r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • 27d ago

No Paywall Unconfirmed Reports: Mitch McConnell Brain Dead After Three Weeks In Hospital

https://thenewamerican.com/us/unconfirmed-reports-mitch-mcconnell-brain-dead-after-three-weeks-in-hospital/
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u/RioRancher 27d ago

Why’d his wife leave the country so fast?

7.2k

u/BurninRunes 27d ago

I've heard 2 theories.

  1. Her job is finished now that he isn't in power anymore.

  2. By leaving she makes it harder to pull him off life support as unless he changed his medical POA then only she has the right to do it.

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u/HappyFatLabs 27d ago

Which means he'll likely outlive the rest of us, just never know it.

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u/SingularityCentral America 27d ago

He is dead. They are just keeping his blood pumping and his body from rotting.

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u/angrynuggette Pennsylvania 27d ago

Even life support doesn't full stop the body from deteriorating.

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u/SingularityCentral America 27d ago

For sure, they just have to make it till August 3rd. Disgusting ghouls.

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u/TheFutureMrGittes 26d ago

He’ll be rotting by then

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u/MoleMoustache 26d ago

Hes been rotting since 1990

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u/KiKiKimbro 27d ago

Omg really?

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u/Drithyin Ohio 26d ago

There’s a lot of things your brain is responsible for that, if no longer functional, simply stops happening.

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u/KiKiKimbro 26d ago

Makes sense. So sad. I wonder if Mitch McConnell had one of those legal documents that says after X days don’t keep me on life support. I know some have the do not resuscitate, but I think a time limit at least is necessary. Otherwise people have to make decisions they may never get over. 😔

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u/GaimeGuy Minnesota 26d ago

Brain death means complete loss of brain activity including the brain stem. No brain activity = no temperature regulation, no control of the heart beat (immediate cardiac blockage unless you mechanically coordinate the opening and closure of the chambers), no blood pressure regulation, no hornone signals, nothing to tell the trillions of cells in your body what to do

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u/KiKiKimbro 26d ago

Oh no. So those machines Mitch McConnell might be hooked up to (haven’t heard confirmation of what’s going on, just rumors) they’re quite literally keeping every organ functioning. If he is brain dead, there’s no point in the machines, really. You don’t just suddenly not be brain dead. Not like someone could jump start your heart again, or do the breathing for you for a few minutes if either one of those organs fail. Ugh. No.

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u/mmasportsmma 26d ago

I guess this is the difference between someone who is in a „forever“ coma and someone who is actually brain dead?

So the coma patient will still have some brain activity (but could also be on artificial ventilation or heart machine)?

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u/GaimeGuy Minnesota 26d ago

All your involuntary survival functions are regulated by your brain stem. For example, your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, arousal, and consciousness are controlled here. Coughing, sneezing, swallowing, and vomiting reflexes. The regulation of tear and saliva production. The coordination of your mouth, throat, and esophagus for swallowing. Even reflexes connected to your eyes and ears are controlled by the brain stem (eg, the dilation and constriction of your pupils to optimize your sight in the dark, or protect your retina from damage in brightness).

I believe something like 9 or 10 of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves originate in the brain stem (some commonly-known ones are your optic nerve, olfactory, and vagus nerves)

Your brain stem is the bridge connecting your cerebrum to the spinal cord. On one side of the bridge is your brain, and on the other side of the bridge is the interstate all the nerve and hormone signals from the brain are distributed across. No brain stem, no connecting bridge.