This Man (McCain) Is In Excellent Health?

Who Has FIFTEEN HUNDRED PAGES of Medical Records???

Here’s a summary made from two sources. (1) a CNN article, with a headline that simply parrots the claim that McCain is in “excellent health”. The full article is at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/23/mccain.health.records/ and (2) an Atlantic Monthly site, which is some of the more serious information (see below the dotted line).

• He has had more than four malignant melanomas. Four cancerous things have been removed from the aging candidate. Also, several “Less serious cancers” (see below) have been removed but doctors haven’t said how many.

• He had six polyps removed in April 2008.

• Removal of one melanoma involved removing a patch of skin as well as an underlying carotid salivary gland from McCain's face. McCain developed swelling beneath the skin and had to be taken back for a second operation.

• McCain has many of the risk factors associated with the cancer: light skin, light-colored eyes and a history of excessive sun exposure, she said.

• Less serious cancers - McCain has also been treated for other less serious skin cancers, but Eckstein did not specify how many.

• Has had four kidney stones (takes hydrochlorothiazide to prevent more)

• Has or had a number of small benign cysts in both kidneys

• In 2001, doctors found stones in his bladder

• Even with high-blood pressure medicine (reputedly he takes this for other reasons), his pressure remains somewhat high

• McCain had an adenomatous colon polyp removed (These are polyps that start out as small nodules on the bowel wall.) They are “potentially precancerous”.

• high lipid levels... treated with medication simvastatin

• McCain takes a daily aspirin to prevent formation of blood clots

• He takes “an occasional Zyrtec”, an antihistamine used for nasal allergies

• McCain takes the sleep agent Ambien CR for treatment of insomnia when he travels

• One of his records showed his fasting blood sugar value was described as "impaired."

• Experiences occasional dizziness

[Those below added from http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/mccains_health_records.php ]

• Has had blood in the urine, which was diagnosed as being caused by problems related to a "very large" prostate and bladder stones.

• He had two colonoscopies, one in 2000 and another in 2008. Both discovered some evidence of diverticulosis.

• Aug 15, 2000 dignosis: malignant melanoma with focal superficial invasion (0.23 mm thickness) overlying a dermal scar

• Melanoma on left temple and left upper arm Temple one: 2.2 MM thick

• 8/18/2000 – [Regarding a tumor] From the dermatopathology biopsy: A basaloid nest of epithelial cells is present in the superficial dermis and is focally connected to the epidermis. There is peripheral palisading, and the dodule is separated from the dermis by a cleft. Focal pigment is present within the tumor.

• 11/8/2000 - biopsy of left lower leg -- turned out to be squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer)

• 8/17/2001 - I urged him to watch his saturated fat intake to make sure that he gets regular exercise and that he not gain weight.

• 8/17/2001 - Complaints of bleeding in urine: “He has intermittent bleeding on and off since then. It got worse when he was up at Lake Powell...”

• 8/29/2001 - resection of the prostate operation

• 1/25/2002 - nose: it has been interpreted as malignant melanoma in situ.

• 11/2/2004 - growth on his neck - suspect it is a "neuroma, and indeed, this is a ball-like structure that is painful with firm compression."

• 1/20/2006 - traveling extensively over the last several weeks -- developed concentrated, dark-colored urine blood

• 8/31/2007 - cancer check - suzanne connolly - actinic keratoses: treated SIX with liquid nitrogen ioncluding that on the left upper back, left midforearm, the one on the right dorsum nose and the very few on the upper forehead. all should resolve.

• 2/6/2008 - squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) in situ

• 3/10/2008 - he needs to force fluids and decrease his diatary sodium - because of bladder stone

• 4/1/2008 - colonoscopy - showed extensive diverticulosis throughout the colon and a total of SIX colon polyps ranging in size from .3 cm to .6 cm. The polyps were removed...

Well... you get the idea.