The Vatican is saying this morning that the Holy Father is doing well. They go to great pains to emphasize that he is doing well and that the situation was very mild. The statement says that he had a light breakfast and quotes the Vatican spokesman as saying he had “a little coffee.” He celebrated Mass from his hospital bed this morning with his secretary, Archbishop Dziwisz. The diagnosis was “acute laryngeal tracheitis with episodes of laryngeal-spasms,” and I have no idea what that means.
It evens quotes the spokesman as saying he’s going home, possibly to show that he doesn’t see the Holy Father as being in imminent danger.
He’s gone to the hospital with breathing trouble.
I think they were just being cautious… when you get to be that age a cold or the flu can turn into pneumonia, which often has deadly results for the infirm.
My grandfather (80 yrs old) got a cold last year and wound up in the hospital with pneumonia, requiring lung surgery, because he waited 3 days or so to go. He had to do physical therapy for several weeks. He’s not making that mistake again. And he is otherwise healthy for his age, which is not true of the Pope.
(“Laryngeal-spasms” almost sounds like coughing to me.)
Laryngeal spasms can last up to a minute, it basically is tbe tbroat closing off. itIP>152.163.100.202
2005-02-01 13:08:44
2005-02-01 17:08:44
My thoughts exactly. Can’t imagine him not getting flu shots.