Gov. Bredesen Says He Feels Well, But Has No Conclusive Diagnosis Posted: 8/28/2006 11:57:00 AM Updated: 8/28/2006 12:03:26 PM
Governor Bredesen held a press conference Monday at 11:00 a.m. to address his health, and update the public on his progress. He said he was feeling well, was back to work, but never received a conclusive diagnosis of his illness.
The Governor made sure to thank everyone, including members of the media, for cards, emails and well-wishes during his illness, and emphasized that he was back to work Monday. He will have limited duties this week as he continues to recover, and as his son gets married Saturday.
Dr. Karl Van Devender, his physician at Vanderbilt, said that he saw the Governor the morning of Aug. 14, and he was admitted to the hospital after feeling worse the same evening.
The doctor said that Governor Bredesen developed symptoms while performing the wedding of Jeff Conier, his former driver and companion during his campaign for governor, Aug. 6 in Montana.
Van Devender performed tests to diagnose the Governor, but then recommended he get a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic.
After the battery of tests he received, the governor never got a conclusive diagnosis. His doctors have determined based on his symptoms that he most likely had a tick-borne illness. Accord to Van Devender, 70 percent of tick-borne illnesses are never conclusively diagnosed.
His symptoms began with pain behind his eyes, back pain and general weakness. Based on his exercise routine, jogging two to 10 miles daily, and his ownership of a dog, doctors determined their diagnosis.
The governor said that he hoped to lose 10 pounds through exercise, but inadvertently lost 15 through his illness. He joked that he had the pleasure of gaining back five pounds.
The Governor and his doctor said that his illness had no similarities to his staffer who also fell ill recently.
He also said that he did not have the energy to hold a press conference and without conclusive results, he had no information.
``Anyone who could buy a paper knew as much as his doctors did,'' Van Devender said.
The Governor emphasized that he felt well Monday, but wanted to take caution so as to not get sick again, especially before his son's wedding.
``I promise you, if something serious had happened, we would have had a press conference, and let you know,'' Bredesen said.
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Gov back at work, 'doing well'; illness was from tick
By GAIL KERR Staff Writer
Gov. Phil Bredesen is back at work on "limited duty" for the next few days but said he feels great.
"Well, I'm back," Bredesen said at an 11 a.m. press conference. "I'm certainly here, and on the job. We never did get a diagnosis. This is apparently a tick-borne illness. I'm this rational guy, and I want answers. Sometimes you don't get the answers you want."
Bredesen's personal physician, Dr. Karl VanDevender, said that Bredesen first noticed a sore back and pain behind his eyes on the morning of Aug. 6. He was in Montana, where he performed a backyard wedding ceremony. He treated the symptoms with over-the-counter medications, like aspirin and Tylenol, to no avail.
His doctors said the governor continued to jog between two and 10 miles every day during this period.
The governor said today he does not specifically recall finding a tick on him during the period before his illness, though he said he often finds them after walking his dog, Maggie.
By Aug. 13, the pain had not gone away and the governor was feeling weak and feverish. The doctor did blood work, which indicated it was a tick-related illness. When his fever spiked, the doctor advised Bredesen to check into the hospital. He was put in intensive care, not because it was life-threatening.
A tick expert was consulted, and tests were done for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and malaria, among others. Again, no specific diagnosis was reached.
When the fever subsided, he was sent home. VanDevender advised him to travel to the Mayo Clinic to find answers, but the diagnosis was still elusive.
"He's back to at least 90% of his vigor," VanDevender said, adding the governor never suffered from any mental impairment. "He is doing well now. There will be no physical consequences at all."
"This is absolutely behind me," the governor said, adding he lost 10 pounds.
Copyright � 2006, tennessean.com. All rights reserved.
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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I hate to give the gov the bad news but he ain't seen or felt the end of this yet. and yes he is right anybody who can read knows more than the quacks at the Mayo clinic. Somebody needs to sit down with this idiot and have a heart to heart talk with him about the real facts of life. We have all been there and done that before. It all sounds so sickeningly familiar. Will the kaka for brains ducks never learn anything???
-------------------- Thomas Parkman Posts: 341 | From Columbia SC 29206 | Registered: Feb 2003
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.......and IT'S ALL BEHIND HIM NOW......I'm not convinced....especially if he's too weak to work full time while he's "recovering".......he's not well......OBVIOUSLY!!!!
