Reagan recovering after hip surgery
Ronald Reagan is able to sit up in a chair a day after undergoing surgery to repair a hip he fractured in a fall.
Doctors used a pin, plate and screws to repair the joint in a 65-minute operation after the former US president fell on Friday at his home in Bel-Air, California.
Dr Kevin Ehrhart said Mr Reagan, suffering from Alzheimer's disease and nearing his 90th birthday on February 6, was also eating.
"He remarkably was up in a chair yesterday, the first day post-op," Dr Ehrhart, his orthopedic surgeon, said. "That's a goal you obtain about half the time. He did it on the first try."
He still faces months of difficult physical therapy but was taking very little pain medication, another good sign, said Joanne Drake, his chief of staff.
Mr Reagan's wife, Nancy, has been at her husband's side since the fall.
The couple's 49th wedding anniversary is on March 4, when the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is scheduled to be christened by the former first lady.
Mrs Reagan was buoyed by the outpouring of well-wishes from around the world, including messages from the Prince of Wales and Baroness Thatcher, Ms Drake said.
At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, dozens of well-wishers signed a giant get-well note surrounded by bouquets of flowers.
Mrs. Reagan urged well-wishers to send greetings to the Reagan Foundation Web site http://www.reaganfoundation.org.
