The First Lady has Emergency Surgery Saturday... Yet this isn't Big News?

[KoKo]

Instead Blitzer leads off CNN Sunday with "British Parents Suspected in Missing Daughter's Death!"

Anyone see any news about this on the cables or in today's papers?

--------------------------------

Associated Press
First Lady Has Surgery for Pinched Nerve
Associated Press 09.08.07, 4:33 PM ET

WASHINGTON -

First lady Laura Bush underwent surgery Saturday to relieve pain from pinched nerves in her neck. The White House said the procedure was successful.

The problem kept her from joining President Bush on a trip to Australia this week for the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Sydney.

Mrs. Bush underwent the 2 1/2-hour procedure at The George Washington University Hospital. The surgical team was led by Dr. Anthony Caputy, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and co-director of the Neurological Institute, in consultation with Dr. Richard Tubb, who is the president's doctor.

Mrs. Bush returned to the White House in the afternoon and was said to be resting comfortably.

While en route from Sydney to Hawaii, Bush telephoned his wife at the hospital and they spoke for two to three minutes, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Mrs. Bush told the president the operation was a success.

"He said she sounded very well," Perino said. "He looks forward to getting back to help her in the recovery."

Bush is expected to return to Washington at about dawn Sunday.

Sally McDonough, Mrs. Bush's spokeswoman, said on Friday that doctors planned to use a minimally invasive procedure to remove pressure from the nerve by enlarging the passageway where the nerve sits near the spinal column.

The first lady had been in discomfort for some time.

Mrs. Bush injured a nerve in her neck and shoulder earlier this year while hiking and has been treated with physical therapy since. Her doctors advised her to not travel overseas, saying such long flights could aggravate the problem and cause complications.
When the physical therapy did not work, doctors suggested surgery


http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/09/08/ap4096138.htm...

[aquart]

1. Laura has great medical coverage. Good for her.

Maybe THAT's what they don't want people to notice.

[hack89]

2. Where does it say it was an emergency?

Looks like a known problem and a deliberate decision to operate. I suspect they waited until the last moment to announce the surgery for security reasons.

[Canuckistanian]

12. I thought this was an elective surgery

That's quite different from "emergency surgery".

[japple]

3. It wasn't emergency surgery. She has had a bad pain

in her neck for quite some time. Too bad this bit of surgery won't remove it.

[babylonsister]

4. Since when is a pinched nerve an emergency? And seeing as her

beloved spouse didn't deem it too important to be at her side, why should I care? Not that I do anyway.

[KoKo]

10. Exactly....and how many people have operations on Saturday...

unless it's an emergency.

[billybob537]

5. you just can't make this stuff up.

First lady Laura Bush underwent surgery Saturday to relieve pain in her neck.
So does this mean divorce for CHIMPSTER.

[notadmblnd]

6. Must be the new surgical procedure

Fad? A friend of mine had this recently.. in fact a week ago. She is back to bowling regularly already. But it wasn't performed as an emergency procedure.

[porphyrian]

7. I hope everything goes/has gone well, but I really don't give a shit.

How many people are in surgery or face it for her husband's war? Fuck the bush family.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. It wasn't emergency and I heard it announced on NPR on Friday.

It's been all over DU for several days, and there was a brief in this morning's newspaper that it had been successful.

Why should it be big news? It was a common outpatient procedure.

[Eurobabe]

9. Spoke to her for 2-3 minutes?

GWB: Hey Pickles, how you feelin?

LB: You feelin' Condi? I know where you at!

GWB: Laura you go on my last nerve.

LB: You already went on mine, I had it removed.

[MethuenProgressive]

16. That's true love, ain't it?

[jobycom]

11. Why would it be? Not like she means anything to the country or the president.

She's just a showpiece for the White House, to demonstrate the conservative ideal of the dutiful wife, while Bush galavants with his mistress as a showpiece for what the Republicans really believe. Her comfort and well-being aren't important--she's a housewife, who cares how they feel, as long as they stand by their man? They are replacable--what do you think God made younger women for, anyway?

Seriously, though, can you imagine the press ignoring Hillary like that when Bill was president? Tells you what the Republicans really think of their "First Lady," eh?

[KoKo]

18. You nailed it....that's why I asked...

if it was any other First Lady this would be big news with Dr. Gupta called in with models to explain the problem and the procedure. She had it on Saturday...while Bush is traveling and if this had been Hillary we can imagine the snark on Fox news from Malkin or Coulter and the rest.

[Skidmore]

13. Why should it be Big News?

Jeezus God, she freaking human and has health problems occasionally just like everyone else. She fortunate to only have a pinched nerve and health care coverage and not a more serious problem and no coverage like a huge number of people in the nation and the world.

[hlthe2b]

14. NOT emergency surgery...

Unlike the rest of us small folks, Mrs. Bush can have surgery on a Saturday--whether for her convenience, or for that of her physicians. So, perhaps the timing gave you the impression of an emergent nature to the surgery. But, relief of pain that had plagued her for some time was the apparent underpinning for the surgery--not any loss of neurologic function (loss of sensation or paralysis), as would be the case in emergent surgeries.

[MethuenProgressive]

15. Wasn't "emergency" was used as excuse last week for her not going

to APEC with George, but of course that was a ruse to cover for her not going with him to Iraq.

[jimshoes]

17. About a week ago

our own military lost track of 5 or 6 nuclear warhreads for several hours. To me that is like "stop the presses" news, and yet the only news of this gargantuan breach of protocol is the blogosphere and our own DU'ers who have been following the story. Oh, and I hope mrs whatever gets her problem fixed. I really don't mean to be snarky but some news just isnt.

[eShirl]

19. so what?

it's interesting, but honestly not that important of a story

[NMMNG]

20. It wasn't an emergency

She wasn't in any danger. It isn't big news. :shrug:

[Warpy]

21. In the first place, it was ELECTIVE, not emergency.

In the second, it was minor surgery, not major surgery.

Best wishes to her for a speedy recovery.

[KoKo]

23. 2 1/2 hour surgery....is serious enough.. Even if she was sent back to WH...

with lots of medical attention there to make sure she is stable following the procedure.

Mrs. Bush underwent the 2½-hour procedure at The George Washington University Hospital. The surgical team was led by Dr. Anthony Caputy, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and co-director of the Neurological Institute, in consultation with Dr. Richard Tubb, who is the president's doctor.

[no_hypocrisy]

22. The procedure was NOT successful as her pain in the neck is returning to D.C. via

Air Force One.

[Vickers]

24. I wonder what her co-pay is?

:shrug: