Comic legend Bob Hope was upgraded from critical to stable condition Saturday at the Rancho Mirage, Calif., hospital where he’s recovering from intestinal bleeding, officials say. Hope was said to be well enough to dine Saturday on his favorite breakfast: Oatmeal and fruit.
Hope, who marked his 97th birthday Monday, woke up at his Palm Springs home Thursday complaining of stomach pains and was rushed to Desert Regional Medical Center at about 11 a.m. for “emergency medical attention,” rep Ward Grant tells Hollywood.com.
Hope was transferred to Eisenhower Regional Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, where he remains.
Doctors at Eisenhower described intestinal bleeding as not uncommon in the elderly and as a not-necessarily life-threatening condition.
“For his age, he is in very, very good shape and has done very, very well,” Eisenhower’s Dr. Gary Annunziata told reporters Thursday.
At an afternoon press conference Friday, Annunziata added that Hope’s overall condition was good and that no further bleeding had occurred.
Hope could remain hospitalized as long as a week, although he’s expected to be moved out of the critical care section today.
The comic recently returned to California after a three-week visit to the East Coast, Grant says.
Best known on film for his “On the Road …” stints with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, Hope is best known everywhere else for being Bob Hope — acerbic, slope-nosed and forever entertaining overseas troops.
