Sen Kennedy hospitalized, possible stroke

Source: CNN

No link yet.


The seventy-six year old Senator was rushed to the hospital in Cape Cod with stroke symptoms. It has not been confirmed that he suffered a stroke, although sources say that he is supposed to be transferred to a hospital in Boston. That hospital will not confirm that the senator is there.

........

Local reports are that the Senator was medivaced to Mass General an hour ago. Mass General would typically deny the admission of a patient unless consent to publish the information has been given.


Read more: CNN.com

Best wishes for him and his family. Hope it isn't serious.

And they don't move 'em unless it is serious. Cape Cod Hospital isn't a tin shack in the woods. Mass General, of course, is the place to be for just about ANYTHING. They put him on the helo and moved him, so that suggests that it was something CCH didn't feel comfortable handling.

or he'd have been transferred by ambulance. Serious VIPs are stabilized at CCH and then moved up to Boston, where the big hospitals have better security, as well as more advanced tech.

Let's all hope he pulls through this. He has been a tireless fighter for us. His loss would be a terrible one.

MG is probably the best hospital in MA

Cape Cod Hospital is not a trauma center

They don't have the capabilities like Mass General

stroke, along with simple things like a broken arm, or childbirth, and it is NOT SOP to move them unless the condition cannot be managed locally.

CCH has one of the BUSIEST ERs in Massachusetts--eighty four thousand patients a year.

They have to--there's a MASSIVE influx of tourists during the summer.

TRAUMA is what they DO. Mass General, OTOH, does a lot of surgeries. He might have developed another artery blockage, causing that stroke.

http://www.capecodhealth.org/body.cfm?id=6

Cited five times in nine years as one of America's Top 100, Cape Cod Hospital is a 238 bed acute care hospital. Our Emergency Department is one of the busiest in Massachusetts, providing emergency services to 84,000 patients on an annual basis. We are a not-for-profit regional medical center with more than 1,700 employees and over 300 physicians on staff.

Mass General?

Follow the thread. I was responding to BREEZE's assertions.

Set. Point.

Hope for the best, but be ready for bad news. When they don't report any condition, it usually means the staff is working out how to report bad news.

at Mass. General and they don't grind at all at CCH. I worked both places, so I know.

Once his family gives permission, the hospital will release a one word status report. The family will be responsible for any detailed condition reports.

Saturday, no work traffic, going toward the city...the Life Flight helo after two hours in the ER is worrisome.

I wondered about that blockage in his neck, if that's become problematic again.

Go to the best... plus his doctors are at MGH.

The compound is minutes from the hospital, and minutes from the fire department.

He had to have been in the ER at least an hour and a half, if they were slow about it.

Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter around 10:15 a.m. where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NEWS/80517001

as reported by EMTs. -CNN.

He was feeling ill.

Medflighted at quarter after ten.

He is still being evaluated. No additional information from family (save Cutter announcement) or hospital available yet.

Live on my TV, Scot Vount, NECN reporter.

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

I have read that if a person having a stroke is put in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber right away, they don't lose their faculties, as in speech and movement.

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

That's the routine for every Cape Cod major heart attack I've seen.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080517/NEWS11/80517001

HYANNIS -- U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital this morning after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport.

Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter around 10:15 a.m. where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport.

The Kennedy family is preparing to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge event in Hyannisport this afternoon, which is a fund-raiser for the organization. Best Buddies was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver and helps people with intellectual disabilities.

Hundreds are expected to participate in the event, which kicked off this morning with a 100-mile bicycle ride...A concert at the Kennedy compound is scheduled for tonight.

Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate for forty-three years.

He was elected in 1962 to finish the final two years of the Senate term of his brother, Senator John F. Kennedy....Since then, Kennedy has been re-elected to seven full terms, and is now the second most senior member of the Senate.

for anyone having a major trauma.

This is a sad day.... :cry:

CCH can and does handle heart attacks and strokes every day, particularly if they're caught early and can be managed. I know, I've visited more than a few people there recovering from those illnesses.

They worked on him for over an hour before they said "We can't make this work" and pushed him up to Boston. It very well might be serious. I hope his intellect isn't impaired, and that they were able to thin his blood sufficiently to prevent too much physical compromise as well.

His father had a stroke in his later years. So did his mother. And neither of them had the "Honey Fitz" physique, which is an additional risk factor.

Besides that's where his doctors, who know his medical history are.

When the Life Flight takes off, Cape Cod Times wants to know why--it's a big stink.

It's an easy ride to Boston on the weekend--no traffic to speak of, a short haul under an hour. The Life Flight creates unneeded drama, if there isn't a serious condition.

They have him under eval. Therefore they are afraid something may happen... Get him to his doctors quickest would be my MO.

a lot of fuss and worry. Fuss and worry that does have political implications. And Ted is plainly aware of that.

If he were stable, and they were confident of his condition, an ambulance ride would be "no big deal." After all, they had to trundle him into an ambulance and haul his ass over to the Barnstable Airport. Then they had to haul him from the ambulance to the tarmac. And then they had to rotate and head for the city.

We're talking, by the time we're done here, a difference of under a half hour on a Saturday heading into Boston.

If he were well stablilized, that would have been the best course of action, because using the helo SCARES people. Including constituents. The decision was taken to use it because his condition was poorly controlled, is my guess.

Being perceived as "On Death's Door" doesn't benefit EMK. It's probably why Ted made a phone call as quick as he could reach a phone, so people wouldn't assume he was dying. We know two things from that--he's lucid and he can still speak.

According to the family statement.

That makes the reason for the medflight clear. He probably WAS out like a light when they put him on the helo.

The Globe was correct, apparently--I'll bet they nailed it--he had TWO seizures.

If I were betting, I'd bet on this: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7528/1317

The good news, it can be managed.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

:eyes:

My sister is an ADMIN at Mass General and she CARES and is an RN-Masters!

MSNBC has news on now, but not really saying what happened. "Undisclosed illness."

This is sad.

Why is MSNBC doing this thing about the Kennedy's now with Russett? I so hope that they don't know something is worse than they are saying yet.

:grr:

That usually means there may be bad news.

Let's hope otherwise, but be ready to hear the worst.

He also called a family member at 10ish canceling lunch plans... he was hospitalized some 2 hours earlier.

He said he couldn't make it to the "Best Buddies" events today.

John Kerry is at MGH now.

Source: CNN

He was rushed from Hyannis to hospital on Cape Cod earlier this AM. He was suffering symptoms of a stroke. He will be transferred to Mass Gen.

Cnn 's website is only showng a large red banner with the headline. No written sources yet.

Kennedy was medevaced to Mass Gen between 9 and 10am local time.

Read more: http://us.cnn.com/

I hope he'll be alright.

I hope he's ok.

i hope he's going to be okay. strokes are very cruel.

To see us through the next few months and get us going in Congress next year. God be with you, Teddy.

But as much as I dislike Pat Buchanan, he is showing a lot of class with his respectful discussion of Ted Kennedy's career.

because they are both conducting this as a eulogy.
Whoever the talking head is on Faux right now, they are discussing these last 8 years with Shrub in the office as Kennedy's "Twilight Years".

Umm, let's wait and see what happens before we put him in the ground?

Hopefully Kennedy's "twilight" = Clemens "twilight".

And, with few exceptions, MSNBC is the tabloid of network news outlets as well.

Face it: Many have been waiting for this moment for years. Ghouls.

Godspeed, Sen. Kennedy.

is the last person in the world MSNBC should have on discussing anything about Senator Kennedy.

his family and the medical team

nt

Please let Ted recover quickly and fully! All my prayers are with him and his family.

Reading the comments posted below the article is scary! There are obviously some real haters posting horrible mean things. I'm sure they are all members of the religious right, the compassionate conservatives.

they appear to be using an ambu bag . NOT a good sign. An ambu bag is the thing that is used to help someone with difficulty breathing or who's stopped breathing. Damn!!!

I can see how you might think he's being bagged, but if you look closer I think you'll see the thing that looks like a bag is a blury object in the background. If he was being bagged you'd see the hands of one of the medical personnel around it.

FAMILY CONFIRMED.

Look, I'm not here to speculate -- I'd rather wait and see. But it certainly looks like an ambu bag in the photograph and (1) we don't always get the straight story in these situations and (2) strokes can and often do evolve over time.

Strokes CAN appear mild at first and evolve over time so that they get worse. What might initially feel like a mild or mildly strange feeling at first can evolve into a full-blown, serious stroke. One can be relatively fully-functional at the onset of a stroke and be in very different shape an hour or 2 later.

Truly... :patriot: if anyone is.

but it's not in the background, it's lavender and in the area of his head/mouth and the guy wearing the blue coveralls on the left does have his hand on it.

I'm not sure what the issue is, but it definitely looks like he's being bagged.

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

Yr hmbl otr crspndnt is not normally the praying type of Otter, but am following this breaking news and sending beams his way bigtime. Ted Kennedy may have not always been flawless -- who among us has? -- but he has always been a leading light for progressives and good government and we here in Massachusetts put high value on his efforts on our behalf and on the behalf of our fellow citizens across the country. Here's hoping that the Goddess will make sure he returns safely to the loving arms of his family very soon.

I just hope he is going to survive and with his facilities. He is our true leader on the Left. He's never taken prisoners when dealing with the Reichwing, and he needs to recover to see our victory in November.

:cry:

Damn!!

:(

Sending up prayers. :cry:

Prayers and best wishes going out to you in droves.

...:7 Hang in there, Senator Kennedy.

The Kennedys have always had a special place in my heart, and Teddy has been through so much in his life... Prayers and good thoughts going out to Teddy and his family.

:grouphug:

Source: Reuters/CNN

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, a leading Democrat and patriarch of a prominent American political dynasty, was hospitalized in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with symptoms of a stroke, CNN reported on Saturday.

Kennedy, 76, was taken to the hospital early in the morning, CNN said, citing an unidentified prominent state party member

The source said Kennedy was to be transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1746351920080517

Oh no!! Shit! Damn! Fuck!

:cry:

This is very bad news for Democrats.

And you need to see our victory this fall!

My thoughts and prayers are with you...

Please, be well!

and his family.

If anybody deserves it, he does.

He's been fighting my fight for way too
long. I want him to have a chance to
win some.

Prayers for a full recovery.

If positive thoughts, wishes and prayers mean anything he will be up and about in no time.

One of our last direct links to a much different era. One of the last great unapologetic new deal liberals.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3314354&mesg_id=3314354

and his family in my thoughts.

The finest speaker I've ever seen...

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/tedkennedy1980dnc.htm

"As Democrats we recognize that each generation of Americans has a rendezvous with a different reality. The answers of one generation become the questions of the next generation. But there is a guiding star in the American firmament. It is as old as the revolutionary belief that all people are created equal, and as clear as the contemporary condition of Liberty City and the South Bronx. Again and again Democratic leaders have followed that star and they have given new meaning to the old values of liberty and justice for all.

We are the Party -- We are the Party of the New Freedom, the New Deal, and the New Frontier. We have always been the Party of hope. So this year let us offer new hope, new hope to an America uncertain about the present, but unsurpassed in its potential for the future."

to halt the effects of a stroke. My Mom had a stroke at 84 but, was not given the drug because the protocol requires the patient be under the age of 82. Thus, she was left with partial paralysis. I'm praying that being Sen. Kennedy they will over look his age and give him the damn shot!! If I had the choice between death and a shot and perhaps not surviving - I'd want the shot.

Get well Sen. Teddy!!!


Good information re: stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/detail_stroke.htm#115531105

Do we have to LIE when we bring stroke patients to the ER, now?

Although I am not an expert.

If they base it on "patient frailty" fine....but if they base it purely on age, that sucks.

Kennedy was removed from his home at 8:43AM, seven minutes later he arrived at 8:50AM at Cape Cod Hospital. He was feeling ill at home. Sent to MGH for EVALUATION -CNN. AP- Spokesperson says he is UNDER EVALUATION!

NO MENTION OF STROKE.

I'm no doctor, but if you had a stroke, would you be able to do that?

Regardless, I wish him well.

He was probably feeling dizzy or disoriented... very common perhaps if one has a bad cold or flu while on blood thinners as he is... That's just my guess and hope.

As I've said elsewhere I am no doc, but that might leave one temporarily incommunicado.

Maybe he's got epilepsy? Elderly onset epilepsy isn't common, but it isn't apparently as rare as once thought.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7528/1317
http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/20/6/442

From the first link:

Old age is the most common time in life to develop epilepsy.1 Making a secure diagnosis can be difficult, and piecing together an accurate picture of events may take some time. The clinical manifestations of seizures, the causes of epilepsy, and the psychosocial impact of the diagnosis can be different in older people than in younger ones. In addition, elderly people with epilepsy have two to three times higher mortality than the general population.w1 Age related physiological changes can affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antiepileptic drugs. The situation is compounded by a paucity of good clinical studies.....

My Uncle had siezures for years until he died at the age of 95. They never could diagnose it. He was fine in between........normal life style, although I guess my Aunt took over the driving!

And some have one, and then, never again. Others are put on meds. It could be a salt imbalance, it could be any one of a number of reasons.

A seizure, even two, is "good" news. Better than a stroke, anyway.

Get well soon!

America needs you.

You and your family are in my thoughts :patriot:

"We're beginning to learn more about this Senate stalwart..."

Just where in the hell have these people been?

Now we have that old political sage Rick Sanchez sharing his wealth of poliical wisdom and insight... :puke:

And all Rick cares about is that the loss of Kennedy could cost the Dems money, since he is a huge fundraiser. What an asshole.

"As important as TK has been for the democrats... he has been for the republicans..."

Fucking asshole.


Excuse me.

The outrage is justified. Every time something like this happens, they all prove just how uninformed and clueless they are.

Rick Sanchez leads the pack. Can't stand him. Thinks he knows it all when in fact he knows shit.

I put my TV on pause for the summer to save $. I'm not missing anything but high blood pressure! The news is HERE!

Senator HIMSELF called family member at 10ish.... well after being hospitalized... to cancel lunch plans. -CNN

In the Cape Cod Times photo, you can clearly see that the paramedic at the head of the bed is using an Ambu bag, which means he is intubated and not able to communicat... unfortunately, this is not a good sign at all.

A reporter said that a source from the Kennedy family told him that Ted said he wouldn't be able to have lunch with the family member because he's in the hospital.

Which was hours before he was transferred... look at the picture on the Cape Cod Times, he's being ambu-bagged... my eyes work fine, thank you.

You responded to the wrong post.

He communicated to his doctors at MGH and called a family member just after 10am.

Look at the picture... the paramedic at the head of the bed is squeezing a pale blue "ambu" bag with one hand as he walks, which means it's attached to an endotracheal tube. I know what's being reported, but the picture doesn't lie... he's being bagged via an endotracheal tube, something I've done about 20,000 times during my 35 year career as a Respiratory Therapist working trauma rooms and LifeFlight.
I sincerely hope he's all right, but despite the newsmen's words, if that's Teddy in the picture, he's not talking to anyone.

WHY WOULD THEY?

Stop misleading/misinforming people. I don't know why you are leaving out
ALL the information about ambu bags, but you are.

NIPPV: non-invasive positive pressure ventilation .

(KEY part of the above phrase is ***NON-invasive***..i.e, NOTHING going INTO the body..including down the throat/ into the lungs)

Anytime ANYone is found to have a seizure an ambu bag is part of the protocol equipment to have nearby..and it does NOT automatically mean they are being intubated. Was he having any resp. problems at the time the pic was taken..no one knows except the first responders in the picture. And the word "problem" is NOT always synonymous with intubation.



http://keepbreathing.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/ems-and-cpap/


But in some cases, specifically a lot of respiratory cases, the Paramedics have limited options: intubate or give oxygen. This leaves out a crucial middle step that we often use in house, which is non-invasive positive pressure therapy such as CPAP or BiPAP.

