[7th Update]: BEAU BIDEN HOSPITALIZED; MILD STROKE
Vice President Joe Biden’s office released this statement:
“Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden is at Christiana Medical Center undergoing treatment at present. He is alert and awake, and communicating with his parents and his wife, who are with him. We will provide more details as they become available.”
Let us hope this is not serious. Best wishes to the Biden family.
UPDATE: The third hand rumor from the hospital is that Beau Biden suffered a stroke. It must be stressed that it is an unconfirmed third hand rumor at this point.
2ND UPDATE: NBC News is confirming the problem is “neurological.” That means it could be a stroke or aneurysm.
3RD UPDATE NBC is now hedging and says the problem “could be neurological.”
4TH UPDATE (from DD): I am not a fan of going 2 hours now without any news. To me, that is an ominous sign. It could mean that Beau is in surgery or undergoing tests, and thus the doctors and/or the AG’s office or the Vice President’s office do not have anything new to say. Or it could mean something else.
The News Journal, in our waiting, as added this bit of color:
There are a number of government SUVs at the maternity wing entrance to the hospital and a state police car at the main entrance. Secret Service officers are at the entrance to the emergency room. There is only one helicopter on the hospital’s landing pad, and it belongs to the hospital. [..]
Beau’s father underwent two surgeries to correct near-fatal brain aneurysms in 1988.
“It goes to the whole thing about the grace of God and the good will of neighbors when your time is your time,” Biden said during a campaign stop in 2008. “When mine burst, fortunately, as described to me by the neurosurgeons, it ricocheted off my skull instead of into my brain. …
“It just makes you think about … every single day, you don’t know. You’d better take advantage of the day,” he said.
Asked at the time how he felt, Biden responded, “Oh, I’m fine. As a neurosurgeon will tell you, they either fix it or they don’t. And when they fix it, it’s fixed. If they don’t, they don’t and there’s not much in between.”
One in 15 Americans develops a brain aneurysm, a weakening of the walls of an artery or vessel. When the artery ruptures, it causes bleeding into the brain, causing a hemorrhage, which can lead to stroke, brain damage and death.
They don’t confirm that Beau has a brain aneuryism, but they begin talking about Joe Biden’s 1988 brain aneuryism. That is a big clue that the News Journal knows something and everyone is sitting on the story, perhaps for a news conference, or for others to be informed. And that again is not a good sign.
5th UPDATE: WPVI in Philadelphia is reporting that Biden presented with signs of a stroke:
Beau Biden was showing signs of a possible stroke and was then rushed to the hospital from his home. A source close to the family tells ABC News that Beau had some discomfort and a headache.
6th UPDATE: CBS3 in Philadelphia calls it an “apparent stroke.”
7th Update:
Here’s the explanation:
“Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden was admitted this morning to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware after having what we believe to be a mild stroke,” Dr. Timothy Gardner, Medical Director of the Center for Heart and Vascular Surgery at Christiana Care Health System, said in a just-released statement.
Tags: Attorney General, Beau Biden, Delaware
Treatment for what? Was he in an accident? Did he collapse?
I have no idea, DD.
I wasn’t really expecting you to have the answer, UI. It was more of an rhetorical question directed to no one. 😉
I hope it is not serious. He is only a few years older than us, and he looks to be in good shape. I mean, he just returned six months ago from a war, for chrissakes.
Well, being in a war is hard on one. 🙁
I trust he just got dehydrated running, or something, and will be up and about soon.
It must have been sudden because Joe Biden did a round of interviews this morning and this wasn’t mentioned. “Alert and aware” makes me think of a loss of conciousness episode but I may be over-interpreting the statement.
Yeah, I hope it’s something like that Brooke. I assume whatever caused the problem was serious enough that the VP felt he needed to issue a statement, though.
Word (from an anonymous source at the hospital) is it was a stroke. Aneurysms are known to have a genetic component, and of course the VP suffered from a leaking aneurysm back in ’88, IIRC. This is just speculation at this point, but it explains the “awake and alert” line.
I think you are right UI. Sounds like a dehydration episode.
Oh Jesus, Geezer.
Yes, first thing I thought of when I read this was Joe Biden’s aneurysm.
If that is true, how ironic would it have been if he had run for the Senate against stroke survivor Mike Castle?
it’d be a big fucking deal … sorry couldn’t help it.
You are going to hell for that comment, Price. 😉
Oh man, I hope he ends up OK. If it does turn out to be a stroke or an aneurysm near his brain, I hope any injury to the brain is minimal. He still has a chance to have almost no injury to the brain, which I hope will be the case. Good wishes to you, Beau.
oh please, DD That comment isn’t why I’m going to hell. It probably got me an upgrade for the room I’ve had reserved there since I was 10 🙂 … but I’m glad you approve.
