As someone who ACTUALLY HAS chronic venous insufficiency, may I say

[PCIntern]

That I have something to expound:

I am a dentist who worked standing up my entire career of essentially 50 years including schooling. When I was about 45-50 I began developing thin varicosities near my ankle of my left foot, likely because I utilized my right foot to activate the pedal for the handpieces and thus leaned heavily to the left. Things were stable until I was 63 years of age and I received an insect bite on my left leg halfway down my shin. My leg acutely swelled up such that I took myself to the ER thinking it might well be a blood clot and the physicians felt the same way.

After multiple tests and sonograms they posited that the insect bite caused my lymphatics to open wide and because I had been, for want of a better word, abusing my leg, all the vessels of my limb were now likely permanently somewhat dilated. Sure enough, my left leg is slightly to somewhat swollen at the end of every day and it is nearly totally relieved in the morning when I awaken. I live with this and accept it: better than many of my comrades who suffer horrendous back pain from sitting and twisting/leaning for decades.

Other than my foot and lower aspect of my ankle, I show no signs of this condition. Now here’s the thing: to render this diagnosis definitively I had the following to rule out more serious illness: weekly leg sonograms for four weeks, treadmill stress test, PET scan stress test, sonogram of my heart, and three or four other tests including blood tests every 90 days. They distinctly informed me that since I had no other symptoms and the tests were essentially negative across the board, that this is LIKELY my diagnosis.

I don’t have ecchymosis of my hands, I don’t have swollen legs bilaterally, I do not have pallor, and I don’t exhibit many of the outward signs and symptoms which President Orangina does. But here’s the point: I eat relatively healthily, am active all day in terms of movement, I am not grossly overweight, I do not need for whatever reason to put makeup on my hands, and people tell me I look well for a male of my genetic background who’s over 70. And yet I have a condition which arguably is relatively minor as things go, but a condition of cardiovascular disease nonetheless.

I am of the absolute near-certain opinion that given the outward visualization of this guy, the docs and the handlers sat down and decided that the absolute most benign condition which could be diagnosed from his appearance alone was chronic venous insufficiency. My considered professional diagnosis after viewing over seventy thousand patients in my career is “No Fucking Way”.

As a coda, please allow me to say that if in fact this were true, then it woukd be the first time in which they told the truth about anything. The odds are low on that score in my estimation.

[Prairie Gates]

1. Great post

[Baitball Blogger]

2. kick

[benfranklin1776]

3. A very valuable perspective!

From a professional who knows of what he speaks from actual training and experience. Thank you for this fact based insight. I agree 💯 that it was the minimum benign diagnosis they could spin under the circumstances. What angers me, among so many things, is thinking of all the other people reliant on the ACA and Medicaid that will not get this diagnosis and effective treatment because of this bastard and his gang of criminals in his party that rammed through his killer bill 😡However when we retake Congress we can reverse that so F$$k them to hell where they belong! 🤬🖕🏼✊🏼

[LiberalArkie]

22. I equate it to a person who had been poisoned, beat to death and death certificate stating "Heart Stopped" when

they died

[benfranklin1776]

42. Apt analogy! 🙌🏼

Except this cretinous orange Jabba the Scut did it to himself in relentless pursuit of his evil goals. 🤬 Oh well!

[LiberalArkie]

51. Or better yet, from an actual Arkansas case of a body found down the road from me

A body was discovered missing the head, hands, and feet.
Months later most of the body remains were found.
State coroner ruled that it was suicide precipitated by 2 shotgun blasts to the head.

[mwmisses4289]

60. Seriously? the coroner put that on the death certificate?😲🙄

[LiberalArkie]

63. Yep, during the Clinton administration. We had a lot of shady stuff going on..

This was the era of Mena, and Stephens Investment becoming the largest privately owned bank in the US.
Rose Law Firm being the largest law firm west of the Mississippi,. Sam Walton starting his discount store chains

[Callie1979]

77. OMG you have GOT to post that story. Was Trump the coroner?

[LiberalArkie]

82. I believe this was back in 1992. There was a lot going on in Arkansas at that time and sadly very little on internet

searches. So many weird things that went on then.

[flying_wahini]

4. I'm thinking CHF. We shall see.

[Katinfl]

12. If you have CHF your body retains fluid. That means the whole body, right?

Hard to tell if that’s the case with him because he is overweight to begin with. My sister had 20 lbs. of fluid drained from her and she is now on oxygen 24/7. Wouldn’t he also be on oxygen if it was CHF? Now that’s something that you can’t lie about.

