Former First Lady Barbara Bush rushed to Houston hospital in pain

Former first lady Barbara Bush was rushed to a Houston hospital late Tuesday complaining of what a family spokesman called "a little bit of pain."

Her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, was with her, and their son, outgoing President George W. Bush, was notified.

The candid-talking Mrs. Bush, who is 83 years old, was given a series of tests, which came back negative. But as a precaution, she was being kept overnight.

In recent days, Barbara Bush had reported stomach pains that did not dissipate. On Tuesday evening, she felt worse, phoned her husband's office and asked him to take her to the hospital.

The couple's Secret Service detail rushed both to Methodist Hospital. 

During her White House years, Mrs. Bush revealed that she suffers from Graves disease, an overactive thyroid condition that causes blurred vision and teary eyes. It was not known if that condition is related to her current difficulty.

Here's a breaking news video on her hospitalization.

--Andrew Malcolm

Don't miss any breaking news like this. Register here for cellphone alerts on each new Ticket item.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Roy Lasris]

What a silly article. Who determines what 'rushed' means? Mrs. Bush complained of 'a little bit of stomach pain,' according to the body of the aritcle, and asked her husband to take her to the hospital. He did. My guess he did not stop to fill up with gas, did not stop at 7/11 for coffee, and otherwise went straight to the hospital. Is that where 'rushed' comes in?

Despite there being absolutely nothing of an urgent or emergency nature to the story, you headline it with a melodramatic, histrionic "Barbara Bush rushed to hospital in pain ! ! !" (Okay, the exclamation marks are mine, but you get the point, I hope.)

This is a third page, bottom of the 4th column type article. Stop headlining the insignificant stuff. The 'boy who cried wolf' story comes to mind.