JFK's assassination aided by his bad back, records show

by Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2328 GMT (0728 HKT) November 30, 2017

John F. Kennedy, our nation's youngest president, had a host of medical conditions that plagued him since childhood. Here, Kennedy entertains Alberto Franco Nogueira, the foreign minister of Portugal, while sitting in the rocking chair his doctor ordered to support his excruciatingly painful lower back. The photo was taken November 7, 1963, just two weeks before he was assassinated.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
John F. Kennedy, our nation's youngest president, had a host of medical conditions that plagued him since childhood. Here, Kennedy entertains Alberto Franco Nogueira, the foreign minister of Portugal, while sitting in the rocking chair his doctor ordered to support his excruciatingly painful lower back. The photo was taken November 7, 1963, just two weeks before he was assassinated.
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Despite being turned down by both the Army and Navy due to his bad back and other medical issues, Kennedy was able to get into the Navy with the help of his father, Joe Kennedy. In June 1944, he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery rescuing his men when his PT boat was struck by a Japanese destroyer. He towed one sailor for miles through the ocean to safety on land, aggravating a former back injury and setting the stage for a lifetime of back pain and surgeries.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
Despite being turned down by both the Army and Navy due to his bad back and other medical issues, Kennedy was able to get into the Navy with the help of his father, Joe Kennedy. In June 1944, he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery rescuing his men when his PT boat was struck by a Japanese destroyer. He towed one sailor for miles through the ocean to safety on land, aggravating a former back injury and setting the stage for a lifetime of back pain and surgeries.
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After a trip to visit family in London in 1947, John F. Kennedy became so severely ill that a priest was called to read him his last rites. It was then he was diagnosed with Addison's disease, an adrenal gland disorder causing fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss and abdominal pain.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
After a trip to visit family in London in 1947, John F. Kennedy became so severely ill that a priest was called to read him his last rites. It was then he was diagnosed with Addison's disease, an adrenal gland disorder causing fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss and abdominal pain.
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While he was as senator, Kennedy was often on crutches due to back pain. "People would call him a cripple," said Dr. Thomas Pait, a spinal neurosurgeon who <a href="http://thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2017.2.SPINE151524" target="_blank">co-authored a paper about JFK's failed back surgeries</a>. "He had back rubs and hot baths, and he would use a brace, but if he didn't use crutches, he had to rely on his willpower. And he was incredible; he'd walk into a room in pain but start smiling, waving, and walk out the other door, and people would catch him, because he would basically fall down."
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
While he was as senator, Kennedy was often on crutches due to back pain. "People would call him a cripple," said Dr. Thomas Pait, a spinal neurosurgeon who co-authored a paper about JFK's failed back surgeries. "He had back rubs and hot baths, and he would use a brace, but if he didn't use crutches, he had to rely on his willpower. And he was incredible; he'd walk into a room in pain but start smiling, waving, and walk out the other door, and people would catch him, because he would basically fall down."
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This photo was taken just before an October 1954 spinal surgery designed to fuse Kennedy's spine and hopefully end his chronic back pain. The operation nearly killed him. After a metal plate was inserted in his lower back, Kennedy developed a urinary tract infection. He was so sick, the family again called a priest to administer last rites.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
This photo was taken just before an October 1954 spinal surgery designed to fuse Kennedy's spine and hopefully end his chronic back pain. The operation nearly killed him. After a metal plate was inserted in his lower back, Kennedy developed a urinary tract infection. He was so sick, the family again called a priest to administer last rites.
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Accompanied by his wife, Jackie, Kennedy leaves the hospital to be with family for the holidays two months after the 1954 spinal fusion surgery. It took that long to overcome the complications.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
Accompanied by his wife, Jackie, Kennedy leaves the hospital to be with family for the holidays two months after the 1954 spinal fusion surgery. It took that long to overcome the complications.
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In this image taken in his Senate office in January 1955, Kennedy is suffering from ramifications of his October 1954 spinal implant designed to fuse his spine and relieve his pain. An infection kept the incision from healing, creating an "open, gaping ... hole," according to his speechwriter. The implant was removed in February.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
In this image taken in his Senate office in January 1955, Kennedy is suffering from ramifications of his October 1954 spinal implant designed to fuse his spine and relieve his pain. An infection kept the incision from healing, creating an "open, gaping ... hole," according to his speechwriter. The implant was removed in February.
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In June 1961, Kennedy still used crutches to walk from his car to a ramp to board the presidential yacht Honey Fitz for a cruise down the Potomac River with Japanese Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda. When he reached the ramp, he discarded the crutches and used the railings to support himself.
Photos: JFK: Portrait of pain
In June 1961, Kennedy still used crutches to walk from his car to a ramp to board the presidential yacht Honey Fitz for a cruise down the Potomac River with Japanese Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda. When he reached the ramp, he discarded the crutches and used the railings to support himself.
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