Cheney Taken To Hospital

Fox News is reporting broadcasting that Vice President Cheney has been taken to a hospital complaining of shortness of breath.

UPDATE: Reuters reports:

Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a history of heart attacks, was headed to the hospital on Saturday after he experienced shortness of breath, which could be related to a cold, the White House said.

UPDATE II: The Associated Press reports that Vice President Dick Cheney, is going to George Washington University Hospital for some tests:

The 63-year-old Cheney has had four heart attacks, although none as vice president. He kept up a heavy travel schedule during Bush's re-election campaign, often traveling with his wife, Lynne Cheney.

Lisaius [spokesman] said Cheney is taking every precaution "as anyone with history should do" and is having himself checked out. It was unclear whether Cheney would be admitted to the hospital, or would be there only for tests.

In June 2001, he had a pacemaker implanted in his chest. At his annual heart checkup on May 11, doctors determined that the pacemaker, called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, was working fine and never had to assist his heart.

The device is designed to activate automatically if needed to regulate the patient's heartbeat.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Vice President. I hope this is actually nothing more than the cold.

UPDATE III: The Associated Press now reports that tests found no abnormalities and Cheney left the hospital after three hours:

"I feel fine," the 63-year-old vice president said as he walked out with his wife, Lynne. Cheney smiled and waved. "Sorry we ruined your Saturday," Mrs. Cheney said. "We're great."

A pacemaker implanted in Cheney's chest three years ago indicated no irregularities during the past 90 days, said Mary Matalin, a spokeswoman for the vice president. The device gives doctors a three-month readout. She said an electrocardiogram, which measures the heart's electrical activity, showed no change.

She said Cheney probably had a viral upper respiratory infection but there was no cardiac or pulmonary problem behind his shortness of breath.

Comments

[Maggie]

Cheney's problem...the FLU SHOT.

I felt the same way after I got a flu shot about six years ago...was so sick I decided never to have one again. It worked...never been that sick since!