Biden just had his first physical and being the oldest sitting so-called president in U.S. history, his doctor noted two observations he found. With this, Biden will have to continue with physical therapy and exercise.
The Physician to the President, Kevin C. O’Connor, D.O., administered Biden’s first physical since taking control of the White House. The physical comprised consultations with several specialists from Walter Reed National Military Center including specialists in optometry, otolaryngology (ENT), dentistry, orthopedics (foot and ankle), orthopedics (spine), physical therapy, neurology, cardiology, radiology, dermatology, anesthesiology, and gastroenterology.
On November 19, 2021, O’Connor concluded that the President is fit for duty and able to execute his responsibilities, in a memo to Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, detailing the results of the physical written at Biden’s request.
However, O’Connor noted two observations he found which may shock you as they are not, in fact, what I’m guessing most of us are worried about when it comes to Biden’s health.
First note, he stated that Biden suffers from a pronounced cough.
O’Connor wrote:
“The President has experienced increasing frequency and severity of ‘throat clearing’ and coughing during speaking engagements. He has exhibited such symptoms for as long as I have known him, but they certainly seem to be more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months.
It is acknowledged that this perception may be artificially confounded by the undeniable fact that, as President, a much greater attention is directed toward his public engagements as compared to that which he experienced in previous positions.
Nevertheless, this symptom is clearly present, and warranted detailed investigation.”
O’Connor concluded that the throat clearing is likely attributed to gastroesophageal reflux, after his consultations with specialists in gastroenterology and otolaryngology and a number of tests.
Biden is currently taking acid blockers for reflux, so the physician deemed no additional treatment was suggested.
Second note, Biden’s gait has grown evidently firmer.
O’Connor wrote:
“The President’s ambulatory gait is perceptibly stiffer and less fluid than it was a year or so ago. He has several reasonable explanations for this in his orthopedic history, but again, a detailed investigation was appropriate.”
O’Connor and the team concluded that notable spinal arthritis and “limp and compensation” from a foot fracture Biden suffered last year were to blame for the stiffer gait, after consulting with specialists in neurology, radiology, physical therapy, and orthopedics. The President will have to continue with physical therapy and exercise.
While the Physician to the President consulted neurologists, it only seems to have concerned peripheral neuropathy, i.e. nerve damage, which could have contributed to Biden’s firm gait, and not, in fact, his analytic or cognitive health.
While Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, previously White House doctor, has noted on various events that Biden appears to be enduring cognitive decline, O’Connor, the now Physician to the President doesn’t appear to have been very worried at all about the recurring bouts of forgetfulness, slurred speech, and short temper that Biden shows on a routine basis. Instead, O’Connor concentrated on issues about throat clearing and decreased spring in Biden’s step.
As The Daily Wire reported, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was scratching his head as to why this important test was missing. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta was asked on air yesterday if Biden underwent any tests “that measured mental acuity” like former President Donald Trump did.
Gupta said:
“It doesn’t seem like it. I read pretty carefully through the doctor’s report, and there was, they mentioned neurological exam, but that was more in terms of testing motor strength and sensation and things like that. President Trump had something known as the Montreal cognitive assessment. It’s sort of a screening test for dementia. And, you know, that there was no mention of that sort of thing here. It is a constant point of discussion. I can tell you within the geriatrics community, I wrote this book last year about brain health, and one of the things that kept coming up was, should sort of these types of screening tests, cognitive screening tests, be more commonly done? And there’s many in that community who believe starting at age 65, there should be some sort of screening that’s done. Dr. Ronald Peterson, who runs the Alzheimer’s clinic at Mayo has been somebody who talked about that. But as far as we know, for President Biden, we didn’t see any kind of tests like that performed.”
As Dr. Gupta stated, it seems quite rational for older patients to be subject to routine dementia screening. At the very least, they should let the 78-year-old President of the United States undergo such a test.
As we all remember, Biden forgot where he was during the campaign. He would even shout nonsensical insults at skeptical voters. Now that he’s in office, we can draw on countless times of Biden zoning out mid-speech, slurring over his words, and lashing out at reporters.
Sources: westernjournal, whitehouse.gov, dailywire