[BobTheSubgenius]

33. Due to a failing heart, I had fairly severe fluid retention.

I had had 2 failing valves due to a Staph A infection, which prompted a very vigourous response from the cardiac dept. Even when I was on IV lasix postop and almost lashed to a toilet, my swollen lower legs were my only obvious symptom. I'm still on diuretics, 15 years later, but often skip a day to allow more freedom of movement.

If we do consider going somewhere for a good part of a day, the availability of any facilities has to be planned for.

[No Vested Interest]

81. I've had CHF for ca 10 yrs now; I'm 10+ yrs older than That Person.

You apparently can live with it fairly normally for a long time.
Mine is now (as I near 90 yrs) catching up with me.
His mind may go first, based on his temperament and current statemnts.

[NJCher]

83. outstanding!

[maxsolomon]

103. His mind IS going 1st.

Gone baby gone.

[Deep State Witch]

28. Me too

My mother and her father both died from CHF. Mom's was a complication of her long-term heart problems caused by rheumatic fever when she was a kid. Both of them had legs that swelled up like that, and actually seeped fluid out of them. Tangerine's legs look just like my grandfather's did. So, yeah, I'm thinking CHF, too.

[Pacifist Patriot]

44. That's my best guess. A lot of those symptoms are plainly visible.

Loss of appetite, nausea, chest pain, and his heart rate are about the only CHF symptoms not plainly in sight. Now it could be any number of things as CHF symptoms have other causes as well. But that's where my money is given what we know about him and what we can hear and observe.

[KentuckyWoman]

5. It has never occured to me

How much a doctor's body is abused. Good post from multiple angles. Thank you.

Rec

[Ocelot II]

14. My mother got varicose veins as a result of all the time she spent on her feet as an RN.

Constant standing, even more than walking, can be hell on your legs, feet and back.

[Ocelot II]

6. Baghdad Barbie described Trump's chronic venous insufficiency as

"a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70" and that "all results from testing were within normal limits." CVI may be common in older people, but it's not benign and it's not normal. If all the tests were normal why do his ankles look like basketballs?

[PCIntern]

7. Ed Zachary (exactly)

[Timewas]

9. Maybe

Chronic Kidney Disease. About late into stage 4 bordering on stage 5 is possibility.

[llmart]

65. I still say he's probably diabetic (the reason for Diet Coke all the time).

And yes, kidney failure, maybe on or nearing dialysis.

[Timewas]

73. Actually

He may very well be ready for dialysis but is refusing it ... He is damn close to it at the very least.

[Ms. Toad]

34. Because he is at stage 3, at a minimum, more likely stage 4 (of 6)

Stage 3 is edema (ankles the size of basketballs). stage 4 is skin changes. We'd never see that, since his ankles are always covered. The stages after that include ulcers which heal - then ulcers which don't heal.

[TexasBushwhacker]

38. Not to mention, if he isn't at least prediabetic

if not full blown diabetes, I'll eat my hat! That can damage the kidneys as well.

[Ms. Toad]

47. Way too many people have bought into the idea that weight and diabetes are inherently linked.

They aren't. It is strongly hereditary - much more strongly caused by heredity than by weight, and there are probably multiple varieties of at least T2 diabetes, but doctors treat them all identically.

Both my family and my spouse's have diabetes.

My maternal grandfather - and everyone who is descended from him who is my age or older - has diabetes. It is a pretty benign version of diabetes (not linked to heart disease, regardless of cholesterol levels (not a single heart attack or other heart disease; my current cardiac calcification score is 0% calcification - and I have high cholesterol); not linked to weight (the BMI range in the individuals with diabetes ranges from underweight to obese). I am not aware of any A1C in the bunch that was ever higher than 8.0 on less-than-maximum metformin as the sole medical treatment. Pre-COVID, all I had to do to have a normal A1C was watch what I eat. That applied at any weight- including when I was obese. (COVID messed up my ability to control it entirely by eating, but my last A1C was 7.1 - high for me, but still within an acceptable range for my age.)

My spouse's maternal grandmother had diabetes. While it is not as universal in her descendants, many have it. It is anything but benign. My spouse's A1C is currently 10.1. She is skinny as a rail, and on three diabetes medications (Januvia, glimiperide, and metformin), and her A1C has not been less than 9 for over 2 years. Her sister is faring better on control - but also skinny as a rail. Grandmother was in the normal weight range.

