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March 21, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 6Oakland,
CA
as doctors advise limitations of speech
VATICAN CITY—Pope John Paul II, back in
the Vatican following surgery for severe breathing problems, was advised
by medical experts to guard against infection by avoiding crowds and to
limit his speaking.
The 84-year-old pontiff left Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic
hospital at dusk on March 13, 17 days after surgeons inserted a tube in
his swollen throat to ease his breathing.
Sitting in a wheelchair beside the driver of a Mercedes minivan, the pope
waved and blessed crowds that applauded him along his route. For the first
time, a Vatican television cameraman sat behind the pope to film the 16-minute
ride.
For the first time in the more than 26 years of his pontificate, John
Paul is not scheduled to lead Holy Week observances, which opened with
Palm Sunday on March 20, but the Vatican said he will give his traditional
Easter blessing to Rome and the world on Easter Sunday (March 27).
John Paul was discharged from the hospital sooner than expected and with
the breathing tube still in his throat. News reports said that he had
overruled his doctors, who wanted him to remain there through the week.
Ido Iori, director of the Fadoi Hospital specializing in internal medicine,
told the newspaper Il Messaggero it is important that the pope is not
exposed to infection by coming in contact with anyone carrying a virus
or bacteria. This would appear to rule out large audiences.
Iori said that in an elderly patient like John Paul, a simple infection
could become “an attack that the organism is not capable of supporting”
and force another hospitalization. He said the pope should remain “in
a protected atmosphere,” sleep propped up by pillows and drink liquids
frequently.
Corrado Manni, who was the pope’s anesthesiologist in previous operations,
said in an interview with the newspaper La Repubblica that his advice
to John Paul was to “rest, not force your voice and discipline your
energies better” to avoid the need for another hospitalization.
It was the second time since Feb. 1 that John Paul had been hospitalized
with breathing problems caused by influenza. His condition was complicated
by Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that has affected
his vocal chords and restricted his ability to move.
He spent Feb. 1-10 in the hospital and was readmitted for surgery on Feb.
24.
Pope John Paul waves as he leaves Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, March
13, for a return trip to the Vatican. The pontiff spent 17 days in the
hospital after he underwent throat surgery to relieve severe breathing
problems.
RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito
