image of the thyroid. This thyroid scan revealed a gland that was enlarged, and absorbing iodine at
faster than the normal rate. During this press conference, Bush's medical team also conceded thatBush had experienced a renewed bout of atrial fibrillation in the form of a "rather brief episode"
during the night of Tuesday, May 8.
During this press conference, Burton Lee once again repeated the story that Bush's thyroid had
never been tested during his previous annual or other checkups. He offered the estimate that Bush'sthyroid condition had developed after his last medical checkup, which had been conducted on
March 27, 1991. According to Dr. Kenneth Burman,a thyroid specialist at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center who had been assigned to Bush's case, the issue of whether thyroid tests should be a
part of routine physical examination was controversial. Burman added that his personal opinion was
that such tests were not cost-effective! Press reports reflected surprise on the part of outside expertsabout this alleged neglect of thyroid testing. Also joining in this press conference was Dr. Bruce K.
Lloyd, the chief of cardiology at Bethesda Medical Center.
Bush's doctors announced that he had ingested a dose of radioactive iodine on the morning of May
- Bush drank this iodine at Bethesda. One thyroid expert, Dr. Bruce D. Weintraub of the NationalInstitutes of Health, told the Washington Post that as a result of this thyroid cocktail, which was
designed to destroy a large part of Bush's thyroid, the public might henceforth see "a slower and
less frenetic George Bush." [fn 32] As a result of the radioactive cocktail, Bush was "mildly
radioactive" for a few days, and was told to refrain from hugging his grandchildren for their
protection.
Some experts called attention to the allegedly bizarre anomaly that Barbara Bush had been
diagnosed as suffering from Graves' disease in January, 1990, in the immediate wake of the Panama
crisis. One of the antibodies associated with Graves' disease triggers abnormal deposits of fat
behind the eyes, leading to the bulging eyes that are associated in the popular mind withhyperthyroid disorders. For some time after she was diagnosed, Mrs. Bush suffered from (^)
disturbances in her vision. In addition, during the summer of 1990, the family dog Millie, a springer
spaniel, was found to have contracted lupus, another autoimmune disease. Millie was treated with
the steroid drug prednisone, and apparently recovered. Finally, it turned out that Bush's son Marvin,
a resident of Alexandria, Virginia, was also afflicted by an autoimmune disorder, this time regionalenteritis.
As will shortly become clear, there would have been good reason to investigate Bush's frequent
episodes of apoplectic rage as a causal factor in the autoimmune disorders of his immediate family
circle. The most likely explanation for the afflictions of Millie and Barbara is that they were bothdriven frantic by George's obsessive and rage-filled outbursts in the White House family quarters. (^)
This may have included various forms of mental and even physical abuse. The emotional trauma of
living with George would be more than enough to produce autoimmune problems in those around
him. Perhaps in an attempt to distract attention from this highly plausible path of investigation,
Marilyn Quayle was sent forward to tell CNN of a plan to test the water at the vice president'sresidence at the Naval Observatory, where George and Barbara had lived for eight years before (^)
moving to the White House. Mrs. Quayle told the media that Bush's White House physicians had
"ordered all sorts of tests" on the water in the vice president's residence, which is over a century old.
"Obviously there is a little bit of concern," said Mrs. Quayle. "It seems a little bit much of a
coincidence. I don't worry oveMrs. Quayle added that she hoped the results of the tests "relieve a lot of people's minds--rmuch about it, but I think it's something that does bear looking into."
definitely, I hope they relieve mine."
What Marilyn Quayle was referring to was part of a program to test the water at the White House,
the Naval Observatory, Camp David, and Kennebunkport. Sanitary engineers were said to be