I don't know the entire family history of a friend of mine, but she has been obese nearly all of her life with zero signs of diabetes - until cancer destroyed her pancreas. Post pan-can, she is T3 diabetes.

It may well be that some diabetes is linked to weight - there is certainly a statistical correlation, but (1) a statistical correlation doesn't mean that everyone who is overweight will become diabetic and (2) even you fall in the group contributing to the statistics, it is likely some underlying genetic makeup gave you a predisposition to both, rather than that the weight caused the diabetes (and there will be people who are overweight - like my friend - who don't have the underlying genetic makeup and will never get diabetes absent something like pancreatic cancer, and people like my spouse who become diabetic despite being underweight).

[sdfernando]

49. 100% True....

Look at Mary Tyler Moore. She was diabetic but was always thin.

[soldierant]

92. Mattel recently released diabetic Barbie.

She is brunette, but otherwise looks like every other Barbie except for the monitoring and dosing devises (which are pink.) Yes, I'm chuckling, but I think it's a good idea. It will help diabetic kids, particularly girls, feel seen. I felt the same way about wheelchair Barbie (actually named Becky and was the school photographer - a nod to the fact there are plenty of things disabled people can excel at.) In fact, I have a Becky in an unopened box to keep her pristine.

[ShazzieB]

93. MTM had type 1 diabetes.

Last edited Sat Jul 19, 2025, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

That's caused by a person's immune system attacking the insulin producing cells in their pancreas so that their body can no longer make insulin.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the pancreas makes normal amounts of insulin, but the body can't use it properly, for reasons I don't really understand and don't know how to explain.

In both cases, blood sugar is elevated, but the mechanisms causing this are different. Being overweight is considered to be a risk factor for developingntype 2 diabetes, but not Type 1. As Ms. Toad noted, being overweight or obese does NOT mean someone is inevitably going to develop diabetes, although some erroneously assume that it does.

[sdfernando]

100. Thanks for the info/nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

50. Fair enough n/t

[llmart]

66. My ex was diabetic.

Diagnosed at about 64 He had absolutely no one in his extended family with diabetes. He was overweight, sedentary and refused to eat better or exercise. He was on dialysis for two years, got a kidney transplant and only lasted five years after that, all of which were pretty miserable years for him.

So no, it's not always hereditary.

[Ms. Toad]

67. "Strongly" isn't "always"

I never claimed that it was always hereditary. My claim is that our assumption that anyone who is overweight must be diabetic, or at least pre-diabetic, is nonsense - there is much more involved - including that it is strongly linked to heredity

That said, T2 diabetes wasn't always as well known or frequently diagnosed in the past as it is now. Doctors still don't routinely test for it at wellness exams - so all you know is that no one in his extended family was diagnosed with diabetes, or chose to tell you if they were.

[Mossfern]

69. I don't understand ...

My doctor called my hysterical because my A1C is 6.2, which puts me into the prediabetic range. My father and uncle were diabetics on insulin. I've changed my diet drastically (ach, I hate it) and am going for another blood test next week. I'm 76 years old and 6.2 is not good for me. My glucose is 92 - acceptable - and I only need to lose 2 pounds to qualify for the "healthy weight range" as far as my BMI goes. Covid did my weight in, but I'm getting back to normal even though my doc told me not to lose weight.

I also have some venous insufficiency, but no one thinks its of any concern - yet.
With all my issues with my heart etc. I'm still way more healthy than the orange turd.

I'm 76 years old?
Yikes!!!

[Ms. Toad]

71. With an A1C of 6.2, your average blood glucose is around132.

That's not horrible. My goal is to keep mine below 140. Pre-COVID, all I had to do that was to eat fewer than 21 grams of carbs in any 2-hour period. COVID messed that up - my blood glucose is more erratically tied to consumption of carbs than it was before and I haven't had the energy to sort it out, much less manage it well.

If I was in your shoes, I'd be happy.

I sounds like you have some hereditary for a type of insulin similar to my spouse's. Not sure what kind of heart troubles - but some heart troubles correlate with diabetes. But at 76 I wouldn't fret about the blood glucose or weight.

[Mossfern]

79. Heart not related

coronary aneurysm
I always worry about everything!
If I stop worrying, the world will end;
I'm working on that
In my brain I'm in my 40's which tends to be a shock every time I look into the mirror.

