So that's what that lump was under his coat

[D_Raay]

http://atlanta.indymedia.org/newswire/display/35360/index.php
George W. Bush apparently is wearing a medical device for "persons at risk of cardiac arrest." It is a LifeVest wearable defibrillator. He started using it sometime after his January 2002 fainting spell, which was attributed to choking. Based on photos showing him wearing the device, one can conclude the fainting was due to atrial fibrillation (AF), which his father also had. His father's AF was caused by Graves' hyperthyroidism, which his mother also has. Bush likely has AF and less likely Graves', based on his family history and symptoms. The AF may have caused a stroke or TIA (mini-stroke), of which physicians watching the debates detected symptoms. Observers have noted psychological symptoms consistent with this and with Wernicke-Korsakoff disease.
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Click on link for the pictures and full story...

[Ace42]

And yet, he said he had nothing under his jacket. Which begs the question: Is he just a habitual liar?

[ASsman]

I bet it beeps, and they used morse code to tell him stuff.

[Rosie Cotton]

One of my friends Graves. But she doesn't wear that spiffy vest. She'll be so jealous.

[cosmo105]

I bet it beeps, and they used morse code to tell him stuff.
you really think he'd understand it though? ;)

wearable...that's just silly. having someone follow him around with a portable defibrillator would make much more sense.

[Ali]

Why would the buldge of a defribrilatorthing be over his back? Wouldn't you want that close to your heart?Why does he need one anyway?

He doesn't have a heart.

[Rosie Cotton]

I think it's a fake story.........

I really hope it is, and I wouldn't be too surprised if it was something Rove just made up. But I kinda get the feeling that it's not. Based on a lot of the things that he has done, and everything I've learned about Grave's from my friend, it makes a lot of sense.

If it is true he needs to get rid of the vest. If it's bad enough his heart could explode, and no defibrillator could fix that problem.

[ASsman]

I know what the lump was, and only this statement will make it clear.

If you thought Cheney's was big, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[enree erzweglle]

I really hope it is, and I wouldn't be too surprised if it was something Rove just made up. But I kinda get the feeling that it's not. Based on a lot of the things that he has done, and everything I've learned about Grave's from my friend, it makes a lot of sense.

I have a lot of experience with Graves disease. It's not curable and the remission rate is high; however, for most people, most of the symptoms can be effectively controlled with medication (first choice) or eliminated with radioactive iodine treatment (usually the second choice after a few remissions).

I don't think doctors would need to use an external device like that to control the heart-related symptoms of Graves without first having had GW go through a few rounds of anti-thyroid medication, then RAI treatment, and lastly, full or partial thyroidectomy. The last two alternatives would require GW to take thyroid-replacement hormones for the rest of his life. I think if any of these were the case with George Bush, we would have known about it already.

He could be wearing an external AF device to monitor/check some other heart problem--I don't know anything about that. I just have a feeling that if he is wearing it, it's unrelated to Graves disease.

(He sounds like a prime candidate for getting GD, though, given his family history and the nature of the stressful work that he does. I think the hardest part about GD for most people is getting the diagnosis. GW senior had it and they didn't know it--they were treating him for depression before they realized that he had GD. Knowing this now, GW's doctors probably monitor him closely for thyroid-related disorders and can jump on it before the symptoms storm off.)

[D_Raay]

All I can say is that this makes complete sense. They would have known that people would see the bulges, and would have had to risk that if this were indeed a necessity for him to wear. Unless this was some sort of device to keep explosive diarrhea at bay or something else like that. Wouldn't want dubbya shitting himself in front of a national audience.

[Rosie Cotton]

I have a lot of experience with Graves disease. It's not curable and the remission rate is high; however, for most people, most of the symptoms can be effectively controlled with medication (first choice) or eliminated with radioactive iodine treatment (usually the second choice after a few remissions).
Yeah, she said she was gonna have the eblasion whenever she gets enough money to pay for it. People who have that doen have to pee in jars for a while afterwards, because if they used a toilet their urine would taint the water supply. Interesting, no?

He could be wearing an external AF device to monitor/check some other heart problem--I don't know anything about that. I just have a feeling that if he is wearing it, it's unrelated to Graves disease.
True. I really wouldn't be surprised if he has Graves, although the vest seems unneccesary. There's no way that it could actually do any good.

[enree erzweglle]

Yeah, she said she was gonna have the eblasion whenever she gets enough money to pay for it. People who have that doen have to pee in jars for a while afterwards, because if they used a toilet their urine would taint the water supply. Interesting, no?

My friend had to have RAI when her daughter was pregnant. They had to be careful, just as you mention, about bathroom facilities. Sort of makes you go hmmmm.