Joan Kennedy hospitalized with broken bones

[MaineDem]

BOSTON -- Joan Kennedy, the former wife of U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken shoulder early Tuesday morning after a passer-by found her lying in a Boston street, said her son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Kennedy, 68, was taken to Tufts New England Medical Center at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, said Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.

"We're indebted to some anonymous pedestrian who found her and picked her up and got her help," Patrick Kennedy told the Boston Herald. "I'm enormously grateful for whoever it is out there who did that. She wouldn't be here in this hospital, recuperating, if that person hadn't called and gotten someone to come."

Patrick Kennedy was somber and visibly shaken at the hospital and said he was "very concerned" for the welfare of his mother, according to the newspaper.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/03/30/joan_kennedy_hospitalized_with_broken_bones/

[Cooley Hurd]

1. That poor woman...

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!:thumbsup:

[saracat]

2. I thought the kids took guardianship of her?

Wasn't she declared incompetant? If so, why was she wandering around without supervision?

[Ms Chicklet]

5. Alcoholics are sneaky

They'll lie, manipulate, steal, sneak out, do whatever it takes to get their fix. It's heartbreaking.

[emad]

14. After being married to Ted Kennedy, she deserves every bit of

sympathy she can get....one day at a time

[patcox2]

29. The sort of thing I'd expect to hear in freepland.

Now why don't you tell the joke about more people dying in ted Kennedy's car than in nuclear power plant accidents.

[saracat]

38. Hey, That is off base. I like Ted, but he wasn't the world's best husband.

I grew up in Westchester . My parents were friends of the Bennett's, Joan's family.This information is well known. It is not being like a "freeper " to be aware of Joan and her situation. I think she has been a victim of circumstance, and that is very tragic.The Kennedy's have never been a perfect family. Neither is mine and I doubt anyone's is.The marriage of Joan and Teddy was unfortunate.I am sorry you find sympathy for Joan unacceptable.

[CTyankee]

3. I'm amazed that she's still alive

after all that abusive drinking. My brother and one of my cousins drank themselves into an early grave (along with smoking). I've seen the face of these terrible addictions. Sad.

[saracat]

7. It is a real tragedy.She was and is such a gorgeous woman.

And a very courageous and talented one as well who was treated very badly by the Kennedy's. People forget, she has reason to drink. I am not defending or advocating alcoholism, but Joan has had her share of troubles.
It sort of tees me off that Ted just waltzed off, started a new life after participating in destroying hers, but s happens I guess. He is still the great liberal lion, and I am grateful he is in the Senate, but his personal life leaves much to be desired.

[concord]

13. Alcoholism is not a choice

"she has reason to drink" implies she chose her condition. She drinks because she's an alcoholic.

[Mizmoon]

17. As a recovered alcoholic, I disagree

but to each drunk their own recovery ...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. Are you telling us that you no longer have the urge to have a drink?

[concord]

21. I agree that picking up a drink is a choice

regardless of whether one is an alcoholic. I do not agree that being an alcoholic is a choice.

Congratulations on your recovery.

[demigoddess]

45. sometimes it is a case of overwhelming influence in gettting someone

started drinking. I grew up with drinkers. I believe the pressure of being a Kennedy and the ever presence of alcohol and the acceptance of drinking probably drew her in. I am on her side. Besides, she may have been mugged, not drunk.

[bicentennial_baby]

25. As a descendant of many, many alcoholics

and a near-one myself, there is no such thing as a recovered alcoholic, just recovering alcoholics.

[Say_What]

37. BS

Even the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous describes being recovered. Just as it describes alcoholics losing the power of choice in drink. The choice to drink or not drink comes after one has recovered, providing they're practicing the program.

As for you being a *near-one*, that's like saying you're a little bit pregnant. :D

[Laurab]

31. As a recovering alcoholic, I disagree

Some of us are lucky to "get it", and recover. Others are not. I was one of the lucky ones. I don't call myself recovered, although I've been sober 20 years. I have seen many people die trying to "get it", and it's a heartbreaking, frustrating thing. I've seen many people with 13-14 years of sobriety go back out and ruin their lives all over again. Thus, I choose to use the word "recovering" just to be on the safe side.

I count my blessings, and I am so sad for the ones who don't recover, or who relapse. There, but for the grace of God, go I.

To media_lies_daily - the urge to drink was taken from me 20 years ago, and has never come back. That doesn't mean it can't come back tomorrow. I have to always remember that...

[Laurab]

30. Thank you, concord

That needed to be said. I am one (20 years into recovery, thank God). Teddy didn't cause her to drink, nor did anyone else. Alcoholics drink because they are alcoholics.

Nonetheless it is very sad. It's something that all the money and love in the world can't cure. She is a good woman, with a horrendous disease, and I do hope she gets better.

[all.of.me]

16. "Ted just waltzed off...

...started a new life after participating in destroying hers"

i know a guy like this. he had an alcohol problem long before he met his wife. he got her into it, dragged her down to the bottom, then took off. now he is sober, she is addicted, and he calls her crazy because she can't stay in rehab for long. he doesn't even see his role in it. thinks it's all her fault and that he is fine.

