Clinton surgery press conference thread

[lancdem]

Anyone else watching?

[Spazito]

1. I am, on Canadian TV

It is so wonderful to hear the good news directly!

[NMDemDist2]

2. hubby's watching "Red October" so give me the details please n/t

[Spazito]

4. Three bypasses done, he is awake but still sedated...

expectation he will be in hospital around 4-5 days, around 6 weeks recovery, 2-3 month for full recovery. He will return to a totally normal life.

He is extremely healthy, he will be put on an extensive exercise program to get him back to his very active schedule.

[lancdem]

6. Said it was a routine quadruple bypass

Before starting a statement from Hillary and Chelsea was read thanking God and the medical team.

[My Pet Goat]

8. One of the reporters asked, "what was the first thing...

Clinton said when he awoke." The doctor replied that he was not awake yet. Created a stir in the press. Then another doctor emphasized that Clinton was still under heavy sedation right afte sugery but able to respond to commands and that this was normal.

They have a heart model that they keep analyzing. Ewww...makes me squirm.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. He's on heavy-duty painkillers right now.

A quadruple bypass requires lengthy incisions and cutting and opening part of the breastbone for access. He'll be mostly out of it all day.

As an example, after having 1/3 of her colon removed (diverticulitis), my mother had a morphine pump for a couple days. Great invention. The patient pushes the pump as often as they want -- yet the morphine flow is strictly controlled. But it makes the patient feel better to have "control".

[My Pet Goat]

15. Yeah, someone told me that you wake up and feel like

someone beat the s* out of you but without the pain (until they cut back on the morphine and such).

[Warpy]

17. He won't be able to say anything for several hours.

He's got a tube down his throat and he's on mechanical ventilation. He's groggy from anesthesia and is getting IV morphine. They can arouse him enough to have him squeeze a hand on command, just to make sure he's still able to hear and process the information.

The tube will come out sometime tonight, if all goes according to plan. He will get out of bed as soon as the tube comes out.

He likely has 3 chest tubes, two in front and one to the left side. These are to drain the fluid that invariably builds up due to the inflammatory response after surgically inflicted tissue trauma.

The two front chest tubes should come out tomorrow, the side one either tomorrow or the next day, depending on the amount of drainage.

He will get out of bed and start taking walks tomorrow morning, tubes and all, once he's off the ventilator.

[My Pet Goat]

3. That one doctor looks like...

Supreme Court Justice Souter...:freak:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Thanks for the heads up

I won't watch CNN otherwise.....

Bill would have likely had a heart attack if this operation not done...says heart muscle is normal.

[lancdem]

10. It's also on C-SPAN

:)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Bill is 'extremely healthy'

they will fashion a diet/exercise program to keep up his active lifestyle.

Encourages him to continue campaigning!

His future diet will play a major role in preventing recurrance. Will be a salt restricted low saturated fat diet. Will work out a diet that is attractive to him that he can follow.

[bluestateguy]

9. My father had X4 bypass surgery 2 years ago

I'm not sure I would have wanted his doctors giving a press conference after the surgery sharing details.

[lancdem]

11. Don't worry, it's not as bad as when Reagan

had that colon surgery.

[Cleita]

14. Unfortunately as a public figure this happens.

Remember when one of the Presidents had to have prostate surgery, I thought my god nothing is private. Don't remember which president it was. I think it was Reagan.

[Spazito]

13. I have to give the press corps some credit...

when the doctors said Clinton would make a full recovery, the press applauded, it was nice to hear.

[Supply Side Jesus]

16. "Sir! Sir! Sir!, is the Clenis ok??"

"Yes Mr. Barr, it is fine"
"Thank goodn.....oh...uh damn it!!"

[mandyky]

18. Thanks for the update!

I am still on a self-imposed news black out - may watch Hardball at 7 PM. I watched MSNBC this AM and it was Clinton - Frances - repeat ad nauseum and they said they wouldn't know much before 1 PM. I am still boycotting CNN