Watching close-up views of Trump on the WH balcony, it was obvious to me he was REALLY struggling to breathe and suppress coughing. As a voice teacher and one long focused on teaching proper/improper respiration as regards singing, all the signs were there. His breathing was shallow and centered high in the chest, what we call “clavicula…
Watching close-up views of Trump on the WH balcony, it was obvious to me he was REALLY struggling to breathe and suppress coughing. As a voice teacher and one long focused on teaching proper/improper respiration as regards singing, all the signs were there. His breathing was shallow and centered high in the chest, what we call “clavicular breathing” because it is involving the clavicle and external and internal intercostals in the upper rib-cage. It is bad for singing because it creates tension that spreads into the neck and eventually the larynx. It can be detected by the visible tensing of the sternocleidomastoid muscles that extend from the base of the skull on both sides of the neck down to the upper ribs and clavicle. (They’re very easily found as they’re pretty big muscles.) For singing, very low deep breaths into the lowest regions of the lungs and involving the diaphragm and lower body for inspiration, and then the lateral abdominals for expiration, are essentials in classical vocal technique. You could also see his neck and upper chest muscles lock as he was trying desperately to suppress a cough. You can plainly see him wince a few times, since trying to breathe lower is virtually impossible and actually causes pain—people with pneumonia can attest. The lungs simply have severely limited space for air and the diaphragm is prevented from fully moving downward, which it does during proper deep respiration. In other words, he can’t breathe and it is almost like drowning. You can see him fighting his body’s reflexes of the illness, ALL so he can appear strong and invincible. He’ll only be able to do that so many times before he collapses. I should say at this point that I have to avail myself of steroid shots every 3-4 months or so because of severe problems in my spine. They do help settle down my sciatic nerve which is being punished/pinched in my spine, and steroids do help lessen the bad leg pain. I haven’t really noticed any side effects per se, but in my case, I’ll gladly deal with the side effects if it means a few weeks of pain relief. He is on MUCH stronger stuff and I question its use if it impairs his judgement in any way. Anyway…my observations and $.02 based on my profession.
Oh, Bruce. I am so troubled to read of the struggles you are experiencing. I do so hope the mitigation measures you are taking continue to give some relief for a time at least.
I admit I did not observe 45 closely as I hardly watched him at all, but would never have been able to assess the tell he exhibited under your keen eye. Thanks for this detailed explanation.
I truly appreciate your analysis. I was quite sure, in my own way, that he was struggling mightily to breathe and avoid coughing, but your analysis applied clarity to what I saw. I continue to be utterly disappointed that not one single news organization picked up and reported on his obvious difficulty breathing as he stood on the Mussolini Balcony. His fight for breath is material, and it is important, as it's the only empirical evidence we have of his health when he and everyone around him are lying about his health, and quite possibly, about what medications and assistance he's receiving.
Thank you for this explanation. My sympathy for your pain. My late ex-husband had arachnoidosis (sp) .When you have that level of pain you get no euphoria from drugs.
No, not the way he was breathing. It was all centered high and his shoulders are pulling up as well (which I forgot to mention above). When people are out of breath they use more of the whole apparatus to breathe and it is lower. Friends and colleagues of mine who have suffered from asthma spoke up and said he was very clearly showing all the similar breathing motions as an asthmatic. Also, he was noticeably grimacing with some of the inhalations. If one is merely out of breath one usually doesn't grimace in pain. These are all little subtle things that he probably thought would not be noticed since most of the cameras were pretty far off, but telephoto lenses reveal everything. Plus, I'm so used to having to diagnose possible breathing issues for singers so I can spot things an unknowing eye might miss. Trust me, he was gasping, and not just out-of-breath gasping. There was obvious diminished lung capacity going on. But yeah...he is a fat old man, contrary to the virile stud he wants us all to see...*HURL*...
Ooo--I like that last sentence, Bruce! And yes, I saw his breathing. It's familiar to me because my two sisters and I were my mother's 24/7 caregivers for the last years of her life with ALS. Hers was bulbar onset, so the effects, rather than affecting her limbs first, affected her core first--her diaphragm and throat. Her last six months were a struggle to breathe in exactly the same way. We called it chest breathing.
