Ann Romney's MS created campaign health 'scare'

Ann Romney reveals in a new interview that, in the days leading up to the Super Tuesday presidential primaries on March 6, she silently suffered through a challenging health situation related to the multiple sclerosis diagnosis she received in 1998.

"I was quite fatigued, and I knew I couldn't quit," Romney told "Entertainment Tonight" in an interview airing Thursday night. "I didn't tell anybody I was tired. I just kept going. I had a little bit of a scare. … I start to almost lose my words. I almost can't think. I can't get my words out. I start to stumble a little bit and so those things were happening and I thought, 'Uh, oh. Big trouble.'"

In the wake of "Entertainment Tonight" placing portions of the interview online Thursday morning, myriad media outlets reported snippets about Romney's battle with MS.

CBS News: "Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of the chronic disease hit each person differently, but it can be disabling. As the Romney campaign transitions into general election mode, Ann Romney is taking a higher profile, in part to help her husband craft a more relatable persona. On Ann Romney's birthday, the campaign released a video celebrating her life, which featured highlights of the Romney family's life."

New York Times: "Mrs. Romney keeps her own campaign schedule, appearing at her own events and alongside her husband, and she is expected to ramp up her presence on the trail in coming months. But she has also managed to steal some time off the trail, often to ride horses, including a 10-day break after the Illinois primary."

CNN Politics: "She was diagnosed with the inflammatory disease in 1998 and often discuses the experience while on the campaign trail in support of her husband's White House bid. The breast cancer survivor usually details how Mitt Romney supported her during the most difficult phases, saying he told her he would eat cereal for the rest of his life if it became difficult for her to cook. The mother of five has said she now manages her MS symptoms through horse back riding and monitoring her energy levels."