McCain's Age, Melanoma, Mental Lapses...and Palin -- Demand an MRI Before November!!!

[tekisui]

John McCain is 72 years old, and despite showcasing his 95 year old mother and his own protestations to the contrary, 72 is, well, 72. Couple that with the aging process that inevitably occurs under the stress of 5+ years of deprivation and torture in prison, and there is enough reason why anyone professing to put "country first" would have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain to assuage that country's concerns.

McCain has also displayed many signs of inattention. The 'expert' on national security and Iraq could not get straight the relationships among the Sunnis, Shia, al-Qaeda and pro-Iranian militias on several occasions close in time. He makes statements absurd on their face such as "Sarah Palin knows more about energy than anyone in the United States". The Chairman of the Commerce Committee did not know that the SEC is an independent entity, not subject to being fired by the President. He rolls from one inconsistency to another, and he has no anchor. Just today, he petulantly rejected conversations with the Spanish Prime Minister, one of our NATO allies. He chose Sarah Palin with one telephone conversation with him.

Of course, McCain could just have attention deficit disorder (ADD) to explain his inattention, lack of focus on detail, persistent gaffes and impulsiveness. And, he may just be a pathological liar. But, an MRI would reveal the degree of brain atrophy and whether there are early signs of other degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's. A negative MRI would assuage such concerns.

McCain has also had melanoma. While melanoma has been portrayed in the press as a "skin cancer", that characterization is misleading. Unlike typical skin cancer, melanoma can spread widely in the body to almost any organ, including brain, lung, bone and liver. It is very true that brain imaging only occasionally detects metastatic melanoma in patients without symptoms ("asymptomatic"). Thus, it is not an efficient screening mechanism for all patients with melanoma. Moreover, the only treatment is palliative, and the median survival in patients with melanoma spread to the brain is measured in months, not years.

Nonetheless, McCain wants to be President of the United States. If he is serious about putting country first, he will have an MRI to provide assurance that, for now at least, he has no brain metastases. The detection rate in asymptomatic patients is low, but not zero.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-abrams/mccains-age-melanoma-ment_b_127637.html

[Tallison]

1. They excised the surrounding lymph nodes during his last bout

meaning it was a stage II out of IV - not good for such a aggressive cancer. As an RN, I'm really concerned by this, especially since Palin joined the ticket. I feel like Americans just don't get the probability of her ascension in the event of a McCain victory. Without any hyperbole, this prospect terrifies me.

[tekisui]

2. I read the chances of him not lasting a first term is about 40%.

[Tallison]

3. Sounds about right.

And it figures in not just whether he'd survive the term, but the improbability that he could lead while undergoing treatment in the event of a recurrence.