Ann Romney's Health [View all]

[cali]

Ann Romney and the Romney campaign have made a campaign issue about her having suffered from breast cancer and MS. They've claimed that because she's endured such hardships, she has empathy with people who are suffering from... everything.

I don't know that much about MS. The one person I know well who has it, is a great deal more impaired that Ann Romney. I do know that it can be in remission and it can vary in severity. Mrs. Romney is evidently in pretty good shape; witness her campaign activities.

Mrs. Romney did have breast cancer:

"Ann Romney, wife of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, was diagnosed and treated for early stage breast cancer in 2008. Soon after her diagnosis, she released a statement saying she had been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), a non-invasive type of breast cancer that is considered to be a precancerous form of the disease.

After a routine mammogram, the then 59-year-old underwent a lumpectomy, followed by radiation therapy. While DCIS is not life threatening, when left untreated, in some cases it can become invasive. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 5 cases of breast cancer diagnosed are DCIS.

<snip>

http://cancer.about.com/od/celebritiesandcancer/a/Ann-Romney-And-Breast-Cancer.htm

I'm trying to write this very carefully.

I'm sure it was scary to get her diagnosis, but it was what's called "stage zero" breast cancer It was never life threatening and fortunately for her she didn't have to undergo grueling chemotherapy. She didn't need reconstructive surgery.

She has the best of care for her MS. She had the best of care for her very early stage breast cancer. She didn't have to worry for one second about anything but focusing on getting well. Good for her.

But the constant trumpeting of the campaign about how much Ann Romney has suffered and overcome, is largely untrue. Like so much else about this pair.

She is the most clueless woman I can imagine.