It’s a Matter of HEALTH, by George!

Have I missed something? (It’s quite possible.) Why in all this discussion of President Biden’s ability, or lack thereof, to win the November election and continue as President for another 4 years beyond that, is no one using the word health? Mainstream media got close last week when asking about frequent visits to the White House by a Parkinson’s expert over the last several months, but otherwise avoided any direct reference to the man’s apparent declining health or the probability that he has a progressive medical condition. Has health become a dirty word, except when preceded by perfect or clean bill of?

Considering how vociferously various White House and Biden peeps have denied that he is being treated for anything more serious than sleep apnea, I guess so.

But why!?

For several months I’ve been wanting to write about Joe Biden’s declining health as evident in his movement. As managing my decidedly imperfect health often eats into my energy reserves, I’ve put off this project, hoping maybe one of my movement analyst colleagues might chime in first. But, as of the now infamous debate almost 3 weeks ago, the very badly kept secret is out. Since then, I have watched and read several opinion pieces questioning Biden’s fitness (as well as his campaign’s openness and media coverage), plus ones by folks who have supported Biden in the past, now strongly urging him to drop out of the race.

Each and every one of them attributes Joe Biden’s difficulties to age. And age alone.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times, George Clooney wrote, “But the one battle [President Biden] cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can.” Wtf, is Biden terminal!? Or do you mean aging is an involuntary fight against time we’re all destined to lose badly!? Dude!

Later, Mr. Clooney wrote,

“Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also nothing that can be reversed.” {emphasis mine}

No, George! Bad celebrity! Sit. Listen.

For 20 years I maintained a private practice as a movement therapist, working with patients with movement disorders*1* and other movement challenges. As my fledgling aerial dance company, AirDance New Mexico*2*, began to grow and I started feeling what denial convinced me was small biz burnout, and nothing more, I decided to close my practice and go all in with the nonprofit AirDance. Not 5 years later, the increasingly disabling effects of my recently identified autoimmune and chronic illnesses pressed me to the realization I needed to leave the company. Passing the proverbial torch to those able to meet the demands of the role was best for all.

Yes, it was all very painful, thanks for asking.

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February 16, 2023 article in TIME, President Biden received a clean bill of health after his recent physical. “Biden has ‘significant spinal arthritis’ and the impact of a broken foot and neuropathy in his feet that changed how he walks, Dr. O’Connor noted. ‘The President’s gait remains stiff, but has not worsened since last year.’”

Well … no. Just, no.

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So, I’ve been on both sides of the equation, so to speak. I’ve been in a situation similar to President Biden’s, albeit far less public and consequential to our democracy. Some supported my early retirement; others … not so much. All agreed my difficulties — what would later be diagnosed as mild cognitive impairments among them — were due to serious health issues. Not age.

I retired due to disability at the age of 54. Nearly 7 years later, I continue to be unable to work. Acceptance is an ever-evolving companion.

Despite my two decades of professional experience observing people with movement disorders and seeing how diseases such as Parkinson’s change a person’s movement profile — not only as the disease progresses, but also in relation to declining cognitive abilities (when present) — I found my long retirement had eroded much of my confidence. But what I’ve seen in Joe Biden’s movement over the course of his presidency is not healthy aging.

I am not a diagnostician. Even if I were, I could/would not diagnose a neurological disease and/or cognitive deficit/decline from television footage alone. While I do not know the cause — Mr. Biden may not have a diagnosis as yet — and, as always, I could be wrong, my analysis of Biden’s movement profile indicates rising, significant cognitive impairment caused by physical illness.*3* Without getting too technical, for those of us trained to see them, the effects of his medical issue(s) are evident in several aspects of his walk, including the loss of fluidity and rhythm he had 2 years ago; in his held posture; in the disconnectedness of his arms from his torso; his claw-like hands; his disengaged focus and slack facial expression.

President Biden is not well.

I’m truly sorry for Mr. Biden and his family. Having to face a disabling illness so publicly has to make a very difficult situation so much more so. However, embracing denial and/or blaming age instead of discussing health does not serve anyone.

Does it?

Maybe my neurodivergence is showing, but I just don’t understand why everyone who is anyone insists on addressing Biden’s problems as a matter of (advanced) age, refusing to even use the word health, much less discuss medical issues. I find it very disappointing, being that this could be an excellent opportunity for accurate health information, instead of perpetuating ageist myths. Myths I thought long dispelled. 40 years ago, few had heard of my grandfather’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. 20 years later, it seemed most had. They’d also learned dementia was not caused by aging. We stopped using the word senility. What happened over the last 20 years?

I guess those awareness campaigns accomplished FCK all!🤬

This is an excellent time for the media to highlight the differences between healthy aging and symptoms indicating a disease process is at work. It’s a great time to highlight age as a risk factor and not a cause. To point out that many diseases are associated with “old age” due to advancing age being a leading risk factor for those illnesses.*4* Of course, the media would then have to do a much better job than they’ve collectively done over my lifetime explaining what risk factor does and does not mean for medical conditions.

Is the problem our society’s overall inability to factually discuss all aspects of health in any appreciable depth, particularly progressive and disabling conditions? How long will we remain content with the (mistaken) notion that all we need to talk about is “prevention”? No, I’m not knocking a healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding/quitting smoking, and other actions individuals can employ to lower their risk for cancers and other diseases. But lowering risk is not the same as prevention as most people comprehend the word — as a guarantee against disease.

Yeah, no. There are no guarantees regarding health. Your risk is never zero. You are not in control.

(Okay, almost never. Exceptions have to do with not having targeted tissues. For example, if you have no testicular tissue, your risk of testicular cancer is effectively zero. Feel better now?)

Alright, don’t panic! While that may seem quite scary, there is a fabulous upside! Your risk may not be zero, but for the vast majority of Americans pretty much all the really scary stuff and lots of the not-so-scary maladies, it’s not a whole lot higher than that. In other words, your chances of living a long and fairly healthy life, free of progressive and/or terminal disease, dementia too, is very much in your favor. Given you avoid accidents and gun violence. Up to 85. (After 85, the odds kinda even out.)

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Riddle me this: If Biden were showing all the same disconcerting signs, but were 20 years younger, would you still be concerned? Or does that relative youth magically allay your fears?

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For his sake I hope President Biden will withdraw from the race and attend to his health. For all our sakes, I will be voting for the Democratic nominee for President in November. Because there is no alternative, in my opinion.

I could be wrong.

But everything I’m observing says otherwise.

*1* In medical terms, movement disorders are neurological conditions which cause problematic movement, both involuntary and voluntary. Movement Disorders | MedlinePlus

*2* The now award-winning AirDance New Mexico lives on! Please think about donating money to them. Then do it!

*3* In 2020, my neurologist saw the early (earlier) signs of dementia in Joe Biden. I didn’t see it then. I didn’t want to. 4 years later … I tip my hat to the (very) good doctor yet again!

“Your memory often changes as you grow older. But memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging.” Alzheimer’s & Dementia | Alzheimer’s Association “Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia.”

*4* Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s and most other causes of dementias. That risk rises steeply after 85. According to the US Alzheimer’s Association, “5% of people age 65 to 74, 13.2% of people age 75 to 84, and 33.4% of people age 85 or older have Alzheimer’s dementia. However, it is important to note that Alzheimer’s dementia is not a normal part of aging, and older age alone is not sufficient to cause Alzheimer’s dementia.”

Links for Movement Analysis and Therapy:

Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies

American Dance Therapy Association

Intl Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Assn

Movement Disorders | Albuquerque, New Mexico