The official story coming out of the White House is that First Lady Laura Bush was forced to undergo surgery on Friday to relieve pain from pinched nerves in her neck. Her spokesperson says she injured a nerve in her neck and shoulder earlier this year while hiking and has been treated with physical therapy since.
Some rumor-mongers, however, are insisting to Big Head DC that she may be seeking treatment for abuse of alcohol — a problem that has apparently grown worse for her since her arrival in Washington in 2000.
Whatever the real reason for her hospital stay, the medical issue prevented Laura from accompanying President Bush to Australia this week for the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Sydney.
