Sen. Kerry Bracing for Shoulder Surgery (Weeks in a Sling, No Ropelines)

Boston Herald ^ | March 30, 2004 | Noelle Straub

[threat matrix]

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) will undergo elective surgery on his right shoulder tomorrow that will prevent him from working rope lines for a couple weeks and from holding up kissable babies for even longer.

Kerry will wear a sling for a day or two after a 45 minute outpatient surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital to repair a torn rotator cuff, said his surgeon, Dr. Bertram Zarins.

Kerry tore the tendon in January in the Iowa Primary tyring to brace himself when his campaign bus lurched suddenly.

Zarins said that Kerry 'still cannot use the shoulder without pain.'

Kerry, who underwent successful prostate cancer surgery last year, will likely undergo general anesthesia as an incision of about 2 inches is made to repair the tendon.

Kerry first hurt the shoulder in 1992 in a bicycle accident.

The Kerry camp released a letter from Dr. Gerald Doyle, Kerry's primary physician, saying the senator, 'has enjoyed general excellent health.'

[Constitution Day]

Uh-huh. Says he.

[mrtysmm]

Imho...I think he hurt it falling down while snowboarding or skiing. He was busy cursing out the SS guy...blaming him for the fall...but he fell six more times without any help. lol

[Eva]

No, this shoulder surgery is timed to put a glass wall around Kerry and keep him from interacting with people and making more campaign mistakes. The Democrats think that they can re-build Kerry's image if he just shuts up.

[rwgal]

I had a torn rotator cuff a few years back and believe me, you cannot raise your arm above your head as I have seen him do in a number of pictures. I cannot imagine going skiing, bike riding or any of these things. I am quite skeptical of the whole thing.

Tin foil hat off!

[TheBigB]

NY Times headline:

KERRY TO HAVE SHOULDER SURGERY; WOMEN, MINORITIES HARDEST HIT
"Bush knew" says Clarke.

[bondjamesbond]

No, this shoulder surgery is timed to put a glass wall around Kerry and keep him from interacting with people and making more campaign mistakes. The Democrats think that they can re-build Kerry's image if he just shuts up.

Shades of Hillary!'s "Listening Tour" of upstate New York.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[EggsAckley]

I still think it happened on the slopes of Utah.

Now, that's odd, because he was skiing in Idaho. ~</;o)

[aShepard]

HMMMMMM!

"Meanwhile, Hillary's Secret Service detail was seen taking Old Crusty to the dry cleaners to prepare for a nationwide "listening Tour."

[threat matrix]

You know, I was wondering the exact same thing!

Why won't they release the rest of his medical records..

[NYC Republican]

[antivenom]

Better his arm than his ass in a sling...even tho the latter will become fact.

[glock rocks]

Kerry tore the tendon in January in the Iowa Primary tyring to brace himself when his campaign bus lurched

now, that's insensitive of the herald.

[paul51]

Let's see before and after pictures of his face following the 'shoulder' surgery

[Eva]

Exactly, this wall around Kerry most likely was a Clinton suggestion. Next we will see only scripted interviews with the press.

[bray]

You sure he's not having a Tony Lamaectomy after Chaney's Glute kicking last week???

Pray for W and The Truth

[Loyal Buckeye]

Those who flip-flop can expect to have shoulder problems.

[Cobra64]

"Kerry tore the tendon in January in the Iowa Primary tyring to brace himself when his campaign bus lurched suddenly."

Well Lurch was in a bus that lurched. If the shoe fits...

[ntnychik]

If Lurch lurched and knew he needed surgery, how irresponsible is he to go snowboarding (!) before the operation? They probably want to keep him away from those rope line babies anyway. Frightened screams aren't good on campaign video.

[threat matrix]

We better keep an eye out for Ol' Crusty, she might just take this opportunity to make her move at the VP slot!