Got some breaking news. The Associated Press, the New York Times, and CNN are reporting that Cheney has canceled an event for later this evening after doctors found that his problems with an abnormal heart rhythm have returned. He’ll be missing a campaign event for Marty Ozinga, who is running for the House against Democrat Debbie Halvorson, currently an Illinois state senator. Last year, when Cheney first presented with the problem, his normal heart rhythm was restored through a procedure called cardioversion, which uses an electrical impulse. He will be undergoing the same procedure later this afternoon.
“During a visit with his doctors this morning, it was discovered that the vice president is experiencing a recurrence of atrial fibrillation, an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers of the heart,” said Megan Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the vice president.
[. . .]
“Later this afternoon, the vice president will visit George Washington University Hospital for an outpatient procedure to restore his normal rhythm,” Mitchell said.
In November 2007, doctors had to administer an electrical shock to Cheney’s heart to restore it to a normal rhythm. That irregular heartbeat, like this one, was determined to be atrial fibrillation, an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers of the heart.
[. . .]
Cheney has had four heart attacks, starting when he was 37 years old, and many related doctor and hospital visits over the years since. He has had quadruple bypass surgery and two artery-clearing angioplasties. In 2001, he had a special pacemaker implanted in his chest. The pacemaker’s battery was replaced last year, and then the entire device was replaced.
– AP
It is whenever I hear a negative report about Cheney’s health that I begin to wonder whether I’m a bad person…
May be updating throughout the day if/when new information becomes available.
14 comments