[Ms. Toad]

87. Fret away, then.

I don't have issues with aging, but I'm my mind I have hair below my hips. In startled every time I see a picture of myself - with extremely short hair. (It's been short for nearly 5 years.)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thank you, my dear PCIntern! VERY well said.

[ihaveaquestion]

10. Soooo... we should expect that his ankles should not be swollen at times - usually in the morning?

Someone should be watching for this - just cause we're that concerned about his well being.

[Ms. Toad]

35. Not necessarily.

Depending on how advanced it is, the swelling may never go down.

[flashman13]

11. The odds are very low in deed.

[Old Crank]

13. A question about your condition.

Are compression socks recommended for use on one or both of your legs?
Do you have any information about if they would help your condition?

I don't seem to have this issue and am in our age cohort. I have been advised to use the socks for plane trips and long periods of sitting without much movement like car and train trips.

[PCIntern]

18. Yes but I have trouble wearing them

Because I am claustrophobic. Yes. I know.

[Old Crank]

21. I get that

The ones I got with a prescription and made for me are TIGHT.
I think they would kill a boa constrictor.

[erronis]

26. I switched the compression stockings to normal knee-heighth soccer (football) socks.

Last edited Fri Jul 18, 2025, 03:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Plenty of compression, easier to get on/off, different colors/etc. I guess you could find Philadelphia Union ones....

[PCIntern]

58. 😂😂😂😂

Do they choke too?

[erronis]

64. I don't feel as 'constricted' and they are cotton which is more comfortable than that spandex/nylon/whatever.

Helluva lot cheaper too. Gold Toe. Don't wear out and look like regular athletic socks (just higher.)

[yardwork]

55. I don't wear mine either. Same reason.

I have a mild form of CVI.

Trump probably has it too but it's at the bottom of his conditions in terms of severity. He has much worse issues that they're not disclosing. IMO.

[hlthe2b]

15. There is little doubt he has mutliple things going on. His paraphasias, disorientation, wide right leg swing,

and footdrop...The frequent capture of him leaning waaaay forward with what appeared to be heel lifts, his past abnormal tongue movements, his impulsiveness and rages--especially overnight. All of the latter are (as multiple neurologists have agreed) suggestive of at least early dementia (and most suggestive of frontotemporal dementia).

Vascular dementia is likewise a possibility, and the two do have overlapping symptoms. Vascular dementia, though, could suggest a related primary causality for his lower leg edema.

But, no. I'm not convinced that his diagnosis is "benign" in the global sense of that word.

[SheltieLover]

31. Ty for sharing

[Lonestarblue]

16. I can't remember which year it was, but Trump's physicals in his first term were mostly lies.

The one I remember was that he was 6’4” and weighed around 235 pounds although he is clearly obese. I have a friend who truly is 6’4” and weighs 225 pounds and he is svelte compared with Trump. This year’s physical says Trump is 6’3” and weighs 224 pounds. He does appear to have lost some weight, but my guess would be closer to 250 pounds.

The lies about his glowing health continue.

[mwmisses4289]

62. 6'3" and 224lbs?!? (imagine me snorting in derision)

More like just 6ft and 300lbs.
What a bunch of effing liars, him and his so called doctors!

[appleannie1]

17. I have cardiovascular disease and have had pulmanary embolisms 3 times in my 82 years

I have to watch my salt intake because my feet and ankles swell if I eat what other consider a normal amount of salt. I eat healthy, do all my own housework and shopping, do exercises a couple times a week. I try to keep my weight in the 135 to 145 range which for my height is considered just slightly overweight. I also have 3rd stage kidney failure so drink a lot of water. In no way do I look even close to as unhealthy as the orange preditor looks even with my health issues. And every week he looks worse. Keep up the pressure and all the stories about Epstein and his relationship. They are taking a toll on him. The main problem I see is the next in line is not any better but he does not have the power or the clout or the following that the orange preditor has.

[TBF]

70. I'm a little younger - but had a PE (from birth control) --

and I also have arthritis and high blood pressure. Issues started in my early 40's, I was a long-distance runner in great health prior to that.

I have been given the same advice you have about watching the salt - along with losing weight (the prednisone for arthritis has not helped with that - although I am tapering off of it now that they've adjusted my meds). I still do a lot of walking, primarily with my wonderful dog, which probably helps more than anything.

