Feinstein Suffered More Complications From Illness Than Were Publicly Disclosed

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

When she arrived at the Capitol last week after a more than two-month absence recovering from shingles, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, 89, appeared shockingly diminished.

Using a wheelchair, with the left side of her face frozen and one eye nearly shut, she seemed disoriented as an aide steered her through the marble corridors of the Senate, complaining audibly that something was stuck in her eye.

Ms. Feinstein’s frail appearance was a result of several complications after she was hospitalized for shingles in February, some of which she has not publicly disclosed. The shingles spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The virus also brought on a previously unreported case of encephalitis, a rare but potentially debilitating complication of shingles, according to two people familiar with the senator’s diagnosis who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it.

Characterized by swelling of the brain, post-shingles encephalitis can leave patients with lasting memory or language problems, sleep disorders, bouts of confusion, mood disorders, headaches and difficulties walking. Older patients tend to have the most trouble recovering. And even before this latest illness, Ms. Feinstein had already suffered substantial memory issues that had raised questions about her mental capacity.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/us/politics/feinstein-illness-shingles-senate.html?searchResultPosition=4

[The Unmitigated Gall]

1. It's not just a rash.

In elderly and immunocompromised it can be devastating.

[agingdem]

21. not just the elderly..

Forty four years ago when I was 31 I contracted chicken pox from my kids...this was pre-vaccine..the upshot: Ramsey-Hunt, left ear deaf, unremitting unrelenting shingles, inner ear imbalance flare-ups...I empathize with Diana Feinstein but she should have retired years ago...

[The Unmitigated Gall]

22. Absolutely agree.

And now the pukes won't agree to seat a replacement. We have as long as she can make it to the chamber.

[Rebl2]

34. Agree

[Bev54]

39. I keep wondering how much her staff is influenced with trying to keep her on. They know

as soon as she resigns, they will be out of a job and there are some high salaries involved. It seems they should be the ones encouraging her to leave for the good of the country. I have read that they run interference for her often.

[agingdem]

49. the staff is not doing Feinstein any favors..

she should have retired years ago, integrity, reputation, and legacy intact..now she's a frail forgetful old woman, useful only as a seat holder..

[LonePirate]

2. Who is stopping her from resigning? Is it Feinstein herself? Is it her staff? Her family?

There is absolutely no reason for her remain in office and not obtain the necessary medical care.

[Raven123]

5. Sadly, the issue is the judiciary committee. GOP will block any nominee

[FalloutShelter]

9. THIS and the fact that

she wants there to be an election for her seat. She does not want Newsome making an interim appointment that might cost the Dems the seat.

[oldsoftie]

26. Its been 30 yrs since CA had a GOP Senator. LAME excuse.

[Mz Pip]

45. Correct

The only Republican who’s declared for that seat is that whack job Larry Elder who ran for Governor during their ill fated recall. The Republicans have zero chance of picking up a Senate seat in California.

[getagrip_already]

48. I sincerely doubt she is thinking clearly enough to think that

At this point, her aides call the shots. If they want her to stay, she will.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. You're telling us that should she resign, Gov. Newsom's replacement requires GOP approval??

The replacement would be the Jr. Senator from California. Not a temporary for Judiciary Committee. Surely the permanent replacement would have all the rights and privileges of the other 99 Senators.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Senate rules require a require a vote of the whole senate for committee appointments

Subject to filibuster.

Appointments are usually proved on a voice vote at the beginning of a congress, but when it’s a single seat, shenanigans often occur.

[Ray Bruns]

24. No it's not. Majority vote

[Fiendish Thingy]

53. Subject to filibuster

[IbogaProject]

20. The replacement would be a Senator

The issue is that the Judiciary committee would not approve a new D member, so the committee would stay deadlocked until it looses a GOP member.

[JohnSJ]

30. Her replacement on the judiciary committee requires 60 Senator approval, not her replacement as

a Senator

[karynnj]

35. Replacements do not also replace on committee assignments

The committee assignments are voted on by the whole Senate. This is not a problem at the beginning of a session as there is one vote to approve all the assignments. Now, it would be to place someone (not necessarily her CA replacement) on the Judiciary committee. NO Democrat would get the votes because it is TOTALLY PARTISAN. The Republicans want to block appointments and prevent subpoenas, both need a majority, not tied vote in committee.

[Bev54]

41. They can only block if it is a temporary replacement, I think if she resigns they cannot block

a new member being appointed to the committee from what I read. I also read that the dems can get around their block by a simple majority to change the rule if the two dolts (Manchin, Sinema) voted with them.