I agree, RSmitty. Continued good thoughts and prayers.
The NBC story in the link does not confirm a neurological condition. Was it confirmed on air or on Twitter?
I think NBC changed the story from when I first read it. It’s hedging now. I’ll update the update.
I have a feeling we will be updating the updates all day.
A reader on Daily Kos heard MSNBC say “neurological event.”
Now the MSNBC article has removed all references to a neurological event.
News-Journal says he’s alert and awake and ‘communicating with his parents and his family’. Hopefully, that means he is speaking and has at this point the capacity to speak.
A Refuah Sh’lemah to Beau.
At this point, without an official release or citing more-recent anonymous sources, I have a hunch all of these outlets are making best-guess conclusions on the same information you also have already used. In other words, I am thinking these are all variants of the same info. I’m really hoping there is no stroke or any other brain-damaging injury.
Me too RSmitty.
Yeah, Smitty, I think we’re going to have to wait until the Biden family puts out a statement to know for sure what’s happening.
who is beau biden?
Watch for a statement coming soon…a White House statement says Beau Biden suffered a mild stroke.
From the AP story on Huffington Post:
Thank God it doesn’t seem to be worse.
You drinking again Donviti?
sounds like he needs to stop taking Yaz
I like Beau Biden and am much saddened to learn of his mild stroke. He is too young for such to happen!
I wish him well, and the entire wonderful Biden family as well.
What is Yaz, Price? Nevermind, I googled it. And yes, you ar going to Hell.
TNJ talking about Joe’s aneurysm is just an editor trying his best, and unsuccesfully so, to be smart and ahead of the game. There’s a time for speculation, folks, and there’s a time for just the facts. And when someone is lying in the hospital – that’s not the time for speculation.
wooohooooo, vicadin baby
Sure it is, anon. I mean, why not? Speculation is what human beings do.
oh relax. he’s gonna be OK.
I texted Geek earlier about seeing a massive motorcade of Pennsylvania and Delaware state police cars with several Secret Service vehicles accompanying 2 ambulances, all heading north on 95 by the airport. I thought it was either the VP heading somewhere or Beau being transferred somewhere. WDEL confirmed that it was Beau Biden being transferred to Jefferson University Hospital in Philly.
That sounds serious.
Going to Jefferson sounds as if the level of critical condition is high, but face it, any stroke is pretty much critical condition within the first 48 hours, no matter what. If he had been transferred to Bryn Mawr (which is what I thought you were getting at), then I’d be more than concerned. I know of a few people that have gone there for severe injury and rehabilitation.
A “mild stroke” can be any number of things, from a TIA (what Castle had, apparently) to various kinds of bleeding episodes. I don’t know that they’d need to move him to Jeff for a TIA, but then again given the family history it might be better safe than sorry.
Unless and until the statements, from whichever source, start getting more specific with regard to symptoms and/or diagnosis, speculation is inevitable.
This has been on my mind and in my heart since i first heard about it. And yes, the Bidens (all of them) have been in my prayers over this situation. Politics pale in comparison to stuff like this, and it is my sincere hope that Beau makes a full and speedy recovery.
I know they’d appreciate that, Moose. And i agree.
Thanks Moose. That is very kind of you. I have been gratified by the restraint of the right side of the DE blogosphere today, here and at their own sites.
Geezer, Jason and RSmitty, Jefferson has one of the best neuroscience departments in the country, hence the transfer. I do not necessarily see it as a bad sign. Indeed, he was stable enough to be transferred. I imagine he will be put through a battery of tests, which Jeff is better equipped to perform than Christiana.
DD: “Stable enough to be transferred”? Perhaps you mean “not serious enough to be transferred by air.” You don’t have to be particularly stable to get transferred via helicopter. They’ll even fly you if they’re not sure you’ll make it there alive. Trust me on this one.
Christiana can perform tests (a battery? not in my experience) just as well as Jefferson can. The difference is the experience of the doctors involved. Rosenwasser at Jeff is a first-rate neurosurgeon, despite being a complete madman.
Biden was transferred by ambulance. I passed the caravan on my way home from work – lots of cop cars and one ambulance going north on I-95.
I was trying to get to the Christiana Hilton for a meeting at around 4:30pm today and traffic was all snarled up. Saw the motorcade go by on Rt. 58 from the hospital towards 95 around 4:50pm – like I said, I was stuck!
One good thing is that, even though the ambulance lights were flashing, there were no sirens going and they were moving at normal speed. Still, scary sitting in your car wondering how bad it could be if they were moving him.
I wish Beau and family well. He’s way too young and fit for this. I had a chance to meet and talk with him a few years ago, when he announced his candidacy. His wife and child were there. After watching him with his family, I was left with the impression he was very dedicated.
actually….