[patcox2]

28. You must think men are superior to women.

If you beleive that it is even remotely possible to blame a husband for his wife's alcoholism.

You cannot conceivably know the dynamic in that family. Regardless of the dynamic, laying blame in such cases is simply absurd. People are responsible for their lives.

Your attitude lowers women to the status of helpless pawns whose life decisions and choices are made for them by men. Your condescension to Joan Kennedy is revoltingly sexist in its assumption that she was/is powerless and manipulated.

[saracat]

39. I suggest you do a little background check on Joan before you jump to

conclusions. Joan was and is, very much a product of her generation and background. I also assume you must be totally unaware of the battered woman syndrome and don't believe that woman can be subjected to emotional abuse as well.And I am NOT saying Ted physically abused her.

[patcox2]

44. Anyone can be subjected to emotional abuse.

Why do we have this special syndrome just for women? Reeks of paternalism to me. So Joan is excused her alcoholism, and that murderer in Texas argued she should be excused because her husband dumped her.

All of these theories presume women are weak delicate flowers who must be protected from mean old terrible men. Thats a horribly sxist worldview, and ironically, its the same worldview of that "last generation" that Joan belonged to that you say justifies absolving her of any personal responsibility for her situation. The great circle just keeps turning, I guess. We have the old fashioned view that women helpless because they are weak and inferior, and therefore they must be protected, which leads to women being helpless, which makes them subject to things like battered woman syndrome and emotionally battered woman syndrome, which syndromes, guess what, leads to women being helpless, exactly where they were under the old rules which we have supposedly advanced beyond.

Sounds like you are teaching a whole new generation of women a new variety of "learned helplessness" that will be just as effective, if not more so, than good old fashioned victorian helplessness.

[saracat]

46. Men are NOT subjected to the same kind of abuse. .I notice you are male. I

suppose you don't have any empathy. Men just aren't subject to the same conditions. Men are not usually made to feel inferior just as the result of physical appearance and men have an entire society backing them up. Things have not changed enough for women to be totally able to be free from this influence. A Harvard President just stated that women can't do math and it was considered an acceptable statement by many! Society has to change first. You need to walk a mile in someone's shoes first.
And I speak as an educated women who had educated parents. My mother was a lawyer at a time when it wasn't common. I remember the discrimination she suffered. I know discrimination that I have suffered and the pain that men have not had to endure. You cannot understand or make judgments when you haven't experienced this or ever will.

[Skittles]

51. don't you just love it when men try to tell us what is wrong with us women

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA they have no freaking clue what it is like to live in a patriarchal society, none whatsoever

[all.of.me]

52. amen to that!

[all.of.me]

49. i am not blaming him for her demise

i absolutely believe it takes two, and in the case of these people, it's the truth. he tried this with me, too, but i got out. i was not going to play the part. i know these people VERY well. i see their dynamics every day.

all i was saying is that he left after doing a lot of damage, and now he blames her. he is not taking responsibility for it. he lays all the blame on her for their failed marriage and their drinking problems, nevermind how messed up their kids are.

[DemocraticBassPlayer]

4. self deleted

[latebloomer]

6. very sad

I remember years ago that she spoke about her struggles with alcoholism and her recovery. I wasn't aware she had relapsed.

A lot of people just never recover from this disease.

[Gman]

8. The pResident is a raging alcoholic

I feel very sure he's still drinking. He also falls down a lot.

[smirkymonkey]

33. I met her years ago when I lived in Boston

and what struck me the most about her is that she seemed very, very sad. Their really was an air of tragedy about her.

I hope she gets the help she needs and recovers. I really got the impression that she was a good person with a terrible problem.

[saracat]

47. I agree. She is very sad. And she is lucky that her kids care.

Patrick is especially wonderful to her.

[LizW]

9. Very sad.

I feel very sorry for the family.

[lse7581011]

10. My Thoughts And Prayers

are with this great woman and her wonderful family!

[doxieone]

11. Joan Kennedy Hospitalized With Broken Bones (Teddy's ex-wife)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/03/30/joan_kennedy_hospitalized_with_broken_bones/

Joan Kennedy hospitalized with broken bones
March 30, 2005

BOSTON -- Joan Kennedy, the former wife of U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken shoulder early Tuesday morning after a passer-by found her lying in a Boston street, said her son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy.


snip

[Justitia]

12. such a tragedy - I feel terribly for her children

and of course, for Joan. Poor, poor woman.

I cannot even imagine how awful it must have been for her children to hear she had been found lying in the street (w/broken bones and a concussion, no less).

All my best wishes to the Kennedys.

[Frances]

15. I feel for her children

Alcoholism is a dreadful disease.

But one of the first things you learn as an alcoholic at AA or as a family member of an alcoholic at Al Anon is to take responsibility for yourself and not to blame. Blame is just a way of avoiding change.