[Raven123]

62. Wouldn't bet on Mancinema's help

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Senator is not a position you fire. It is her decision, and her decision alone.

[LonePirate]

12. Assuming she is of sound mind and is capable of making such a decision. There are doubts about that.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. And the procedure for declaring a Senator of unsound mind is ..........

Pray, proceed.

[oldsoftie]

27. Far as I know, there isnt one. But there SHOULD be.

This has gotten ridiculous. See my post below with the Slate article.

[Jerry2144]

29. Easy. Just look for the R after their name

Simple check to determine if they’re of unsound mind

[pat_k]

60. When all is said and done...

... I fear the people in her immediate circle will come to be viewed very negatively, either as irresponsibly supporting an incompetent woman's expressions of determination to continue, believing they are representing her interests, or as cruelly manipulating a vulnerable person into continuing against her own interests.

Given how determined the efforts to keep Sen. Feinstein away from "uncontrolled" public interactions has been, I have a very hard time believing she is truly a competent person running the show.

I hope I'm wrong.

[Ray Bruns]

23. I bet anything it's her staff. If anyone gave a damn about her,

they would have told her to quit.

[LonePirate]

32. Where is her family in all of this?

I can understand if she herself refuses to resign. I can believe someone on her staff wants to remain the power behind the throne while Feinstein remains a figurehead holding on to her office. However, her family does not wield power in the seat or amongst her staff. Their one and only concern should be her well-being. It’s bizarre to me that they are allowing this to continue.

[pat_k]

63. Good question.

From the article:

At home in San Francisco during her recovery, Ms. Feinstein refused to have contact with California lawmakers who tried checking in with her. A call from Mr. Newsom on her personal phone was answered by an aide and went unreturned. An offer of an in-person visit from Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, was flatly rejected. Even some family members who wanted to see her were turned away.

And from this article:

Nancy Corinne Prowda blended into the swarm around the legendary California Democrat. The San Francisco Chronicle made note of her presence but left unreported amid the spectacle was the larger role that Prowda, the eldest child of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has come to play in Feinstein’s life as the 89-year-old has dealt with the absence of her deceased husband, the departure of trusted staffers, a nasty case of shingles and spiraling concerns about her fitness for office.

I've been poking around to see if I could find the names of the "trusted staffers" who departed, but need to do more looking. Poked around to see if Katherine Anne Feinstein, her only biological child had weighed in. No luck. Without more information, it's impossible to know, but it sounds to me like she is a woman with a fractured support system -- on top of physical and cognitive health struggles.

A recipe for fearing the worst: That the people in her current "circle" are supporting an incompetent woman's expressions of determination to continue, believing they are representing her interests, or are cruelly manipulating a vulnerable person into continuing against her own interests.

Perhaps neither is true, and Sen. Feinstein is competent and in charge, despite appearances to the contrary.

Unfortunately, I fear the worst.

[Bev54]

42. I agree, I think it is her staff.

[pat_k]

59. Extremely unclear

According to the NY Times piece, she is isolated -- refusing to see visitors, including members of her own family, when she was in SF. Since the death of her husband, it's unclear to me that the people around who believe they are looking out for her interests are actually doing so. There is also mention in other articles of trusted staffers having departed. Haven't discovered the people they are referring to, but it seems that she is currently being "handled" by a group of folks that does not include some important resources.

I have no idea if the people around her believe they are serving her best interests or have some other agenda, but as a member of the public witnessing the damage to her legacy being done by public displays of impairment, and a circle of people isolating her from interactions with press or colleagues, I fear her true interests are not being served. There are giant red flags that she is struggling with serious cognitive impairment. If she is not competent to make the decision, how can Sen. Feinstein's refusal to resign go unchallenged by caretakers and staffers? I don't believe there is any grand "conspiracy" going on, but having Pelosi's daughter as a key caretaker seems problematic in the "appearances" aspect of things.

It is a sad, alarming, situation.

[Raven123]

3. Wow that's awful. Amazing she is alive.

Better ram those nominations through ASAP

[jgmiller]

4. I've been vocal about her resigning

but my main contention was that she was damaging her legacy and to a lesser extent the operation of the senate. Now I will add that this is not healthy for her. I don't know what is driving her to continue to do this but it's going to damage her already frail health anymore. This is silly, I can't believe nobody in her family or close friends can't convince her to stop.

[Lithos]

6. Hear you...

Yet, she given the deterioration, she is probably the last to realize just how compromised her ability to serve as a functioning Senator really is. It would probably require some intervention by someone like Schumer, Kamala or even Biden.