This is pretty much the exact same thing that happened to my friend in February. She is early 20s and in excellent health and had a very mild stroke. Initially she went to Torresdale (local hospital in philly area). After being deemed stable and in good condition, they sent to to Jeff by helicopter. (yes, helicopter… we were in the middle of 12″ of snow)
It was pretty much just for further observation and because Jefferson specializes in stroke care, sometimes they send people there who should be “low risk” and the cause is unclear.
She was totally symptom-free after only a couple weeks and testing healthy (whew!) .. and yes she reads this blog and gave me permission to share.
That sounds like a TIA. Hopefully that’s all this is, too.
We’re now 21 hours out and we’ve been given virtually no information on what happened. Remember, Delawareans, you can’t handle the truth.
Geezer, sometimes 21 hours out is not enough time for the DOCTORS to find out what happened.
We know he had a mild stroke, he appears to be just fine and there are something like 5 or 6 tests they will run as a result of it all. If this just goes away after a few weeks, it will be strange. But i doubt the family knows much more at this point.
I’ve had quite a bit of experience with strokes. If you don’t know what happened, you don’t call it “mild.” “Mild stroke” is not a medical term, it’s a spin term. They certainly know enough at this point to be able to say whether this was a bleed or an ischemic event.
If it’s suspected that this is a TIA, just say so. If there’s no bleeding located, just say so. I just read a 3-page TNJ story that contained absolutely no new information whatsoever. This is a public official, not a private citizen.
I’ll make you a bet right now — we’re never going to find out. How much have you learned about Mike Castle’s “mild stroke” since it happened? Again, this attitude boils down to “you can’t handle the truth,” based on the idea that the electorate will consider such a person damaged goods. Tim Johnson of South Dakota disproves that notion, but it seems to live on here.
No, I think the attitude is one of they want to keep his personal health private, and their personal family life private. Given his position as AG and as the VP’s son, they cannot do that. I also think they don’t want to release the information until the diagnosis and prognosis is confirmed. It took hours yesterday to get the diagnosis. It will take hours today to get the prognosis.
I dont doubt your experience man, i’m just offering my own very recent experience with a close friend having a VERY similar experience to what we are hearing. It could be a stroke caused by PFO, it could be a small clot due to age.
There is such a thing as a small stroke .. or even one that has no lasting effects at all. and if it occurred in the cerebellum and was tiny, there is a very good chance it will have no lasting effects and they just want to hold him to see about further prevention and run tests. The guy gets GREAT health care. Why not bill a few thousand to his insurance company?
…And I only say this because I really do respect you as a fellow commenter with a brain, but the suspicion about thin details only 24 hours out is a little A1/delcrat -ish.
Let the family get the results of all the tests they are going to run.
to your bet i say… we re-elected Biden Sr after a MAJOR medical crisis. Hell, poor Tom Carper lost his balls to a shakedown by banks and we re-elect him over and over for every office he wants.
I think Geezer has a legitimate complaint about how long it took to get a statement about what happened to Biden. In fact, it looks like someone was trying to tamp down the talk of a neurological problem earlier in the day (evolution of the MSNBC piece).
point taken. Maybe I have been fortunate in my experiences with strokes. It just seems to me it is a non-issue. Especially given that he is not currently running for anything. If he were the senate candidate and they were putting on a happy face about the whole thing, id be suspicious too. I just don’t see a reason why they would feel the political need to down-play it.
Besides, it isnt like Joe Biden has never had to publicly deal with family tragedy or strokes.
I admit I’m jumping the gun a bit here; it’s entirely possible this was nothing beyond a transient ischemic attack, which basically hits for seconds or minutes, then resolves without leaving a trace. (My wife has had two such, along with a major hemmorhage, which is where I come by what knowledge I have. I’m no doctor.)
If that’s all it is, they should say so. But then, so should Mike Castle’s handlers have said so, and I have never seen any kind of detailed description of what happened to him (that’s why I said yesterday he “apparently” had a TIA.)
I agree with DD — I think this is the Veep’s protectiveness of his family coming into play. But when he suffered his aneurysm leaks, the public was kept apprised. At the very least they could release some details on what symptoms sent Beau to the hospital.
I also think it’s unwise to leave the term “stroke” out there, even with “mild” in front of it. Makes it sound worse than it might well be.
Simple MRI would diff between TIA (no brain damage or cell death) and stroke (brain damage and cell death)ischemic or bleed.
Mild, moderate, and massive are used all the time to descibe the amount of tissue damage after infarction be it heart, brain, lung, whatever. You are correct in that as a billable diagnosis, the terms do not apply, but I have seen “massive” preface many official causes of death on death certificates.