My doctors always feel my ankles and comment that if they are ever swollen to come in. It's got to be something they keep an eye on if you have high blood pressure or auto-immune issues at the very least. My guess w/Donald is heart disease just given his horrible diet and obesity.

[nowforever]

19. I believe its symptom of his heart failing

Swollen ankles, swollen hands are very common when heart is not working properly. Yes venous insufficiency and heart failure.

[TNNurse]

20. As an RN with 37 years working in a hospital

Your description is accurate and very well said. The number of people in this country who are willing to cover and lie for him is devastating. I do understand some have fear for themselves and their family of retribution from this criminal administration.

[Grumpy Old Woman]

23. Will cult members start stuffing the tops of their socks with Kleenex?

Just wondering...I remember after the assassination attempt some Maggats were wearing big bandages on their ears.

New Trump merch could be 'ankle pillows'.

[Callie1979]

99. Would not surprise me at all. nt

[BannonsLiver]

24. Yes, whatever they're admitting to the reality is far worse.

One has to assume that there will be deception and lies with that crowd at all times.

[milestogo]

25. Thanks for that explanation.

Its interesting how a profession can affect the body.

We are always being warned about sitting all day being bad for you - in fact many people who work in offices are choosing to stand at work. But standing all day is apparently not good either.

I worked for a surgeon - and the first time I saw him wearing scrubs and clogs I almost laughed. But he told me he stands for hours during some cases and the clogs are better for posture.

[AllyCat]

27. My first thought when I read "chronic venous insufficiency"

Was “secondary to what??”

Those are some massively swollen appendages for something just age-related.

[PortTack]

29. Right...he has chronic venous insufficiency, but they aren't saying from what.

Congestive heart failure
Fatty liver disease
Or both…my educated guess is both

[FirstLight]

30. Thank you for the info! I agree...

the 'diagnosis' was too fast for what you describe as a battery of testing, and ruling out all other options. I have an autoimmune disease, and much of the testing for those is the same, it's done by process of elimination.

Not to mention, as you pointed o0ut, he's got a LOT of other factors against him, so this benign diagnosis is definitely/likely BULLSHIT!

Hope you are doing well otherwise!

[Goonch]

32. ;-{)

[Bluebelle76]

74. Yikes! Any ideas about this poor abused shoe?

I can see the abnormally tall heel, but the entire shoe looks twisted. It curves way before the toe box.

[NJCher]

84. on another thread

a while back, someone thought possibly he may have had part of his foot amputated from diabetes. That would explain this odd looking shoe that appears to end before the toe joints.

I heard of someone who ignored dietary restrictions of diabetes and had to have amputations.

[Ocelot II]

88. The odd-looking shoes are on account of his cloven hooves.

[maxsolomon]

104. And learn how to tie a shoe, FFS.

Right over left to start the knot, the bow is horizontal.

[mountain grammy]

36. Thank you! great post!

kick

[progressoid]

37. Of the issues I have with TACOman, this is the least of them.

[NJCher]

86. it is important

from the standpoint of the idea that he could drop dead. That would be a cure for a lot that's going on now--economy, climate, etc.

However, I care more about all those people he has illegally locked up. Immigrants with no criminal record. So I understand your point.

[swong19104]

39. So the upshot is...

I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.

[Warpy]

40. If you're asking for advice

then get some TED hose and wear them to work. Yes, they're white, but the brand name hose don't crunch your toes and the stockings provide considerable relief of swelling and fatigue. I can's say I was ready for dancing at the end of a 12 hour shift, but I was no longer ready for an old folks home, either. And yes, helping with the fatigue and low level pain that you're managing to ignore right now will also help with the back pain because your posture will be a bit better.

Buy some ultra thin black socks to wear over them if you must, but do give them a try. There are instructions at their website to help you get the right size.

This is about feeling better, nothing more, but that can be a lot.

({ro note: get the knee high stockings, I've never seen the thigh high ones fit anybody properly)

[PCIntern]

45. Actually I wasn't but thanks anyway

I cannot deal with support hose. I go into an irrational full-blown panic when I wear them. A phobia left over from childhood trauma.

My condition is tolerable -with minimized salt I’m WNL.