[anarchy1999]

18. I'm sorry, I just have to put in my .02 worth. "Alcoholism" is not a

DISEASE! It is nothing but just another addiction. What do we call people addicted to heroin? Do they suffer from heroinism? Do we call them a heroinic? What about coke, or meth, or god forbid marijuana? Have you ever heard of a marijuanic?

This has just got to stop. It is not genetic, it is not a disease, it is nothing but a simple addiction to a narcotic. IMHO!

How do you say valiumic? Person addicted to Valium.

What about F'ing PROZAC? My mom's been on the max dose now for 10+ years so that she can be a 24/7, 36 hour a day care giver to father,
Brain Damaged (tumor removal, gone bad), he's on it too.

That's it PROZACISM!

Get the f'ing picture, people, wake up and smell the f'ing roses in your garden!

We each choose our own pain killing drug for whatever reasons.

I've really had enough with the medical professions 'isms.

[amazona]

20. we should not presume anything here

The assumption seems to be that the lady was falling down drunk in the street. Please keep in mind her age and medical history. Past alcoholism is a risk factor for osteoporosis, as is her age. It is not impossible that the bones broke and then she fell. I know she has had a tough battle but I am not going to assume she chose anything. I hope she has a full recovery whatever may have happened.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Im with Rosey]

23. THANK YOU

As I continued reading, I wondered where the assumption it was alcohol related came from. One never knows what happens as people get older, I would rather wait to hear what actually happened before I start discussing the evils of relapse into alcohol.

[Eloriel]

24. Any addiction is a disease. You're way off base.

It may not be the kind of disease that you're comfortable with, but diseases they are, nonetheless.

[bicentennial_baby]

26. Addiction in and of itself

is the disease, regardless of the substance.

[Daphne08]

27. Excuse me, but I must respectfully disagree

with your statement that alcoholism is not genetic.

There does seem to be statistical evidence that a propensity for addictions such as alcoholism, drug abuse, etc., is genetic.

I would like to add that my own otherwise normal, well-educated, middle-class family is riddled with alcoholism and manic-depression going back as far as five generations. (I don't know why, but I seem to have been spared.)

Further medical study will most likely reveal that an imbalance in brain chemistry is probably the root of the problem.

I also feel great empathy for Joan Kennedy and her family.

[Laurab]

32. That is bullshit

until you've LIVED it, you don't have a clue.

We call people who are addicted to drugs "drug addicts". Prozac is not an addictive drug, therefore your mother is not addicted. The addictive drugs kill and destroy people and lives just as much as alcohol, if not more.

And alcoholism, while not proven yet to be genetic, is suspected to be. My own family tree - grandfather on mother's side died of alcoholism at age 42, grandmother on fathers side died of alcohol-related illness in her 40's. Both parents active alcoholics. I have uncles, aunts & cousins all suffering from alcoholism. Of my siblings, 1 is a drug addict, 2 are practicing alcoholics, and I am recovering. Tell me it's not genetic all you want. I WISH it weren't.

[spotbird]

35. You can take 10 people and dose them with heroin for a month

and at the end of that time all will be heroin addicts. If you did the same thing with alcohol only a few would be alcoholics at the end of the month

[Say_What]

43. well actually,

if you pour booze down someone's throat for a month all they'll do is puke all over you and run out the door. :D

No way you can make an alcoholic, NO WAY!!

[demigoddess]

48. wrong!! i have heard alcoholics say they were hooked at the first drink

they get a different effect from the rest of us. Myself, i would like to drink but I get a headache and sick feeling after only a sip or two.

[Say_What]

42. WRONG!!!

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged Alcoholism as a serious medical problem in 1951, and the American Medical Association declared alcoholism as a treatable illness in 1956.

<clips>

What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” is a disease that includes four symptoms:

• Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.

• Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion.

• Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.

• Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.

Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need assistance. With treatment and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/booklet.htm

[MollyStark]

53. Someone addicted to Heroin is suffering from the desease of addiction

Same as someone addicted to alcohol.

[Debi]

22. Her children are heros

Taking responsiblity where she is unable.

My heart goes to them.

[MissMarple]

34. You put that very well.

:-) I quite agree.

[Debi]

36. Thanks

:hi:

[saracat]

40. I agree. Bless them all.

[Doremus]

41. My first thought was that she had been mugged.

The article doesn't say one way or the other, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually.

Hope she recovers soon.

[montana_hazeleyes]

50. My best wishes to her

and the entire Kennedy family. Including Ted. For whatever faults they have the Kennedy family are always there fighting and caring for the poor and those in need.

They have suffered so damn much, lost so many family members and several of those were killed while serving, and I do mean serving, not taking from, this country.

Can you imagine what this country and this world would be like now if we had a Kennedy as president right now? You can bet we wouldn't be warring around and stomping on the middle class and poor and serving the rich.

This will give the right wing bastard hypocrites and some others the opportunity to bash the Kennedys some more and especially Ted.
Whilst their drunken president** falls and injures himself and they accept that ridiculous pretzel story.

Best wishes to Ms. Kennedy and her whole family. I'm so grateful she is safe now and this is not more tragic than it is.