L-

[diane in sf]

13. Unfortunately if she stops now, the Repugs prevent our appointing judges. She shouldn't have

run last time, but that’s spilt milk. If her aids can prop her up, wheel her in, and help her vote, I’m all for it. She can serve her country by working through her awful symptoms.

[karynnj]

38. She likely held on to do what she did last week -vote nominees out of committee who were stuck

She knows the Republicans will not approve anyone else on the Judiciary committee. As to her legacy, it stands and her brave staying on for exactly that reason, will no more hurt her legacy than Byrd and Kennedy staying on in 2008/2009 coming in in wheelchairs or barely walking to vote for Obamacare.

[CTyankee]

69. Thanks for refreshing our memory! I'm glad she's here.

[Mz Pip]

46. I said this a few days ago

and was reprimanded. I still stand by my comments.

I thought it was appalling when the Republicans would wheel out Strom Thurmond onto the Senate floor for him to struggle to make a coherent sound. I would hate to see the Democrats take the same route.

[pat_k]

65. Very disturbing

Someone above asked where her family was in this. Sadly, with the death of her husband last year, it seems whatever support system she had may be a bit fractured. Here's my response to the earlier inquiry.

https://democraticunderground.com/10143076075#post63

[Marthe48]

7. I hope she snaps back from her illness

But I'd rather have 51 impaired Feinsteins than one single r. They do their damage with no excuses.

[Croney]

16. Yes, this is how I feel about it too.

[newdayneeded]

10. Someone will be along shortly

to inform us that she can run 5Ks, and has absolutely 100% of her full mental capacity. Also, remind us that things she said were not really what she said, we just misinterpreted them.

[LittleGirl]

11. This is b.s.

She needs to resign! Come on, damnit. We need functional humans in the Senate!
Stop waiting for republicans and fill her seat with a healthy human. Our country cannot survive with 80 and 90 year olds holding out. WTF!

[Sky Jewels]

33. I was angry when she decided to run again in 2018.

A terrible health decline situation like this was so easy to predict with someone approaching 90. But Feinstein's ego and desire to retain power won out over the best interests of California constituents and the American people as a whole.

[LittleGirl]

40. Selfish and stupid (her running at that age)

We deserve a Congress of members that are fit to serve. This is not acceptable.

[Mz Pip]

47. In the General Election

she ran against another Democrat. I voted for him and was sorry he lost.

[truthisfreedom]

18. Jeepers. I hope she finishes up these necessary votes

and resigns.

[maxsolomon]

19. Since what was "publically disclosed" was basically nothing, this isn't surprising.

What's surprising is that any of that's coming out now.

And that JABOR hasn't been here to scold the OP yet.

"Pleased that my Senator Dianne Feinstein is returning to the U.S. Senate after a rough bout with shingles. Reminder — please GET YOUR SHINGLES SHOT!"
-Christine Pelosi, 5.9.2023

[oldsoftie]

25. Anyone who doesnt think there's a problem needs to read this Slate article.

Slate is hardly a right wing publication. She needs to resign.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/05/dianne-feinstein-health-return-to-senate.html

"A Brief, Concerning Conversation With Dianne Feinstein
The senator seems to not remember being absent from the Capitol."

[maxsolomon]

28. I found that reassuring, actually.

She can still do the song-and-dance of not actually answering a question. Essential Senatorial skill.

[oldsoftie]

51. Hahahahahahahahahaha thats the best one ive heard today.

[LudwigPastorius]

55. There's audio of that exchange.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/05/17/dianne-feinstein-absence-audio-benjamin-oreskes-cnntm-vpx.cnn

[oldsoftie]

56. Well that certainly doesnt make it seem any better. nt

[LudwigPastorius]

57. No it doesn't.

Her staff should start thinking about what's good for her, and not what's good for them.

[JCMach1]

31. My mom had this in her early 60's... It can be really awful

At her age, I feel really bad for her.

[AllyCat]

36. Ramsay Hunt syndrome II.

It SUCKS!! I got it 4 years ago. Still have nerve damage in my face and an ear. The Bells Palsy alone can cause permanent motor nerve dysfunction in the affected side. Painful and debilitating. Cutting her some slack here would be appropriate.

I had just turned 50. I was out of work for 6 weeks. Cannot imagine this in an 89 year old woman.

[Snackshack]

37. It never fails

To amaze and frighten me at what just seems to be an endless array of ways that nature can take a person out with.

A presentation given by Neil deGrasse Tyson on intelligent design went over this and it was eye opening the way he laid it out from black holes to tornadoes to shingles. There’s lots of stuff out there that does not like us.

