My sister had her five year survivor point in September. She still has “chemo brain” episodes. And even doctors are recognizing chemo brain is a valid phenomenon. Fortunately, her doctors both recognized it and helped her understand it.

I think he is hiding his reliance on antipsychotic drugs. Why else is he sticking his tongue out all the time? This guy is freaking on something.

Thank you, Jane, and more power to you.

One of my concerns would be his having been a boxer while in the navy. Evidently he wasn’t a very good boxer either. How many times does a person need to get hit in the head before some serious damage can occur – some which may not show up for years.

Jane, great post!

Hope you are well and excited about a great victory in Nov.

Ol’ John McCain..he seems like a flailing one legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

Not to mention that the stress of the job ages people like twice as fast.

Of course, you are right. Walmart gives potential employees a physical. There’s no reason why presidential candidates should not be examined by an independent committee of physicians and their finding revealed and there’s no reason why this should not be made mandatory by legislation. While we are at it, legislation should require presidents to hold a minimum number of press conferences whose format is also set by law. No reason to allow a president to choose his favorites. He should answer questions from whoever’s turn it is. Also pre-election debate formats should be fixed by legislation and not left up to the candidates. It’s way past time for us to be adult about who we elect and how they act after taking office.

I am, on both counts. Thanks.

Walmart gives potential employees a physical.

That is a very good point.

And why is Phalin refusing to release her medical records?

And why is Phalin refusing to release her medical records?

Her recent mythical pregnancy?

Jane bless your health and your continued commitment to truth and justice..you are an inspiration
McCain Refusing to release all of his medical records not a good sign. Then choosing Sarah Palin as the person to fill his shoes if heaven forbid something should happen to McCain. This is clearly a dis-service to our nation. reflecting very poor judgement.

Ot
Jane I just keep thinking another dis-service has been directed towards our Vets who were protesting outside the debate last week and were arrested and have basically been ignored in the press. Not only did the Joe the Plumber hogwash trump some of the most critical issues facing our nation, the MSM and the progressive blogosphere have basically ignored that protest and the arrest of our Vets. What a dis-service to our Vets and their serious concerns about the continued war in Iraq. Just keep thinking this issue deserves more attention.

I think putting the war in Iraq back on the front pages would not only provide our Vets with the attention they deserve but that this would be beneficial for the Obama campaign.
http://www.democracynow.org/20….._debate_in

Thanks, Jane. That slow motion video on AmericaBlog a couple of weeks ago was weird. And a doctor said that it looked as if McC had a mini-stroke right there on stage. He was disoriented right after. I think there’s a lot more we need to know and have a right to know about this.

The subject of McCain’s health most certainly is.

Especially considering that his potential successor is totally unqualified to lead the country.

Thanks Jane.

digg

Jane – something that is getting completely lost in this discussion of the NYT article is the author’s mention of the fact that Palin and her campaign refuse to be interviewed about her medical/health history ..nor will they release medical records. Why? Why? I suspect that if they did, someone would notice something there…or, more importantly, NOT there…as in, no record or evidence of her having given birth to Trig.

George Will is such a dick head.He is mad that a strong,smart black man is about to run the county. Obama has open doors for all african americans to. That you can do anything you put your mind to do.Obama will be the first black president but not the last.There will be many more to follow him in his footsteps.For all you raciest out there,remember one thing,the world is not white vs black anymore,it’s built on all colors. Barack Obama is not running for president because he want to be the first black president, but because he want to make change.So quit trying to judge him because of his color,judge him for what he’s trying to do for our country.Once yall get that fucking raciest shit out of your heads, then you’ll see that Brack Obama is where we need to be!!!!!!!!

Very good post.
Very good question.

That or it’d just highlight the fact that McCain won’t release his medical records.

Yeah!

Both McCain and Palin refuse to release their Medical Records. This can’t be good news for Republicans. Can it? George Will? Pat Buchannon?

v. glad to hear it!

Amen…it is transformational, the time has come, it is a time to celebrate. This election has the opening to offer some healing for our tragic racist history….a step of progress & promise. I love your comments.

ot – bernanke testifying before the house budget committee on cspan now

bless you Jane..stay healthy you are much loved and admired!!

re: McCrazy’s health:

I’d settle for I’d very much like to see a drug test administered too.

