A new book about First Lady Dr.Jill Bidenrecounts the decades-ago health crisis that nearly took the life of her husband, then-Delaware Sen.Joe Biden, and made her truly feel like a member of the Biden family.InJill: A Biography of the First Lady, set to be published on Tuesday, Associated Press staffers Julie Pace and Darlene Superville write that in 1988 “Jill knew Joe had been ignoring his health for months.“Sen. Biden, then 45, carried with him a bottle of Tylenol, sometimes taking 10 a day for relentless headaches.While lifting weights at the Senate gym, “he felt a sharp pain in his neck that got worse that night. His right side was numb and his legs were heavy,” the authors write.Not wanting to worry his wife, the future president told her he thought he pulled a muscle and kept up the intense pace of his job until on Feb. 12, after a long day, he collapsed in a hotel room.The next day, the authors write, he felt nauseated and had trouble carrying his briefcase but still wanted to sleep it off. An aide insisted he see a doctor and, eventually, his wife was notified that her husband was sick.“His color was just — he was gray,” Dr. Biden recalled, according to the book.From left: Joe and Jill Biden.KEVIN LAMARQUE/POOL/AFP via GettyThe senator was hospitalized in Wilmington for tests while his wife arranged to notify his children and let them know what was going on with their father.Back at the hospital as she approached his room, a nurse told Dr. Biden not to enter because a priest was inside administering his last rites.“What? He’s not gonna die,” she said, according to her new biography, before rushing into the room and telling the priest, “Get out! Get out! … My husband is not going to die.““I yell so rarely that the sound of my voice surprised me almost as much as it did the priest,” she previously wrote in her own memoir.Roy Rochlin/Getty ImagesA test found blood in Sen. Biden’s spinal fluid, which meant he’d had an aneurysm and would need immediate surgery if he was going to live.As a member of Congress, he was entitled to care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., but flying was out of the question because of risks to the patient. Despite a snowstorm, a decision was made to take him 100 miles from Delaware in an ambulance.“Well, you’ve really ruined Valentine’s Day,” Dr. Biden quipped as her husband was being prepared to be transported.Once they’d reached Walter Reed, his brother Jimmy wanted to hold off on the surgery until another doctor could arrive to perform it.As members of the Biden family discussed whether to risk waiting or proceed “Jill sat almost in a trance, watching them argue,” the authors write.Little, Brown and CompanyDrew Angerer/Getty Images"Wait a minute, this ismyhusband,” she finally said, they write. “Imake the decisions.“After a moment of quiet, Sen. Biden’s mother, Jean, said, “She’s right. This is her decision, not yours.“The future first lady later wrote, “In that moment, I truly felt I was a Biden. And I belonged at that table, making decisions that would affect us all.“Sen. Biden was then prepped for his operation.“They wheeled him in for surgery,” the authors write. “Jill held his hand until they reached the door of the operating room.”
A new book about First Lady Dr.Jill Bidenrecounts the decades-ago health crisis that nearly took the life of her husband, then-Delaware Sen.Joe Biden, and made her truly feel like a member of the Biden family.
InJill: A Biography of the First Lady, set to be published on Tuesday, Associated Press staffers Julie Pace and Darlene Superville write that in 1988 “Jill knew Joe had been ignoring his health for months.”
Sen. Biden, then 45, carried with him a bottle of Tylenol, sometimes taking 10 a day for relentless headaches.
While lifting weights at the Senate gym, “he felt a sharp pain in his neck that got worse that night. His right side was numb and his legs were heavy,” the authors write.
Not wanting to worry his wife, the future president told her he thought he pulled a muscle and kept up the intense pace of his job until on Feb. 12, after a long day, he collapsed in a hotel room.
The next day, the authors write, he felt nauseated and had trouble carrying his briefcase but still wanted to sleep it off. An aide insisted he see a doctor and, eventually, his wife was notified that her husband was sick.
“His color was just — he was gray,” Dr. Biden recalled, according to the book.
From left: Joe and Jill Biden.KEVIN LAMARQUE/POOL/AFP via Getty
The senator was hospitalized in Wilmington for tests while his wife arranged to notify his children and let them know what was going on with their father.
Back at the hospital as she approached his room, a nurse told Dr. Biden not to enter because a priest was inside administering his last rites.
“What? He’s not gonna die,” she said, according to her new biography, before rushing into the room and telling the priest, “Get out! Get out! … My husband is not going to die.”
“I yell so rarely that the sound of my voice surprised me almost as much as it did the priest,” she previously wrote in her own memoir.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
A test found blood in Sen. Biden’s spinal fluid, which meant he’d had an aneurysm and would need immediate surgery if he was going to live.
As a member of Congress, he was entitled to care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., but flying was out of the question because of risks to the patient. Despite a snowstorm, a decision was made to take him 100 miles from Delaware in an ambulance.
“Well, you’ve really ruined Valentine’s Day,” Dr. Biden quipped as her husband was being prepared to be transported.
Once they’d reached Walter Reed, his brother Jimmy wanted to hold off on the surgery until another doctor could arrive to perform it.
As members of the Biden family discussed whether to risk waiting or proceed “Jill sat almost in a trance, watching them argue,” the authors write.
Little, Brown and Company
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
“Wait a minute, this ismyhusband,” she finally said, they write. “Imake the decisions.”
After a moment of quiet, Sen. Biden’s mother, Jean, said, “She’s right. This is her decision, not yours.”
The future first lady later wrote, “In that moment, I truly felt I was a Biden. And I belonged at that table, making decisions that would affect us all.”
Sen. Biden was then prepped for his operation.
“They wheeled him in for surgery,” the authors write. “Jill held his hand until they reached the door of the operating room.”
source: people.com