The advantages to non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) or related modalities like CPAP and BiPAP is that they can effectively treat the patients pulmonary malfunctions without the risks of endotracheal intubation
<snip>

In conclusion, it’s my personal opinion that all ALS trucks should be equipped with CPAP. It’s a wonderful treatment for so many things: CHF, COPD exacerbations, and mild respiratory failure jump immediately into my mind. The fact is that CPAP can do all that plus keep patients off the tube, and sometimes that’s enough to save a life in itself.


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

As a NURSE for 17 years, I can tell I've held an ambu bag in my hand many a times and the patients were not always intubated.

I said the same thing above.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3313574&mesg_id=3313682

It was a statement that was issued -- that doesn't make what was said "documented facts." I agree with the poster -- I saw the ambu bag, too. See my post above:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3313574&mesg_id=3313682

Take my advice... when it comes to Boston news... look to the Globe they have much better sources than national media.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/05/ted_kennedy_sai.html

I worked in hospitals, including the ER, for many years before I retired. I've seen many people on ambu bags. What I see in the picture appears to be an ambu bag. I'm not relying on any news stations or newspapers to tell me what I see with my own eyes. It's possible that the other poster and I are wrong, but it's also possible that we're right.

If it were them... I wouldn't leave anything to chance.

If they had reason to be concerned about his oxygen levels and about him losing his airway during the flight and if is was something like an evolving stroke, they'd have reason to intubate him even if they were later able to remove it later at the hospital.

and CNN just showed it but it was cropped. Hopefully we're wrong and it was something else.

that he had a SEIZURE, not a stroke. He may have been "out of it." Maybe he's developed epilepsy in his old age. I'm not a doctor, I have no idea, though.

The Globe said he had TWO of them.

Apparently, he was in good enough shape to use the phone himself to cancel attendance at a BEST BUDDIES (mental retardation benefit) event--today is the day for the bike race, the lunch and other festivities.

it's too soon to lose you, Teddy! Hang in there.

That were verified by fire department and EMT's that were on call.


But this would be better than a stroke for certain.

telling someone that he won't be able to make the "Best Buddies" event today.


PER NECN. Moments ago.

Statement to be made "soon". -CNN.

This would be very, very bad. All best to Ted Kennedy. A lot. Yikers.

Hope that it is not.

And Ted isn't thin like they were. He looks more like Rose's father.

And it's starting to look like he hasn't actually had a stroke... We'll see.

WAS? I wish they hadn't just lifted that line from a pre-written obit.

The Old Lion has fought for liberal causes with passion all his life. We need him to go on.

"Guardedly?" Not even "Cautiously?"

Think I'll go watch the news now.

Backs up earlier report by the Boston Globe. This would be good news I think.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/05/ted_kennedy_sai.html


"FAMILY EXPECTING A FULL RECOVERY" -FAMILY FRIEND REPORTS ON CNN.

Kennedy family: "Seizure... undergoing a battery of tests... resting comfortably..." -CNN

Prayers for a speedy recovery.

He had a seizure and is being tested at MGH for it's cause... resting comfortably... no new news until tests come back... 48hrs or so...

TEDDY IS FINE.



:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

or Goddess.

Some of you guys are ghoulish enough to qualify as correspondents for Fox!

read the label on an IV bag and determine a diagnosis are another......

"He is undergoing a battery of tests to determine the cause of that seizure." Per the press release just read on CH 7.

It's not like he drives himself anywhere, anyway. He'll just have to add a pill or two to his protocol and perhaps see the doc more often.

Elderly epilepsy link: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7528/1317

Remission rates, by your link, at his age are up around 90%.

from what was reported earlier. After one has a seizure, it can take up to an hour or longer before their neurons settle down enough to allow one to think and speak.