If that man wasn’t speeding his brains out at the last debate, then I’ve never seen… well then, I *really* want to see his medical records.

Although I still have questions about Lil Fishpicker Trig’s maternity, I don’t think we should go there. More troubling is Palin’s totally irresponsible conduct and disregard for the health of her baby by rushing back to Alaska when her water broke. Besides, Dallas has better medical than just about anywhere in the “lower 48″ and certainly better than Alaska or any care available on a commercial flight.

There are so many indications that something is wrong. I think McC wants to prez so badly that he doesn’t even care and feels that if he should die in office that’s okay. He would have achieved his goal in life and doesn’t care about what happens to the country after him.

think McC wants to prez so badly that he doesn’t even care and feels that if he should die in office that’s okay. He would have achieved his goal in life and doesn’t care about what happens to the country after him.

true – all of dat.

As a cancer survivor too… just hit my 1 year anniversary…. and Thursday I have my full body CT’s for my follow up I totally agree.

The whole bamboozle where reporters were given 3 hours to review those records AND there is another point….. Ms Palin has refused to to release her records. So where have Two big black holes of lack of knowledge on the state of the health of the Republican ticket.

Arizona has the second highest rate of skin cancer after Florida…..

We have the right to know the state of the health of the man who is running for President

Might be better to talk about Palin’s self proclaimed vindication as opposed to real world guilt.

there is plenty of great pushback available in Will’s own words about Jackie Robinson – hope some enterprising dfh picks up on it

Good Morning Jane and Firedogs

OT I got polled by Rasmussen last night. It wasn’t at all like I would have thought it to be.

Is anyone else aware of other Presidential of V.P candidates who have refused to hand over their medical records?

Bless you!

Great post Jane. The press access was limited to McCain’s medical records to three or so hours, no recording devices allowed and I don’t know if the MSM sent in a doc or not to look at them.

Remember the “outrage” over Kerry’s records? The cries of falsity and manufactured outrage over his wounds sustained in the service? Nothing like a double standard by a media in the tank for Dear Ol’ John Sidney the Third.

I don’t know the extent of patient confidentiality here, but would terminated pregnancies show up on Palin’s med record?

I know why they don’t want to show their medical records, because they’ve been drinking that hater rade. They been haten on Obama,now it’s finally making them sick.Just look at them, I wouldn’t show my medical records neither. Palin is diognoist with crazy and McCain is diognoist with lossed his mind and old age.

hurray!,good luck….

Republican John McCain NEEDS to tell the American people THE FULL STORY of his relationship with dangerous and possibly fatal skin melanoma.

How can Americans trust a president ABOUT ANYTHING if he can’t be trusted in revealing his true health condition?

Here’s what the article says about Joe Biden:
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, 65, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, had emergency surgery in 1988 for an aneurysm in an artery in his brain and elective surgery for a second one. His campaign released 49 pages of medical records to The New York Times late last week showing that he was healthy, but the documents did not indicate whether he had had a test in recent years to detect any new aneurysm.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10…..odayspaper

Patient confidentiality is why we can’t see either McShame or Palin’s records. Most candidates wave their confidentiality rights.

McNastys file was 1200 pages…UNNUMBERED so one could not tell if some was mising or lost

I don’t know if the MSM sent in a doc or not to look at them.

CNN sent Sanjay Gupta. He said that he didn’t see anything alarming, but that the time was too limited, and that the pages were not numbered, so that he couldn’t be sure w/n he had been provided everything, or chosen records.

Jane, when you ponder the exhaustion and incapacity you suffered from your treatments, don’t you just wonder how McCain’s ambitions could matter more than his own country? Isn’t this the antithesis of his “Country First” pledge?

It is no small risk he puts our nation in, by seeking this office when he KNOWS (like all survivors) his future holds such serious and potentially mortal question marks.

The thought of picking a political primordial like Palin only makes McCain’s selfishness and willfulness that much more egregious and transparent.

“Country First?” Apparently not for John McCain.

