Stephen King Hospitalized With Pneumonia

[MichaelMyers]

Stephen King Hospitalized With Pneumonia


BANGOR, Maine - Stephen King was expected to remain in a Maine hospital on Thanksgiving as he recovers from pneumonia, a spokesman said.

King is conscious and in good spirits, and is expected to recover fully, his spokesman, Warren Silver, said Wednesday. He's likely to remain in Eastern Maine Medical Center for several days, Silver said.

Silver told the Bangor Daily News there appears to be a connection between the pneumonia and a 1999 accident in which King was struck by a van and nearly killed while walking near his summer home. He suffered a punctured lung and a broken leg, hip and ribs in the accident.

The puncture resulted in a "fair amount" of scar tissue in King's lungs, creating what doctors see as a vulnerability to ailments such as pneumonia, Silver said.

The best-selling author had been diagnosed with pneumonia in his right lung before a recent trip to New York to receive an honorary National Book Award for lifetime achievement. His condition worsened when he returned to Maine and the pneumonia spread to the other lung, Silver said.

"He had been walking around with it, and it got worse and worse."

King checked into the hospital Sunday. He underwent a procedure on Tuesday to remove fluid and scar tissue from the right lung, Silver said.

The 56-year-old King, whose best sellers include "Carrie" and "The Shining," requested no visitors except his family, and no flowers.

"Stephen and his family ask only for good wishes and prayers, and at this time, when we celebrate the bounty of our country, that we remember those who are in need," said a statement from Silver.