I hope the tests give some indication for the seizures. In the 15+ years I have been having grand mals, I've never been given a cause/reason.

Hope you feel better very soon, Senator Kennedy!

TK will pull through.

We so need you! :hug:

Everyone needs to realize what they almost lost.

The Liberal Lion will roar again.

:scared: :cry:

Obama, McCain, and HRC in that order have given statements. Obama had two statements... So Bushco... yup... still scum of the earth.

His full recovery will drive the rabid wingers mad.

Teddy is loved by our family. Get well, Teddy!

I still feel so sad for Joan. She's got through so much crap.

Stay strong Teddy!!

CNN is waiting for a statement at the hospital.

Teddy hang there big guy!!!

In the California primary ... which he WON!!!

I had to reverse my mom's vote for Nixon in 1960 when she was pregnant with me.

I ask her if I kicked her when she voted. She now says 'You should have'.

The country needs you.

for a speedy recovery

Kennedy hospitalized after apparent seizure
76-year-old Democrat airlifted to hospital, undergoing tests and resting

BOSTON - Sen. Edward Kennedy, hospitalized after suffering a seizure at his home on Saturday, was "conscious, talking, joking with family," his spokesman said.

The 76-year-old Democrat, the lone surviving son in a famed political family, was undergoing tests at Massachusetts General Hospital to determine the cause of the seizure, spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said. He did not appear to have had a stroke as initially suspected.

"Senator Kennedy is resting comfortably, and it is unlikely we will know anything more for the next 48 hours," she said. Kennedy's wife, Victoria, his children and niece Caroline Kennedy were among those with him at the hospital.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24680994/

is Great News..Get Well, Senator Kennedy:) :patriot: :bounce: :kick: :party:

That is good news indeed:) :) :)

:patriot:

By JOHN M. BRODER and JEFF ZELENY
Published: May 18, 2008

... A family spokeswoman said Saturday evening that Mr. Kennedy, 76, was “conscious, talking and joking with family” who had gathered at Massachusetts General Hospital ...

His office issued a statement on Saturday that said: “It appears that Senator Kennedy experienced a seizure this morning. He is undergoing a battery of tests at Massachusetts General Hospital to determine the cause of the seizure. Senator Kennedy is resting comfortably, and it is unlikely we will know anything more for the next 48 hours” ...

Mr. Kennedy’s primary care physician, Dr. Larry Ronan of Massachusetts General Hospital, also issued a statement on Saturday: “Senator Kennedy was admitted to Massachusetts General today after experiencing a seizure at his home. Preliminary tests have determined that he has not suffered a stroke and is not in any immediate danger. He’s resting comfortably, and watching the Red Sox game with his family. Over the next couple of days, Senator Kennedy will undergo further evaluation to determine the cause of the seizure, and a course of treatment will be determined at that time” ...

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, speaking at the Nevada Democratic Convention in Reno, said he spoke to Mr. Kennedy’s wife on Saturday afternoon and was told that Mr. Kennedy’s condition was “not life-threatening, but serious” ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/washington/18kennedy.html?hp

I am praying for him and the family.

Kennedy hospitalized after seizure
76-year-old Democrat airlifted to hospital, undergoing tests and resting
The Associated Press
updated 7:06 p.m. ET May 17, 2008
BOSTON - Edward Kennedy's primary care physician said the senator is "not in any immediate danger" after suffering a seizure at his Cape Cod home Saturday.

Dr. Larry Ronan said preliminary tests showed the 76-year-old Massachusetts Democrat has not suffered a stroke. Ronan said Kennedy was resting comfortably and would undergo further evaluation to determine the cause of the seizure.

Kennedy was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital on Saturday morning after being taken by ambulance from his home to Cape Cod Hospital.

"Senator Kennedy is resting comfortably, and it is unlikely we will know anything more for the next 48 hours," his spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said.

Kennedy's wife, Victoria, his children and niece Caroline Kennedy were among those with him at the hospital.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, speaking at the Nevada Democratic Convention in Reno, said he spoke to Kennedy's wife Saturday afternoon and was told "his condition is not life-threatening, but serious."