I am not sure that the pages are ever numbered (to be fair)

Googling around I found this post on general aspects of melanoma from someone who has it:

http://carmymelanoma.blogspot……anoma.html

This article is by a neurologist and a surgeon. It has McCain’s melanoma history. This is its principal interest. The two physicians place a very low probability (a few %) on recurrence or mortality from melanoma for McCain. In this they are wrong. With 4 occurrences of melanoma already, average statistical analyses have to be thrown out the window. McCain has a very high likilihood of developing further melanomas.

Oops missed the second link:

http://hnn.us/articles/50518.html(slashes

Depends on how you define Country. We now know that there are real (and unreal) Virginias and patriotic (and un patriotic) Amerikas

Or her abortion history.

ot – house budget hearing.

kaptur lecturing bernanke on what he should have done and what he should be doing. awesome. don’t have to agree with everything she is saying to appreciate her approach and engagement. more like her please.

Or her abortion history.

that is none of our business.

trying to think back several years to when I did some personal injury work.

IIRC, medical records gathered via discovery would always come with a cover page from the medical institution’s keeper of records affirming that the documents submitted were an accurate and *complete* presentation of the person-at-issue’s medical records.

But, I think that you’re right, I don’t recall that I ever saw them numbered, just dated. As to records for and within any given singular day/date, I still don’t remember that the pages were numbered.

caveat – it’s been a while, but I think I’m remembering correctly.

I imagine it’s just cover for McCain, but could be wrong.

The actual GOP base is COUNTING on McCain not being in very good health. They are seriously hoping he wins so that he can then be quickly “called to jaysus!” and Phalin can move in and start the End Times in earnest.

I am not sure that the pages are ever numbered (to be fair)

Not numbered but they are dated. I have no idea what was made available but there should be doctor’s notes usually handwritten or transcribed and pasted in, lab results, surgical notes, imaging reports, etc.

but what is the probability of it happening within the next 4 years (if it hasn’t already)? that, i think, is the question – not the probability of it ever happening.

Ordinarily I would agree with you, but she is running with a view to overturn Roe v Wade, and professes to believe that abortion should be illegal for everyone!

I’ve been thinking the October Surprise will turn out to be an announcement of McCain bowing out for health reasons before November 4. This doesn’t appear to be likely at this stage. McCain seems to be quite driven by ambition.

Maybe not, but they are chronological and a close examination by a physician would certainly establish whether they were complete and accurate. Apparently he is hiding something, republicans fear disclosure like roaches fear sunlight. Why tell the truth when obfuscation whether about war, the economy or your health always seems to work? It’s the republican way: lie today, lie tomorrow and then lie next week about ever lying at all. Perfect strategery.

i agree with you

It is not well known, but most of McCain’s medical records were written on papyrus scrolls and have degraded to the point where they can’t be deciphered.

-G

-G =”G”

It seems like it would be an impossible task. Think of all of the things that might be coming in – doctor notes, lab reports, X-ray analysis, and etc.

If the Palins had their way, we would see bloody class warfare in this country, not between the wealthy and the middle class, but between her “REAL” Americans and all of us outside that private club.

And McCain would be glad to see anyone on the liberal side of the protester’s fence end up on the wrong end of a billy club, he has so much as said so. His roots come from a lifetime of military privilege.

These people really do foment “two Americas” and it has nothing to do with rich v. poor.

Was just watching the YouTube of “Morning Joe” to see Dr. B’s take on the Powell endorsement. The chyron said that Biden will be releasing more medical records today. I do not expect any commensurate revelations from the GOP side.

I feel very strongly that there is probably a lot in (or specifically, not there) Ms. Palin’s medical records. There is now way they will ever be released.

The rampant mendacity in her life is simply astonishing. For the public to see any real truth about her might cause the veil to start slipping.

I would remind you that the military is not democratic and that is his tradition. He resents not being the leader.

still don’t think we have any right to her medical records that have no bearing on her ability to do the job.

not that, in this case, we need her medical records to see that palin has no qualifications or ability to justify her being POTUS.

I disagree. If she’s had an abortion it’s something we should know if only to evaluate her hypocrisy quotient.

