Washington: Hillary Clinton has said that she thought her falling ill at Ground Zero was not going to be "that big a deal" as she promised to resume campaigning this week amid calls for transparency into her health condition.
In her first interview since she wobbled, stumbled and nearly collapsed during the 15th anniversary of 9/11 attacks in New York on Sunday, the Democrat presidential candidate said she felt dizzy and lost her balance, but did not lose consciousness, and is now "feeling so much better."
"I just did not think it was going to be that big a deal. It is just the kind of thing that if it happens to you and you are a busy, active person, you keep moving forward," she told CNN last night.
The health scare forced the 68-year-old former secretary of state to cancel campaign and fundraising trips to California and has fuelled concerns about her medical fitness less than two months to go for the November 8 election.
It also prompted Republican rival Donald Trump a new opening and seek her medical record, which has remained an area of intense speculation since this was not the first time she has had issues surrounding her health condition.
Previously Clinton was afflicted by an uncontrollable cough for several minutes which forced her to stop speaking during a rally in Cleveland. And in December 2013, she had to be rushed to New York's Presbyterian Hospital after a medical scare following a fainting spell and concussion.
Her campaign initially attributed Sunday's health scare to overheating and dehydration. But later said she was diagnosed with pneumonia - an inflammatory condition of the lung.
"What happened (on Sunday) was that I just was incredibly committed to being at the memorial - as a senator on 9/11, this is incredibly personal to me. And I could, feel how hot and humid it was. I felt overheated. I decided that I did need to leave," she said.
Clinton, however, tried to defend her past medical record but admitted that it was something that has occurred a few times over the course of her life.
"I think it is fair to say that people know more about me than almost anyone in public life. They have got 40 years of my tax returns, tens of thousands of e-mails, a detailed medical letter report, all kinds of personal details," she said.
"I should have gotten some rest sooner. I probably would have been better off if I had just pulled down my schedule on Friday. But, like a lot of people, I just thought I could keep going forward and power through it. And, obviously, that did not work out so well," she said.
"As soon as I got into the air-conditioned van, I cooled off, I got some water and very quickly I felt better."
The abruptly rapid turn of events has called into question why Clinton delayed by two days revealing the pneumonia diagnosis.
Both Clinton and Trump have said they intended to release more of their medical details in the coming days.
