Castro steps down temporarily

Castro said in a statement read out on television that he overexerted himself this month on a trip to a summit of South American leaders in Argentina and celebrations of his 1953 assault on a military garrison.

"This caused an acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding that obliged me to face a complicated surgical operation," he said in the "proclamation" read out on Monday night by his personal aide, Carlos Valenciaga.

"The operation obliges me to remain for several weeks resting, away from my responsibilities and duties," it said.

Castro gave the reins of the ruling Communist Party, the post of commander in chief of the armed forces and president of the executive council of state to Raul Castro, 75, his brother and constitutional successor.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news...UBA-CASTRO.xml

He'll be back pretty damn soon. Just like when he broke his kneecap last year and everyone said he wouldnt walk for a few months but he was back in a few weeks. He heals quickly for an old guy

I think he may come back briefly, but frankly it sounds an awful lot like he's got a bad case of colon cancer. And for an 79-year-old, that's going to be an uphill road if it's true.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by birdgirl73

I think he may come back briefly, but frankly it sounds an awful lot like he's got a bad case of colon cancer. And for an 79-year-old, that's going to be an uphill road if it's true.

---

i dont think so http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrointestinal_bleeding

Theres two links on that page that go to the causes of it and none are very serious.

Unfortunately, Wikipedia can't tell us with the same accuracy what gastroenterologists and GI surgeons who see GI bleeding every day in 80-year-old people (particularly rather fat, male ones in countries with less-than-superior medical care) usually find in that particular population. It's generally very serious.

Castro isnt all that fat. Maybe a little overweight yes. And their healthcare isnt that bad, compared to many, many, many, many countries.

my guess is that its diverticulosis a fairly common occurence in people over 60

This is rather fun.

He's not a morbidly obese whale, no. But he's plenty overweight enough that he's at increased risk for colon cancer. Add to that his Y chromosome, his age, his tobacco history, the pork-heavy Cuban diet . . .

Indeed, Cuba has better health care than some places, but then again so does Mexico. It's quite relative. Routine colonoscopies and cancer screenings aren't a part of Cuba's standard age-related care, although I do expect Fidelito has had better care overall than most average Cubanos.

The thing that persuades most of the medical people I've talked to is the last three words in his letter. Castro said extreme stress "had provoked in me a sharp intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding that obligated me to undergo a complicated surgical procedure." Non-serious matters generally don't require complicated surgical procedures.

I consider anything involving going into, poking, prodding or dealing with anything, in my colon a complicated surgical procedure. lol

LOL! Me, too! Frankly, just the thought of that whole procedure makes me want to squeeze my rear-end muscles tight enough that the area is permanently shut. I have six more years before anyone comes at me with a scope, fortunately.