Watching close-up views of Trump on the WH balcony, it was obvious to me he was REALLY struggling to breathe and suppress coughing. As a voice teacher and one long focused on teaching proper/improper respiration as regards singing, all the signs were there. His breathing was shallow and centered high in the chest, what we call “clavicular breathing” because it is involving the clavicle and external and internal intercostals in the upper rib-cage. It is bad for singing because it creates tension that spreads into the neck and eventually the larynx. It can be detected by the visible tensing of the sternocleidomastoid muscles that extend from the base of the skull on both sides of the neck down to the upper ribs and clavicle. (They’re very easily found as they’re pretty big muscles.) For singing, very low deep breaths into the lowest regions of the lungs and involving the diaphragm and lower body for inspiration, and then the lateral abdominals for expiration, are essentials in classical vocal technique. You could also see his neck and upper chest muscles lock as he was trying desperately to suppress a cough. You can plainly see him wince a few times, since trying to breathe lower is virtually impossible and actually causes pain—people with pneumonia can attest. The lungs simply have severely limited space for air and the diaphragm is prevented from fully moving downward, which it does during proper deep respiration. In other words, he can’t breathe and it is almost like drowning. You can see him fighting his body’s reflexes of the illness, ALL so he can appear strong and invincible. He’ll only be able to do that so many times before he collapses. I should say at this point that I have to avail myself of steroid shots every 3-4 months or so because of severe problems in my spine. They do help settle down my sciatic nerve which is being punished/pinched in my spine, and steroids do help lessen the bad leg pain. I haven’t really noticed any side effects per se, but in my case, I’ll gladly deal with the side effects if it means a few weeks of pain relief. He is on MUCH stronger stuff and I question its use if it impairs his judgement in any way. Anyway…my observations and $.02 based on my profession.
Oh, Bruce. I am so troubled to read of the struggles you are experiencing. I do so hope the mitigation measures you are taking continue to give some relief for a time at least.
I admit I did not observe 45 closely as I hardly watched him at all, but would never have been able to assess the tell he exhibited under your keen eye. Thanks for this detailed explanation.
Will be rooting for you from now on!
If you look at (I think) Jim Acosta’s video, I think you can see it.
Thanks, Marcy!
I truly appreciate your analysis. I was quite sure, in my own way, that he was struggling mightily to breathe and avoid coughing, but your analysis applied clarity to what I saw. I continue to be utterly disappointed that not one single news organization picked up and reported on his obvious difficulty breathing as he stood on the Mussolini Balcony. His fight for breath is material, and it is important, as it's the only empirical evidence we have of his health when he and everyone around him are lying about his health, and quite possibly, about what medications and assistance he's receiving.
Thank you for this explanation. My sympathy for your pain. My late ex-husband had arachnoidosis (sp) .When you have that level of pain you get no euphoria from drugs.
Thank you
Wow. Incredible analysis. Thanks!
Isn’t it also possible that he is just a fat old man who had just walked up some stairs?
No, not the way he was breathing. It was all centered high and his shoulders are pulling up as well (which I forgot to mention above). When people are out of breath they use more of the whole apparatus to breathe and it is lower. Friends and colleagues of mine who have suffered from asthma spoke up and said he was very clearly showing all the similar breathing motions as an asthmatic. Also, he was noticeably grimacing with some of the inhalations. If one is merely out of breath one usually doesn't grimace in pain. These are all little subtle things that he probably thought would not be noticed since most of the cameras were pretty far off, but telephoto lenses reveal everything. Plus, I'm so used to having to diagnose possible breathing issues for singers so I can spot things an unknowing eye might miss. Trust me, he was gasping, and not just out-of-breath gasping. There was obvious diminished lung capacity going on. But yeah...he is a fat old man, contrary to the virile stud he wants us all to see...*HURL*...
Ooo--I like that last sentence, Bruce! And yes, I saw his breathing. It's familiar to me because my two sisters and I were my mother's 24/7 caregivers for the last years of her life with ALS. Hers was bulbar onset, so the effects, rather than affecting her limbs first, affected her core first--her diaphragm and throat. Her last six months were a struggle to breathe in exactly the same way. We called it chest breathing.