On Dec. 7th it was initially reported that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was suffering from stomach flu and had fallen and sustained a concussion after hitting her head.
This announcement came shortly before Secretary Clinton's scheduled testimony before the Senate Armed Forces Committee on the Benghazi fiasco which claimed four American lives on the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
In a very uncharacteristic move, Secretary Clinton seemingly vanished for nearly a month. No public appearances, no photos, she was out of the public eye for weeks. Her staff reported that she was resting at home but that explanation was met with considerable skepticism.
With the prospect of the Senate hearing looming, many of her opponents questioned the timing of her sudden mysterious illness and opined that her mysterious absence was an attempt to avoid testifying on Benghazi as long as possible.
During this period Clinton announced her intention to step down from her position as Secretary of State. Senator John Kerry has since been confirmed as her replacement.
When Ms. Clinton finally returned to work a month later it was widely noted that she was wearing unusual eyewear and it was reported that her new specs were to assist her with double vision and that she was also suffering from vertigo.
While I am certainly not a physician, Hillary Clinton's symptoms are very much like the symptoms associated with an ischemic stroke.
While I am certain that Clinton would not want to acknowledge having suffered a stroke as it would likely negatively impact her chances for a 2016 Presidential run, the clues are there if you look for them:
- She disappeared from public view for a month.
- She announces her resignation while still on sick leave,
- She acknowledges having suffered a "concussion", which is a form of brain injury.
- She acknowledges taking blood thinning medication to treat a blood clot in the brain.
- She acknowledges suffering from vertigo.
- She has been caught dozing off repeatedly in recent appearances.
- She is wearing glasses featuring fresnel type lens.
While several of these facts can be associated with a stroke, Secretary Clinton's glasses are particularly interesting.
Fresnel lens glasses are used to treat homonymous hemianopia in which the patient loses half of the visual field in each eye which results in double vision and frequently in severe vertigo as well.
While it is possible that there are other explanations for Clinton's recent health issues, it seems to me that the Press needs to be asking more questions.
If she has suffered a stroke, Clinton is likely concealing it in an effort to maintain a viable candidacy for 2016. As a public figure however, her health is a matter of public concern and she should open her health records to the media.
Does the American public want to elect a President who may have already suffered one stroke? Especially if that stroke prevented her from continuing in her position as Secretary of State?
As a stroke survivor myself, I have to think that if Clinton has suffered a stroke, perhaps she would better serve as a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association and avoid the high pressures associated with a lengthy campaign and the demands of high office.
* A request for comment from Secretary Clinton's Press Office has thus far gone unanswered.
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