[Bluetus]

41. I'm actually a lot more concerned about his mental illness

Something that should give all of us pause is how abruptly the MAGAverse has turned against Trump. It isn't really surprising when you consider:

* The people really running things are Theil, Musk, Leo, Putin, Koch, and maybe a dozen others
* They got just about everything they could possibly crave in the Big Billionaire Bill
* They are already positioned to take over when Trump leaves the scene one way or another. Vance will be their reliable puppet, and he'll be a lot less outrageous than Trump, giving them a chance at surviving the mid-terms.

These things are pretty damned obvious. And it follows that they are now looking for a reasonable scenario where Trump can be pushed out. They have identified the health issues and the Epstein thing as two frameworks for pushing him out.

What is not so obvious to me is how this cabal hangs together. Is the Nazi wing (Miller, Bannon et all) with them? It seems more than a little significant that Fuentes has come out so strongly against Trump. That seems to imply an effort by the Theil group to partner with the Nazis, offering them a seat at the table if they help push Trump out.

The Theil people aren't really with the ICE business. On the contrary, they are all business. They want the cheap immigrant labor. But I guess they will make a compromise with the Nazis.

[Vinca]

43. I don't have your level of expertise, but I have just enough medical knowledge to have reached the same

conclusion: they're throwing shit at the wall to see if it sticks. And the baloney about makeup on his hand to cover a problem from too much shaking hands is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

[AllaN01Bear]

46. howdi.

i am on multiple heart meds , floursimede wich is a generic for lasix and am on elloquis due to afib. tacacardia and bray cardia . my dad died from chf and mom had and grandad had heart issues as well. mom somoked like a steam train engine and so did dad . i dont know if grandad did or not. i retain fluids as my middle sis . dontt know about oldest sis as we dont discuss much. excllent article.

[lark]

48. Yeah, they totally lied.

Leavitt said he had no heart or circulatory problems other than the venous insufficient, and it was a total lie. He's on heart attack meds right now, that isn't because his heart is in the GREAT shape they claim. Just wish he would have an attack and die or even better just rendered him immobile and unable to speak so he could stew in silence as he gets replaced and discarded by magats. Yes, I have an evil side.

[JustAnotherGen]

53. He deserves to receive evil thoughts and words

Directed at him.

[pat_k]

52. Heart failure seems likely, but diagnosis would require truth and science...

...and we know how he feels about those things.

[mcar]

54. I suspected they came up with the "mildest" diagnosis

to distract from the Epstein mess.

We had a long time neighbor who was a dentist. He had to retire early because of the damage to his back. They moved to Gainesville (FL), where he taught at the dental school for many years.

[PCIntern]

56. Nice school there.

[mcar]

57. Some of my husband's former students

attended Dental school there. It does sound like a good program.

[Bluestocking]

59. Satan clearly isn't ready for him yet

Satan’s plan is to make all of us suffer as long as possible before he takes Trump’s soul.

[underpants]

61. Great post. There's no way the just did all the testing you detailed

Unless that’s been ongoing which I doubt.

[Saoirse9]

68. Thank God. We finally have some hope

that he will stroke out soon.

[pat_k]

72. Sadly for us, even if it is some stage of heart failure...

... people can live quite some time, particularly with top notch medical care.

But I live in hope. Every spectacle he has undertaken to get it up (his approval that is) has failed. God knows what spectacular horror is in the works, but he is clearly losing his grip on MAGA, and for his narcissistic, psychopathic, eggshell ego, that is an existential threat that could actually kill him. Even the stress of a few nights of insomnia increases the risk of heart attack. I'll see if I can find it to confirm, but I think a study found that insomnia increases the risk by something like 75%.

[No Vested Interest]

78. Always recall that JD Vance is current VP; I do not want to wish him as Pres. of USA

He is very Bad News.

[BlueWavePsych]

75. Yes, likely Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17069-heart-failure-understanding-heart-failure



or ...

[CrispyQ]

76. I totally agree with this statement:

I am of the absolute near-certain opinion that given the outward visualization of this guy, the docs and the handlers sat down and decided that the absolute most benign condition which could be diagnosed from his appearance alone was chronic venous insufficiency.

His ankles looked like stumps. He's obviously a very unhealthy man.

I never would have guessed you were that old. Be well, PCI.

[mackdaddy]

80. 'Long COVID" can cause Vascular issues.

