunday night.
He is just not experienced enough for the job yet.
I heard person calling into a program this morning calling Obama a *media creation*. I think that is it exactly. And the masses were sucked in ... hook, line and sinker.
Actually...for the uninformed masses that get their information from soundbites and biases... I can understand.
But I have to say... for the conservatives that opted NOT to vote because they were mad at the party or were apathetic about McCain and even worse... for the conservatives that should have known better, like Peggy Noonan and William F Buckley's son and those politically savvy...SHAME ON THEM!
How could anyone be so short sighted? How COULD these people cross over like that to vote for one of the most liberal senators and for the most inexperienced person for the most important job in the world? How? Why?
Okay... maybe they didn't like how McCain kept stating he was going to change the way Washington was run. maybe they didn't want Washington as they knew it uprooted.
But geez... sometimes in life... you are not going to like what's immediately in front of you, but darn...you have to be able to see the BIGGER more important picture, in politics...vote for the lesser evil if you're not happy with the choices.
Well... now they can reap what they have sown, but unfortunately we all have to suffer.
I really feel like we don't have a president.
I have never felt this disappointed in a presidency for as long as I can remember.
It's early...I REALLY hope he proves me wrong and if he does I will be more than happy to give credit where credit is do.
And last time I will say this... but seriously... that egregious idea to make wounded veterans pay for their own health care was SO REVEALING and shows you where the priorities are. Of all the things that could possibly be cut...they that they would even think it was a possibility to do that to our war heroes... and I think it only would've saved millions.
ha! Listen to me...ONLY would've saved MILLIONS...like millions is 100.00. I'm just so used to hearing billions and trillions multiplied that we the taxpayers have to pay for and that our taxpayer dollars have also gone over sees to help European banks... when people are suffering financially here. ??? And I am NOT an isolationist, we do have to think globally... but the money going over seas??? And what about owing so much debt to China?
This couldn't end up like Monopoly could it? You know... where once the player gets Boardwalk, Park Place and all the good real estate they WIN the game. ??
Can you really just keep printing money?
I am sorry Throckmorton for going so off track.
I guess you, Scalpel and MDOD and Happy are where I read political commentary that makes sense to me.
LOL! And I really like Dr Schwab a lot... but if I want to be tortured... I read his "cutting the Crap" blog. Sometimes I agree... but usually do not.
That should've been "Cutting Through the Crap" blog.
http://sidschwab.blogspot.com/
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