I agree

gag reflex alert: McCain on teevee at campaign rally in St Charles, MO. Dozens of people are underwhelmed. Film at 11

Jane has a new post up and ready: “McCain: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid — Of Obama’s Campaign Contributors”

1801 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Thanx for the post Sister Hamsher…I believe that shinnin’ the lights on the question of Crazy John’s health brings his age and Sarah Palin into everyone’s living room. No matter what the final verdict is on McCrazy’s overall health and the status of his cancer, bringin’ up the secrecy shrouding his health records leads directly to the question everyone must ask about his age and mental stablility and his predispositions to violent anger. And of course, no matter what conclusion folks draw as to the probabilty of his mortality in the next four years, jest askin the question puts the idea of Palin in the Oval Office front and center.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, GOD IS WATCHIN’AND SHE’S PISSED OFF!!!

Agree with Jayt. Amphetamines. He was a combat pilot and would have used them before.

I would agree, it is none of our business.
But the Republicans insist on making it their business.

It goes to her credibility and veracity. That’s part of her temperment, and the ability to do the job. You should be believable to be President. Voters should have a right to expose blatant hypocrisy is such exists. If not, she has a right to prove it!

Let me get this straight about “the rapture” which all these nuts can’t wait to happen. All the believers would be raptured up to heaven while the rest of us are left to endure the unspeakable horror of the Apocalypse? How Christian is that?

I thought they were destroyed in the great fire in Alexandria.

In 48 BC.

OT Msnbc now showing McShame rally. His rallies resemble D rated movies where 4 people costitutes a mob whereas at Obamas rallies have to be photographed from helicopters to show the crowds extending forever

Was just watching the YouTube of “Morning Joe” to see Dr. B’s take

linkie?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21…..3#27278702

Dr. B and Mika/Joe

but what is the probability of it happening within the next 4 years (if it hasn’t already)? that, i think, is the question – not the probability of it ever happening.

You can’t assign a probability in McCain’s case. With 4 occurrences already he is atypical. All you can really say is that after his first occurrence in 1993, seven years later he had 2 occurrences, 5 years later in 2003 he had another. We are now in 2008 so if his past history is any guide he is about due for another in the next year or two.

I don’t know. he could be Bi-Polar and be in his manic state.

What is scary is that we have two people running on the Republican ticket who are less mentally stable than I am.

I have been fighting depression and alcoholism. Nineteen months clean and sober, thank you. (I suspect mild PTSD though it has never been diagnosed) I was finally diagnosed with Bi-Polar II and Anxiety Disorder. I see a lot of McCain’s erratic behavior to be similar to mine before I got the right meds.

Based on actuarial tables, there is a 33% probability that McCain will not survive his term. A conservative “guesstimate” considering his health issues would be that he has less than a 50% chance of finishing his term.

Scarier yet is the highly likely chance that he will be incapacitated at some time before 2012.

i’m not saying we shouldn’t make any judgements regarding her hypocrisy – just that we shouldn’t demand to go through her medical records looking for it.

just because the Rs do bullshit stuff like this doesn’t mean we have to.

and p.s. you sure this is about credibility and veracity and not looking for a partisan advantage?

thanks.

fwiw,

personally the fact that neither is releasing (or only releasing what they want) is going to be troubling for those few independants still undecided. I think there’s general consensus here as to whom we are voting but for anyone still undecided the longer this has legs, the worse it looks for both McCain and especially Palin.

Much has been made of Sen. McCain’s bouts with melanoma. That coupled with his age is giving the appearance of something being hidden that is worse than the obvoius scars and bandages that we’ve seen in the past. For anyone thinking that Sen. McCain will not serve his full term this is exasperating those fears. It’s for this reason also that Gov. Palin’s refusal to release hers is even more troubling. She is by all accounts a healthy mid-40ish woman. Her medical records should not be that difficult to disect, unless…………

It’s this unless that seems to me to be the classic case of ideology vs. reality if Trig is not naturally her son. The failure to put this to rest definitavely is the only reason that this debate continues. Medical records of her pregnancy easily clears that up. However it does then raise issues of her judgement in the events that led up to his birth. I would be hard pressed to defend her flying from Dallas to Alaska (with a layover in Seattle) knowing that she was in active labor knowing that that child was going to be special needs and knowing that some of the finest medical facilities were within minutes of where she was. If for some ideological reason Trig had to be born in Alaska, then that needs to be addressed.

But what if Trig was actually her daughter’s child. That fact would (as it has done to those who believe this) directly fly into the face of her ideology of abstinence and family values. It would give the impression of pro-life not being as much a choice in and of itself but an edict. It also gives the impression of one who couldn’t teach her own daughter those values that she claims to hold dearly.

Finally, the economics of raising a special needs child is enormous. Would Trig be covered under the fathers insurance? Would Trig be covered under her mothers insurance (state health plan since Todd doesn’t appear to have a full time job) or would he have to be covered under a federal/state medical assistance program? What option would you take if you had the opportunity?

I guess, in short, it’s no so much the minute details that are of a concern to me with respects to both Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin, it’s knowing that there’s nothing to hide.

Did anyone else notice at the last debate (Oct 15)the sharp reduction of that big lump in McCain’s left jaw?

He reportedly went to AZ to prepare for the debate and made no appearance over the weekend. His doctor is in Scottsdale,AZ. Did he have some procedure over that weekend that reduced or removed that lump?

Surgery could be covered up by using that “skin” used by actors to age them. In a clip since the debate McCain touched the area beneath his left eye and a small bubble appeared there and remained for the duration of the clip.

IMO McCain and the Republican National Committee are trying to deceive the people of America. More lies.

I wonder what will happen to their cars when they ascend? I need a new one

You must mean photographed from a helicopter to show how many “anti-Americans” there are in support of Obama/Biden

Regarding Trig’s birth: I read reports that Trig’s birth is not on record at the medical facility where he was supposedly born. I have seen no report of a public record of his birth. Has anyone seen an update on this subject?

The medical coverage was a big part of the original conversation. There certainly is a Dr. somewhere who knows who the patient was. Some suggestion that there was an insurance claim scam.

There have been a number of celebrities who have come out with a similar sort of confusion about who the mother was….as in here a grandmother or aunt. While it’s an interesting bio, there is no real public significance. In this case, however, the sham is a sham. Together with the apparently true story of the daughter being out of school and with an aunt. There is something really amiss in not wanting to clear up a very odd, to say the least, rumor. Sarah the Sham has earned her reputation.

That’s the whole thing with me. Her story doesn’t add up, but the truth is always easier to manage than the lies. Eventually the truth will come out, or this is the truth and I’m choosing to not believe it.

But I’ll be happy to let Alaskan’s deal with her.

A legitimate, but not major, concern

The most probable explanation of the McCain camp’s squirrely handling of his medical records is that he really had a Stage III melanoma in 1990. One pathologist’s reading resulted in a IIA, but another set of pathologists saw what looked like a satellite metastasis near the primary. You might consider that a draw of sorts, but they treated it as if it were a III, in that they excised wide margins and did a very aggressive lymph node dissection. It was so aggressive that it seems to have left McCain with some left facial nerve damage, presumably because branches fo that nerve were cut dissecting out the proe-auricular lymph nodes.

But even if McCain was really a III, and therefore had a much higher actuarial risk at the time of diagnosis than the IIA he has claimed to have been, eight years later, and, more importantly, since 2002 a four-time melanoma patient, there really are no actuarial tables to tell what sort of risk of recurrence he has. Not enough people survive III by eight years to know their further prognosis into the further out years. Not enough people get four recurrences of this cancer and are still alive six years later that we have any idea what prognosis that gives you either. The reasonable summarry of his condition, and there really isn’t much that a complete review of his records would add or subtract from the worry about his survival odds, is that he probably has latent metastases that have been held in latency by an immune surveillance that we have no idea how long will hold, but which has already exceeded expectations, and that he is an unusually fertile field for new melanomas, and we have no idea how long non-recurrence will hold up. His odds of survival, anywhere in the range from three months to 30 years, is pretty much a crap shoot. We know that without knowing any more about his condition than is already public knowledge.

Concerns about debilitating treatment, as opposed to death, from melanoma, are largely misplaced. New melanomas will presumably be dealt with by local surgery, not a all debilitating. Yes, they may miss a new one until it has already metastasized, but he probably gets checked every month, and has probably already had every stray nevus removed. If a metastasis from his 2000 melanoma escapes immune surveillance, or he has a new Stage III/IV, his prognosis would be grim, he probably wouldn’t survive long, but there isn’t much likelihood either of a prolonged, debilitating course of treatment. Melanoma differs from breast cancer in that respect. It is, mostly, surgically curable or it is not curable, because it doesn’t respond well to chemo.