"But the one thing I can say, if there ever was a fighter, anyone who stood for what we as Americans, we as Democrats, stand for, it's Ted Kennedy," Reid said.

Kennedy went to Cape Cod Hospital "after feeling ill at his home," Cutter said. After discussion with his doctors in Boston, Kennedy was taken to Massachusetts General.

Major neck artery blockage
In October, Kennedy had surgery to repair a nearly complete blockage in a major neck artery. The discovery was made during a routine examination of a decades-old back injury.

The hour-long procedure on his left carotid artery — a main supplier of blood to the face and brain — was performed at Massachusetts General. This type of operation is performed on more than 180,000 people a year to prevent a stroke.

The doctor who operated on Kennedy said at the time that surgery is reserved for those with more than 70 percent blockage, and Kennedy had "a very high-grade blockage."

Distinguishing between a seizure and TIA, often called a mini-stroke, can sometimes be difficult.

Seizures are little electrical storms in the brain. They tend to be brief; an occasional one can happen to anyone even without a prior history of seizures, especially if there has been some prior brain trauma.

A stroke is either ischemic — a clog in a blood vessel — or hemorrhagic, bleeding in the brain. Hemorrhagic ones are very rare. Kennedy had the carotid artery surgery to try to prevent the ischemic type.

A stroke kills brain tissue; how much depends on how big it is and how long it lasts. Some people show no lasting effects; others can be partly paralyzed on one side or somewhere in-between.

Democratic icon
Kennedy, the second-longest serving member of the Senate, was elected in 1962, filling out the term won by his brother, John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy is the lone surviving son in the famed family. His eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash. President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and his brother Robert was assassinated in 1968.

Kennedy is active for his age, maintaining an aggressive schedule on Capitol Hill and across Massachusetts.

He has been vocal in both his opposition to the Iraq war and support for Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama. He made several campaign appearances for the Illinois senator in February, and most recently another in April.

Always concerned about maintaining his health, Kennedy regularly consults with a battery of Massachusetts General doctors. It was during routine exams last year that doctors discovered the blockage in his carotid artery.

Still, he maintains homes in both Boston and Washington and attends not only official events, but numerous others recognizing his family's political history.

Just last week, he and his niece Caroline Kennedy awarded the annual "Profiles in Courage" award commemorating President Kennedy. And on Friday, he attended a ribbon cutting at the Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

He was preparing to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge event on Saturday afternoon, a fundraiser for the Best Buddies organization founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver that helps people with intellectual disabilities.


On Saturday, a Hyannis Fire Lt. Bill Rex said a 911 call came in from the Kennedy family compound at 8:19 a.m. A man was transported to Cape Cod Hospital and transferred by air at 10:10 a.m. from Barnstable Municipal Airport to Boston.

David Reilly, a spokesman for Cape Cod Hospital, confirmed Kennedy was brought to the hospital.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, Kennedy's niece, said they appreciated all the messages of care they had received for the senator.

"It's always a comfort to the family to know that Sen. Kennedy is in the prayers of millions," their statement said.

Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who went to the hospital, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Obama said were offering their prayers for his quick recovery.

Obama, beginning a tour of hospitals in Eugene, Ore., told reporters that he had been in touch with the senator's family. He said, "We are going to be rooting for him. I insist on being optimistic about how it's going to turn out."

A man walking by Massachusetts General was startled by the news when he asked about the reason for the large media presence. "Ted? Is he all right? Jeez, I'm taken aback. I just saw him on television yesterday," said Jerry Leonard, 76.

"He's a Kennedy. His name is synonymous with this area," the retired bartender said. "I'm a Bostonian, too, and he's done a lot for us around here and for the senior citizens in particular."


© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24680994/page/2/

of so many.

Are there any new updates that anyone is aware of?

Incidents like this make me wish my god wasn't a clip-art icon, so I could actually pray to him.

We're all pulling for you Ted. My hopes and thoughts are with you.

Mafia.