Politics

Hillary Clinton Shares Her Concussion Discussion With Paul Ryan

Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
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In an interview with People Magazine, Hillary Clinton said she has recovered from a fall she sustained in 2012, and relayed a conversation she had with a possible 2016 presidential foe.

The magazine interviewed Clinton ahead of the release of her latest book, “Hard Choices”, which comes out next week.

“You didn’t write about the injury in the book. Any lingering effects?” Clinton was asked, according to Politico Playbook.

“No,” she said.

“I did have a concussion and some effects in the aftermath of it, mostly dizziness, double vision. Those all dissipated.”

The former Secretary of State said she is on blood thinning medication for treatment on a blood clot.

Clinton also relayed a conversation she had with Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, who, like Clinton, may have presidential interests.

“It was funny, at the inauguration for President Obama’s second term, I was standing [with] Paul Ryan. I said, ‘Congressman, I read that you’re a great athlete. Have you ever had a concussion?’ ‘Oh, yeah. Three at least,’” said Clinton.

“I said, ‘Were they serious?’ He said, ‘One was really serious. I’m so grateful to my mother, because she said, “As you’re grounded. You’re going to rest until it goes away.” And of course it did.'”

Clinton’s late-2012 injury has been a big topic of debate in political circles. Last month, former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove questioned the timeline of her injury and her recovery.

Clinton suffered a concussion from a fall in Dec. 2012. The State Department said that Clinton was suffering from a stomach virus, became dehydrated and fainted when she hit her head. She returned to work the next month and made her first official appearance in Feb. 2013.

But Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, said that it took six months for his wife to get over the injury. During that time she suffered fainting spells, he said.

Clinton’s aides joked about the injury at the time, giving her a football helmet when she returned to work at the State Department.

Besides their impact on Clinton’s health, concussions have received increased attention recently due to their prevalence in football and lawsuits against the NFL. Last month, at a summit on childhood concussions, President Obama said that he probably suffered a “mild concussion” when he played football as a kid.

Clinton’s most recent book, titled “Hard Choices”, is scheduled to be released next week.

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