Pope Francis starts working again from hospital after surgery
The Vatican released a statement on Friday saying that Pope Francis has started his work after spending another peaceful night in the hospital following his hernia operation.
The head of the Catholic Church had breakfast Friday before spending “most of the morning in an armchair” rather than in bed, the Vatican said.
“This allowed him to read the newspapers and start working again,” it said in a statement.
Pope Francis woke up cheerful after surgery
Pope’s surgeon at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital said that woke up cheerful after the abdominal operation.
“The Holy Father reacted well both to the surgery and the anaesthesia. He is already awake… he has already cracked a joke,” surgeon Sergio Alfieri told reporters.
The Vatican said that the pontiff is expected to remain hospitalised for several days.
The Pope is expected to embark on several long trips in the month of August, raising concerns about whether his recent medical complications would allow him to do so. He is expected to visit Portugal in the first week of August. Later on, he will visit Mongolia at the end of the month. He is also scheduled to visit the French city of Marseille in September.
Pope Francis, the 86-year-old leader of the Catholic Church, has faced numerous health challenges throughout his life.
From a lung operation in his youth to ongoing issues with his knees, the pontiff has been dealing with health issues from a young age.
At the age of 21, Jorge Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, faced a life-threatening situation when he developed pleurisy, which is an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the lung. Surgeons had to remove three pulmonary cysts and a small portion of his upper right lung, leading to a lengthy and painful recovery.
The Pope has also dealt with sciatica, a chronic nerve condition causing back, hip, and leg pain. This condition has occasionally forced him to cancel official events. The pope explained that his distinctive limp, which he compared to “walking like a broody chicken”, is actually due to a flat foot.
In the past, the 86-year-old sought acupuncture treatment from a Chinese practitioner to alleviate his back pain. Additionally, he faced health issues, such as a gallbladder infection in the late 1970s or early 1980s, a heart condition in 2004, and problems with a fatty liver, which he managed by making dietary changes.
(With inputs from agencies)