Gee and they never mentioned if he was still taking antibiotics.....This will be an interesting story to follow. Anyone hear from the TN lyme support groups???
Gail
-------------------- Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will ~ Gandhi Posts: 562 | From Wellsville, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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trails
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1620
posted
I wanna know what a TICK EXPERT is.
And I wanna know why MALARIA was part of the possibilities of tick born illnesses he was tested for.
And I wanna know why if he had/has a "tick born illness" there is NO NAME and no DEFINITATIVE DIAGNOSIS?
NEWS BULLETIN: The governor got sick, we think the illness was transmitted by a tick and we can't name it or treat it but we are QUITE certain he is all better now. Posts: 1950 | From New Mexico | Registered: Sep 2001
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Poor Gov. B.; he's been given quite a snow job! He also "HAD" THE DISEASE!
There they go again with that ONE PILL new infectious MD policy they recently wrote! Bettyg
PS - I never heard anything from Iowa's Gov. Vilsack on the detailed email I sent/posted here.
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Boomerang
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7979
posted
Man, when I saw him doing his news conference, and saying it was "all behind him".. I just had to wonder if it was or wasn't. Did his trip to ICU and IV antibiotics make a difference?
Have to say, I thought he looked pretty rough.
Posts: 1366 | From Southeast | Registered: Sep 2005
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
I wonder if the reporter who wrote the second article got her facts right.
There is no mention in the first of article of any blood work that indicated the Gov had a tick-borne illness. The Gov's doctors based that determination on his SYMPTOMS. Only in the second article was this ``blood work'' mentioned.
If the second article is true, I demand to know what ``blood work'' he initially had that indicated he had a ``tick-related illness''! I know of no such test, do you?
I can't believe VanDevender said, ``There will be no physical consequences at all''. That just shows you how most ducks have taken to heart the conclusions of the IDSA.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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quote: YUP. They are on record as saying "We don't do Lyme."
Maybe the ELISA test is not as unreliable unless it is from the Mayo clinic? The only test I had that was negative was the ELISA and I got it done at the Mayo clinic.
Posts: 649 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2003
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I spoke with my contact and I didn't get very far. I am very upset that this man didn't take me more seriously. I mean he knows me and knows how I struggle, or at least I thought he did.
Anyway, I was able to stress the importance of GovB getting to a LLMD, maybe to Columbia. But I had to back off because I started to note some apprehension in my contact. I didn't want him to think I was a kook.
I am very disallusioned this morning. Both at the way GovB is being treated and the way I wasn't taken seriously.
I will pay close attention to this news.
-------------------- Daisy Posts: 122 | From at the computer | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Maybe the gov did get well. People who are treated early enough do recover.
I think that if in the future his health situation is not normal, the reception of other views might improve. The thing to remember is that politicians in poor health are considered fair game for the opposition, who will take full advantage of it. Therefore, it is important not to show any weakness. People who work with and for him will know that.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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quote:Accord to Van Devender, 70 percent of tick-borne illnesses are never conclusively diagnosed.
this is interesting statement.
Also pain behind eyes seems to be Lyme related symptom, i have heared it from many Lymies.
Posts: 641 | From Wroclaw, Poland | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by lou: The thing to remember is that politicians in poor health are considered fair game for the opposition, who will take full advantage of it. Therefore, it is important not to show any weakness.
That's it in a nutshell. Sad to think he may end up like some of us!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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quote: "He's back to at least 90% of his vigor," VanDevender said, adding the governor never suffered from any mental impairment . "He is doing well now. There will be no physical consequences at all."
There is alwyas a first time when u get Lyme disease. Why does he mentions mental impairment ? It sounds to me like the Dr VanDevender is trying to justify himself for doing everything for physical health of Governor. Like everything what will be happening to Governor later cannot have physical cause.
Posts: 641 | From Wroclaw, Poland | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
On last night's news in Nashville, following the Bredesen story, they had a report on how to protect yourself against ticks. Then they interviewed a doctor who mentioned some of the symptoms (fever, etc.) and said if you have those symptoms after a tick bite, get to the doctor.
I laughed. Here in the Nashville area if a tick bites you and you go to the doctor with fever and other symptoms, they'll STILL tell you Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, etc. is not found in TN.
They still claim the only tick disease found here is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but I've met many people here who have Lyme and have yet to meet someone here with RMSF.
Posts: 106 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2004
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