Opinion: Former First Lady Barbara Bush rushed to Houston hospital in pain

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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

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