[nowforever]

43. Let her heal

I've had shingles as has my twin brother and the pain is incessant and incapacitating. It's like a constant electric shock that seems to never diminish. It disrupts sleep and the simplest of movements can feel agonizing. At 89 I'm surprised she hack this soon.

[NoodleyAppendage]

66. There's no cure (or healing) from Alzheimer's disease

Feinstein more likely than not has Alzheimer's disease (AD) related dementia, which has been magnified and aggravated by shingles-induced encephalopathy and delirium.

The main question is, "does she have the mental capacity to make informed decisions?" If not, then who exactly is the Senator and who is writing the press statements.

J

[Mblaze]

44. I pity her

That’s an extremely painful condition and it was in her face. Get well soon, Senator.

[Joinfortmill]

50. A very sad situation all around.

[LisaM]

52. It takes a while to get over shingles. I should know.

I had it a couple of years ago, my face swelled up on one side and my eye swelled shut. My work was less than supporting, even though I had months of extended sick leave saved up, no one cleared me to use it. It was difficult, but enough people have shingles that it shouldn't be a reason to have to leave your job.

I did leave my job. It became unbearable that they were saying things like I was making typos when my I was seeing everything out of one eye. I had been there 20 years and was treated like a slacker.

What kind of a country is it where people basically get forced out of their jobs for shingles? Yes, Feinstein is old, but she's still effective, has already announced her retirement, and should be allowed to continue to apply her institutional knowledge at work.

The real issue is that the Republicans pettily would not allow a temporary replacement. That's absolutely ridiculous. There are ways to accommodate illness.

[womanofthehills]

68. She has more than shingles

She has Ramey Hunt Syndrome (one side of her face paralyzed ) and had encephalitis - both brought on by shingles. It’s also believed she has some mental impairment. She sounded angry when questioned.

[GB_RN]

54. Here's A Good Writeup On The Situation...

From the guys at Electoral-Vote, from yesterday’s page. There’s no mechanism for removing Senators or Representatives from office due to incapacity. And if her mental state is compromised, Feinstein may not even be legally capable of resigning, because she may not be capable of understanding what she’s doing. The whole situation is a potential disaster for the Democrats, depending on what Senator Feinstein’s condition is.

I hope that she’s OK, and it’s not as bad as it sounds, or as bad as it could be/seems. However, - from an outsider’s perspective - but make no mistake, I am in NO WAY criticizing her or diminishing her service as a Senator , she has looked to be making some unforced errors that would seem to be indicative of a cognitive impairment that’s gotten worse over the last couple of years. Her statements referenced in the link and seeming inability to recognize that she’s been absent, just make it all look worse.

[pat_k]

64. Good article

Unfortunately, I fear the worst.

From the NYTimes article:

At home in San Francisco during her recovery, Ms. Feinstein refused to have contact with California lawmakers who tried checking in with her. A call from Mr. Newsom on her personal phone was answered by an aide and went unreturned. An offer of an in-person visit from Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, was flatly rejected. Even some family members who wanted to see her were turned away.

And from this article:

Nancy Corinne Prowda blended into the swarm around the legendary California Democrat. The San Francisco Chronicle made note of her presence but left unreported amid the spectacle was the larger role that Prowda, the eldest child of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has come to play in Feinstein’s life as the 89-year-old has dealt with the absence of her deceased husband, the departure of trusted staffers, a nasty case of shingles and spiraling concerns about her fitness for office.

I've been poking around to see if I could find the names of the "trusted staffers" who departed, but need to do more looking. Poked around to see if Katherine Anne Feinstein, her only biological child had weighed in. No luck. Without more information, it's impossible to know, but it sounds to me like she is a woman with a fractured support system -- on top of physical and cognitive health struggles.

A recipe for fearing the worst: That the people in her current "circle" are supporting an incompetent woman's expressions of determination to continue, believing they are representing her interests, or are cruelly manipulating a vulnerable person into continuing against her own interests.

Perhaps neither is true, and Sen. Feinstein is competent and in charge, despite appearances to the contrary.

As I said at the outset, I fear the worst.

[Puppyjive]

58. Shingles can accelerate dimensia

My stepfather got shingles and we had to put him in assisted living until he fully recovered. Found out that the elderly do not do well and it can put them into severe state if confusion. They can get urinary tract infections which lead to severe dementia like symptoms.

[NoodleyAppendage]

67. You're thinking about delirium, but yes.

Delirium, which tends to go hand-in-hand with encephalopathy/encephalitis, is associated with significant risk for accelerated dementia and increased 1-year mortality risk.

J