Breaking News
The Washington Post reports:
A biopsy of a portion of Kennedy's brain identified a malignant glioma as the cause of the seizure, according to a statement by Lee H. Schwamm, the hospital's vice chairman of neurology, and Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician.
A glioma is the most common type of brain tumor, accounting for more than half of the 18,000 or so diagnosed each year.
The doctors said the usual course of treatment is radiation and chemotherapy.
"Senator Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy," they said.
Senators learned of the diagnosis after Republicans and Democrats had joined their
respective weekly policy lunches. "We stopped what we were doing and we said
a prayer," said Sen. John Warner (R-Va.).
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) briefed the Democratic caucus about Kennedy's condition, prompting grave concern among Kennedy's colleagues. "I'm having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here I've felt this badly," Leahy said.
Kennedy's doctors said that "he has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital."They said they will determine Kennedy's course of treatment after further testing and analysis.
Labels: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
Posted by Debbie @ 5/20/2008 11:56:00 AM
11 Comments:
This is "breaking" news only if you don't count Fox News, CNN, or MSNBC
Otherwise, great job!
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen (removes hat and places it over heart):
Our very best thoughts and wishes to the Senator. (Puts hat back on head) Other than that, as you were lads, savvy?
captain jack, 1:16 PM:
Amen to that. A good man.
It's "breaking news" everywhere. Hell, it'll be "breaking news" next week somewhere in the backwaters of New Guinea. It was sweet of you to cite the inflection though. Thanks again, Doll.
As I personalize this sad event, I think about someone like Kennedy who has all the money to afford the best medical care in the world, and yet a tumor like this isn't found until he has a seizure and it may be too late to do much of anything.
First, I wonder why he couldn't be getting more thorough exams that would have caught this earlier.
Second, I wonder what chance the rest of us have to catch these things early enough.
For 12:43 p.m.
Breaking news does not mean you have it first - it means that the news is current, happening now. Kennedy's condition was announced this morning, making it "breaking news".
"Breaking" refers to the news itself and not the outlet reporting it.
May 20, 2008 3:51 PM wrote:
"First, I wonder why he couldn't be getting more thorough exams that would have caught this earlier."
Often such tumors come on fast. Who amongst us, rich or poor, go to our physician on a monthly basis for a complete tune up? Included in that monthly tune up you would have to ask the doctor to do a head to toe MRI or CT Scan every time, just for the heck of it. I doubt anyone does that unless they are extreme hypochondriacs who have a doctor that would humor them. Diagnostics occur when there is a reason. Very few procedures are done as prevention (mammograms, colonoscopies, etc). Of those procedures, they are done on an annual basis. Brain scans are not part of the preventive course of medicine, especially with the insuarance companies having a say. Even then, there might be more risks than benefits for monthly scans.
I hope his tumor is a slow growing one. Though, sometimes, the fast ones can be a blessing. I pray he doesn't suffer too much and remission can be reached.
I have a hard time wishing Ted Kennedy well. Has any one politician, or family, done as much damage to the country as Ted and the Kennedys? From Joseph Kennedy Sr. on down to freaking William Kennedy Smith. There are many, many, many other people with terminal illness who deserve more sympathy than this guy. Ugh.
Chappequidick payback is a bitch, isn't it Teddy?
May 20, 2008 8:56 PM wrote:
"There are many, many, many other people with terminal illness who deserve more sympathy than this guy."
Thank you for the reminder
My sympathies go out to Ted Kennedy and the many others with terminal illnesses.
A drunk, acheater, a murderer, a liar and a fraud.
When he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, his brothers looked upon him as the idiot child. After all, he had been caught cheating on exams and kicked out of Harvard Law School.
But Joe Kennedy was not about to let that go, so he just bought him a Senate seat.
Then, he bought him off from a murder charge for leaving that poor Mary Jo Koepkne in the car at Chappaquiddick.
Ever seen the water under the bridge? It is about 6 or 7 feet deep at high tide. He didn't even try to save her, he was so drunk he wanted to get out of there.
Then he tried to get his cousin to take the rap and say he was driving instead of Teddy.
He is not about to meet his maker; he is going the other way...
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