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Kennedy Leaves Hospital in Boston
Senator Edward M. Kennedy left Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on Wednesday with his daughter, Kara Kennedy, left, and his son Patrick Kennedy and his wife Victoria. More Photos >
BOSTON - One day after hearing the news that he has a malignant brain tumor, Senator
Edward M. Kennedy,
the longtime Massachusetts Democrat and patriarch of the Kennedy family, walked out of a hospital on Wednesday morning to a crowd of well wishers appearing
strong and cheerful.
Mr. Kennedy was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital here on Saturday after suffering a seizure
at his Cape Cod compound. After several days of tests, a preliminary biopsy of the brain revealed that
Mr. Kennedy, 76, has a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe on the upper part of his brain, a cancer that often carries a bleak
prognosis.
But if there were any signs that the diagnosis had slowed Mr. Kennedy or dampened his spirits, they were not evident as he left the hospital shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Holding hands with his wife and walking side by side with his children, Mr. Kennedy exited the hospital to cheering and cries of good luck from a few dozen supporters who gathered outside the hospital. Mr. Kennedy waved and gave a thumbs up sign as he walked to his car, then circled back and played with his two dogs before getting in a car and driving off.
The only evidence of the procedure and diagnosis appeared to be a small two-inch by two-inch bandage on the back of Mr. Kennedy's head.
Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, the hospital's vice chairman of neurology, and Dr. Larry Ronan, Mr. Kennedy's primary care physician at the hospital, said in a statement that Mr. Kennedy "has recovered remarkably quickly" and would be awaiting further test results and treatment plans while recovering at his Cape Cod home.
On Tuesday, they explained his treatment options, saying that the usual course for someone with his history and diagnosis includes "combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy."
Senator John Kerry said in an interview from Washington that he spoke with Mr. Kennedy late Wednesday morning and that "Ted is thrilled to be out of the hospital." He said Mr. Kennedy's "spirits are high and he hopes to get out on the boat this afternoon with his wife and couple of folks, let the air get through his hair, salt on the face, and sun, and just enjoy it for a moment."
Mr. Kerry said that Mr. Kennedy was in the process of trying to evaluate the treatment options available to him and that it was likely that all the test results were not yet complete.
"I'm quite confident that Ted is going to find every expert and every available new approach or other approach and he will consider it very carefully and thoroughly," Mr. Kerry said. "This is a guy who has been asking questions for 40 years. He knows how to ask questions."
Mr. Kerry said he did not know about Mr. Kennedy's plans to return to work, saying that would depend on what the doctors advised and what treatment was chosen. "If it were up to him, I'm sure it would be today or tomorrow," he said.
News of the brain tumor jolted people in Washington, Massachusetts and beyond, generating reaction from around the world, where Mr. Kennedy's family legacy and his 46 years in the Senate have made him a well-known figure.
Mr. Kerry said it was striking "the numbers of people who have asked to send good wishes" to Mr. Kennedy, "everybody from the police officers at the doors of the Capitol that are guarding us to folks on the street to everybody in the dentist's office I was in this morning."
He said that in Massachusetts, "there is a lot of shock out there. Right now I think people are honestly just digesting and just trying to get up off the floor."
