I knew a guy with Lyme's Disease once. I even saw his MRI images.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

He has whole sections of his brain that were killed off, completely non-functioning in a Terry Schiavo kind of way, from the disease.

Which may answer a lot of questions, especially since they did not happen to mention anything about how long the doctors think he had it, before diagnosis and treatment.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Ah, but can Lyme disease infect a turnip?

I see no difference between 6 years ago and now.... so....

[thereismore]

5. Yes, if you have a turnip-shaped thingy. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

15. Very cunning...

...as cunning as a fox that used to be professor of Cunning at Oxford University, but has moved on, and is now working for the UN at the High Commission for Cunning.

[thereismore]

24. A fellow afficionado, I see. DU is great! nt

[TomInTib]

2. That crap turned a dog of mine into a functioning idiot.

A retriever that wouldn't even chase a ball.

He once was the coolest dog in town and became a pathetic joke.

He was four years old.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. You should have seen this guys MRI's.

When I saw them, in his presence, I could not, no way, no how, understand how he was still functioning and not in a completely vegetative state. When I mentioned Terry Schiavo, to illustrate my point, I was not exaggerating: I would say that about 40%(and I am being very generous) of his brain was still...well...brain.

It killed him. He went from a lead unix programmer for Bell Labs to dead, very quickly.

Much has been made of Dear Leader's little eccentricities and his obvious mental deterioration, even since the 2000 race. I have a feeling he has had Lyme's for longer than they are willing to admit and that his MRI's are more than a little interesting, from a clinical standpoint.

[Kagemusha]

6. Uh question... why wouldn't they have found it in his physicals in past years?

I assume that these are very skilled and experienced professionals who are tending to the medical concerns of the "leader of the free world" here. Yet everyone seems to assume that they've missed something for many consecutive years here.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

9. They didn't look for it.

The rash gave it away. Happens more than you know.

[Kagemusha]

17. ...So a rash normally appears years after a tick bite?

I'm just trying to understand.

[TomInTib]

16. Lyme Disease is very hard to pinpoint.

I had some of the best vets in the Bay Area looking at my dog.

The disease is not straightforward, there are many variations, not all are well-understood.

I spent thousands of dollars and nothing worked.

[Richard Steele]

26. I actually assume the "lyme disease" is a lie designed to cover whatever he REALLY has.

His mental functions have been declining for well over a decade now.
Lyme disease last year is not an adequate explanation, but it might
just be an adequate COVER STORY in the years to come.

[Kagemusha]

27. Well that's easier to accept than Bush getting a rash 6+ years after a tick bite

Because if you decide the ENTIRE story is false, well that's something else.

[Bitwit1234]

14. Shades of Reagan with his election to office for a second term

and in the later stages of Alzheimer's.

[alfredo]

12. We had an Afghan. It didn't need to have Lyme disease to

be an idiot. Dumbest dog I've ever seen. But it was beautiful when it ran.

Lyme disease is cruel. Bush and Lyme disease is a perfect match.

[TomInTib]

18. I know what you mean about Afghans.

A friend of mine had one that could climb trees.

And run like the wind - just beautiful.

A chick-magnet of the highest order.

But dumb as a hammer.

[alfredo]

23. I remember that cartoon depicting the smartest and dumbest breed.

They showed the Border Collie standing on top of a hill. Next they showed an Afghan watching Rush on TV.

[snappyturtle]

4. My dad had Lyme's disease.....he ultimately ended up in a

wheel chair but he was sharp to the end....90 years old. But...........who knows what it effected in *'s case however, I'm certain we will never know.

[whosinpower]

22. I think this story was released as an excuse

For Bush's bad behavior. sorry - no sympathy from this person. And I refuse to cut him any slack on any issue - just because he got a tick bite and contracted Lyme Disease.

[undeterred]

7. The wife of a friend of mine has it.

They did not know about it for over 20 years. She had what they thought was post partum depression after the birth of her first child at age 33. The fatigue and other symptoms didn't go away and it took a full year to diagnose lyme disease, which they traced back to a tick bite back at the age of 13. She'd apparently been misdiagnosed with a lot of things along the way, but she made it through college and grad school and was very smart. It was the pregnancy that really brought the disease on full blown. Fortunately her child and husband are ok. But she no longer works and the fatigue and depression seem to be with her most of the time.

I wouldn't blame anything about Bush on lyme disease. He's been a mess his whole life.

[ThomWV]

8. My wife has it - it dam near killed her at first and for years its been bad

I can not describe it in any way that would do it justice but I have to tell you, it is terrible.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. Absolutely, and my posts...

Are not intended to minimize the terrible aspects and the tragedy of the disease, especially long-term and essentially untreatable. I intend to simply point out that if he has had it for quite a while, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, then many questions about him have now been answered.

[TomInTib]

19. Oh, man, I hate to hear that.

I mean, I saw what it did to my dog.

Good luck. As you said, it is terrible.

[onethatcares]

11. with * what does it matter?

the power behind the throne is what led this country into the depths, not the idjit.

[demobabe]

13. I know a woman with Lyme's Disease

She went to doctors for approximately ten years before they diagnosed it. They'd been working under the assumption she had Chronic Fatigue and immune system problems from exposure to crude oil while cleaning and caring for oil slicked pelicans.

[The Great Escape]

20. Does Anyone Recall Pre Election....A "Talking Head"....Maybe....

Michael Smerconish telling his radio audience, that he had inside knowledge regarding the health of one of the contenders? Or did I just imagine that?

[xultar]

21. I knew his crazyness as of late was more odd than normal. I thought his brain

had really gone bad on him, even more than before.

[spanone]

25. good explanation of the idiot in chief

[Javaman]

28. If that's the case, moron* has had lyme disease since he* was a kid. nt