Still ailing from thyroid cancer and the aggressive treatments he has received for the disease, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist will not be in attendance when the Supreme Court returns Monday from its one-month winter recess, the court announced yesterday.
"Because of continuing secretions caused by his tracheotomy and radiation therapy, Chief Justice Rehnquist will not sit on the Bench when the Court reconvenes," the court's office of public information said in a brief statement. The statement did not say whether Rehnquist would miss all five days of oral arguments slated for January, but it left open that possibility.
The chief justice will, however, participate in the court's internal discussions and vote on cases, the statement said. Court spokeswoman Kathleen L. Arberg declined to comment on whether Rehnquist's condition would affect his announced plan to administer the oath of office to President Bush on Jan. 20.
Nevertheless, yesterday's announcement did contain the first concrete information concerning the actual physical discomfort the chief justice is experiencing.
The reference to "secretions" caused by radiation therapy reflects the likelihood that the radiation has inflamed or swollen the inside of Rehnquist's throat, making it hard for him to swallow and causing saliva to accumulate, according to Kenneth D. Burman, chief of endocrinology at Washington Hospital Center.
"It's not surprising" that Rehnquist would be having this problem, given his disease and course of treatment, Burman said. "It's very typical."
Burman noted that it is unlikely that a person experiencing such difficulties would be able to eat solid food, except soft items.