As I remember it he had a pretty severe case back in 2020 when he was treated for it.
Here is an NIH paper about this:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11122535/

Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has revealed a broader impact beyond the respiratory system, predominantly affecting the vascular system with various adverse manifestations. The infection induces endothelial dysfunction and immune system dysregulation, creating an inflammatory and hypercoagulable state. It affects both microvasculature and macrovasculature, leading to thromboembolic events, cardiovascular manifestations, impaired arterial stiffness, cerebrovascular complications, and nephropathy, as well as retinopathy—frequently observed in cases of severe illness. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection may result in persistent effects on the vascular system, identified as long-term COVID-19. This is characterized by prolonged inflammation, endotheliopathy, and an increased risk of vascular complications.

Another thought is reduced bloodflow to the brain can cause mental impairment.

[cksmithy]

85. My sil's grandmother always had swollen ankles, (from the first time we met 20 years ago) and she always

refused help, or to move in with relatives or assisted living. She was supposedly under a doctor's care, but her daughter did not have medical power of attorney/what ever it is called. When we saw her for her last holiday, she had finally agreed to move into assisted living, her ankles still swollen. With in a few weeks, she had a health episode a few weeks later, and went into hospital, and never came out. She died, because she always said she was fine, no pain, everything was fine. The death certificate said she died of congestive heart failure.

The orange one is really sick. His hand shows iv bruising and his ankles/legs have to hurt.

[Sessuch]

89. Rumor has it the doctors gave him 6 months

[dflprincess]

91. I'm sure that's 6 months too many for Melania

My cousin and I were trying to figure out if she'll go full Jackie with her widow's ensemble - a full heavy veil would hide her smile.

We are sure that his funeral is one appearance she won't charge for.

[pbmus]

90. NoShit.,,nt

[Aussie105]

94. The fact that there even was a health report on TSF tells me:

It's a serious condition, one that will take him out of the spotlight as he deteriorates further.

The report that was read out to reporters was full of misdirection, trivialization, and 'not to worry, is not that bad' statements.

I'd like to know:
How long Trump has been on blood thinners.
If he has dialysis for kidney problems - the makeup on the back of his hand may be hiding a bruise from dialysis.

I'd want to see some numbers:
Resting heart rate and blood pressure. Flat on a bed, legs raised.
Same for sitting upright and mild exercise (does he still golf?)

Being careless with his diet, not getting regular exercise and being overweight all his adult life, he is a classic candidate for heart failure.

My suggestion: Stop signing executive orders, grow a conscience, and just go away!

[jimmy the one]

95. Maybe his bone spurs need be removed

Bone spurs could have become inflamed which is causing the swelling and need be surgically removed by a new Chinese method called anklestomp.
I have neither bone spurs nor the veinous condition but I do have a pilonidal cyst, which differentiates me from trump in that I am not a perfect asshole.
------------------
Not an ego, jimmy the one is a British naval term.

[tavernier]

96. I'm a retired nurse

also in my seventies with much the same medical history and status as your post describes, although I chose to continue working on my feet at the local high school as a lunch lady for the past 10 years. I find that this work fills all my needs for exercise, socialization… plus daily interaction with teenagers is the best youth serum on the market.

My varicose veins are very prominent and gnarly after nearly sixty years working on my feet, but I found that doing five minutes of yoga stretches every morning in bed before rising eliminated any pain and weakness in my legs and back once I was up and moving. I say it’s my secret weapon when my much younger co-workers ask me where I get my energy and stamina.

I see Rump mainly sitting in a chair or a golf cart and it’s no surprise to me that he can barely walk once he’s up. Use it or lose it has always been sound advice.

[EuterpeThelo]

97. Thank you for this post!

I too suffer from venous insufficiency and have been having various treatments for it since 2017. Is it just me, or did this (probably fake) diagnosis feel insulting to others who have it? My first thought was, "I don't want to have ANYTHING in common with that motherf#cker!" And now, as I predicted to my daughter when it was announced, everyone and their brother is now talking about the condition. Even though I know on an intellectual level that it's ridiculous to feel this way, all these people jabbering about it somehow feels like an invasion of privacy (for me and other decent people who deal with this, that is - I couldn't give a rat's if every bit of sensitive information on the orange menace became fodder for the gossip mill!).

[stollen]

98. If it were so benign,

why didn't Trump's doctors release the information per an annual exam?

[PCIntern]

101. Exactly...

It only became necessary to come up with a cover story after people saw the swelling AND the (likely) catheter.

[stollen]

102. So there's more to the story.

Maybe that's why Murdock wants to switch horses, probably mid-stream.

[spanone]

105. K&R