Determined to Give Speech, Kennedy Left Hospital Bed

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

DENVER — Senator Edward M. Kennedy had just left a hospital bed in Denver when he delivered his speech to the Democratic National Convention on Monday, after suffering a debilitating bout of kidney stones upon arriving here on Sunday, aides said.

Mr. Kennedy’s aides described a harrowing 48-hour period here in which it appeared that Mr. Kennedy would not be able to give the convention speech. Last June, he had told family members when he left a Boston hospital, where he was operated on for brain cancer, that he was intent on giving the speech. And with less than two hours to go before he was supposed to take the stage on Monday evening, Mr. Kennedy — sitting unnoticed in a room at the University of Colorado Hospital — told his wife Vicki and doctors that he wanted to go to the Pepsi Center and deliver the speech.

He was driven there, accompanied by a doctor and paramedics, perched on a golf cart that drove him inside. Mr. Kennedy, with Vicki and his niece Caroline at his side, walked gingerly onto the stage, where he delivered the highly acclaimed address. This sequence of events described by Kennedy associates added another dramatic layer to the appearance here by Mr. Kennedy that riveted Democrats and produced a sustained and tearful reception among the delegates.

Mr. Kennedy’s aides said that after Mr. Kennedy finally decided he was well enough to come here over the weekend, they became immediately alarmed when he arrived in Denver on Sunday after a long charter airplane flight, accompanied by a flock of family members, aides and doctors, and reported being in excruciating pain. Their first concern was that the pain was somehow related to his brain cancer, or the chemotherapy and radiology he had undergone, and that it had been complicated by the long plane ride or the high altitude of this city. A visit on Sunday night to a local hospital revealed that the pain was being caused by a kidney stone that was unrelated to his cancer....

***

Mr. Kennedy’s aides said he had made one concession to the kidney stones: the speech he gave was about nine minutes, about half the length of an earlier draft....Mr. Kennedy’s longtime associate, Bob Shrum, said that as soon as Mr. Kennedy fell ill, he sent over an even shorter three-sentence statement that Mr. Kennedy could read at the Pepsi Center. He said Mr. Kennedy, in informing him that he wanted to speak, had rejected that option. “He said, ‘I’m not getting up to go over there and give a three-sentence speech,’ ” Mr. Shrum said....


(David Scull/NYT)
Senator Ted Kennedy was driven in a golf cart on Monday to attend the Democratic National Convention.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/us/politics/27kennedy.html?hp

[patrice]

1. Thank you for bringing Senator Obama to us Senator Kennedy!

[Myrina]

16. ... actually Howard Dean 'brought us' Obama ...

Obama was one of the original 'Dean Dozen' candidates that Dean/DFA asked we support financially after Dean bowed out of the Presidential Contest in Feb 2004.

[corkhead]

2. He is owed a debt of gratitude. He legitimized Obama by endorsing him when he did.

I took notice.

[truthisfreedom]

3. What a trooper! Incredible. I've had a kidney stone before... they can be devastating.

He was very lucky it let him make the speech. They're mean and unpredictable, those stones.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. That is one tough old mick.

And I mean that with the greatest admiration and affection. Kidney stones drop lesser men to their knees, crying their eyes out.

[liberal N proud]

5. Now that is a true patriot

That story will be told as part of history. Maybe not up there with Jefferson and Adams dying on the 4th of July but it will be one of the great American antidotes

[ebdarcy]

6. Senator Kennedy gave a wonderful speech last night.

He is a remarkable man. He makes me proud to be a Democrat.

[AzDar]

7. Senator Kennedy caused both Hubby and I to bawl like babies last night...

he touched even my cold, cynical heart.:cry:

[rucognizant]

11. Every Dem in the country!

[elfin]

8. Amazing!! Not just because of the kidney stone issue, but

I had a dear friend with his same diagnosis and after her operation by the best in the Midwest region (her spouse was a leading oncologist in Wisconsin) , she could not have made such a lucid speech.

Yes, the location of the tumor was in a different place, but the meds following the operation severely compromised her activities and communication.

She lived just two years after diagnosis, the last year and one half were severely compromised despite everything that could be done.

I suspect "Uncle Ted" ditched his meds long enough to celebrate his last hurrah and to lead us once again on our quest for justice for all.

[Diane R]

9. Senator Ted Kennedy is a national treasure. What an incredible patriot.

[goclark]

15. What a treasure he is ~ His wife is usually in the background

but she is pretty and seems just perfect for him.
I loved the way they kissed on stage. :hug:

[Swagman]

24. that's it !: a National Living Treasure !

[Triana]

10. He loves the US as much as we love him! Wishing Teddy much healing...

...God bless the ol Lion.

[BayjanDem]

12. Ya gotta love it

That's one tough S.O.B. Cancer and Kidney Stones. And I was gonna call in sick tommorow...

[Plucketeer]

13. I'm not ashamed

to admit that that old warrior had me in tears when he was done!

[dailykoff]

14. me too..

what a trooper. I'll be there wasn't a dry eye in the house! :cry:

[graywarrior]

17. Same here.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

18. Bless his heart

Bless that fine Irish heart. :loveya:

[backscatter712]

19. Kidney stones?! Sweet FSM!!!

From the stories I've been told, kidney stones hurt worse than a hatching chestburster!

Kudos to Senator Kennedy - he's got incredible will!

[yellowdogintexas]

25. kidney stones hurt worse than childbirth without drugs. However they can

slip enough to relieve the renal colic and the pain relief is instant, and the relief can last several weeks before the bastard kicks you again.

I went through 4 attacks of renal colic before mine finally passed, and it was only one small stone, over about an 8 week period.

It is killer pain

My admiration for him just stepped up another several notches just when I did not think it could go any higher.

[backscatter712]

29. I wouldn't know what childbirth is like...

being male, that is. I hear childbirth is insanely painful.

So I compared it to the chestburster from Alien. That looked like it hurt...

[AnnieBW]

20. What an act of courage!

I'm so proud to be a Dem right now.

[DesertRat]

21. God bless you, Senator Kennedy

[dolo amber]

22. Jesus! What a badass.

:patriot:

[lonestarnot]

23. Just think what we could accomplish if we all had that same dedication for change!

Senator Kennedy is a a great inspiration to persevere through adversity and keep fighting for this change we must see through despite the big money on Lumpy McSame.

[GETPLANING]

26. That man has guts. Ever had kidney stones?

It's like being shot. Pain like you have never experienced. In fact, it's "equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure" as the Bush justice department would say. Anyone who can put on a suit and speak to an audience while dealing with kidney stones has some serious stones indeed.

[Cybergata]

27. And with his speech, he passed . . .

the torch to Obama.

[Ilsa]

28. Incredible courage. Shrub would be hospitalized, whining about

pain and begging for alcohol. He's a wimp. Sen. Edward Kennedy is no wimp!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. Shrub IS a kidney stone

either that or a hemorrhoid...not sure which.

[mzmolly]

31. He's an

inspiration. An amazing man.