Reply #15: A Boston Globe celebrity page doesn't seem to like the beard, but has some details

[karynnj]

of when he was in the hospital and that he had hip replacement surgery.

"Kerry recovering
Between the beard and the crutches, Senator John Kerry is looking a little worse for wear these days. Kerry is hobbling after undergoing hip replacement surgery. The senator's spokeswoman, Brigid O'Rourke, said Kerry was admitted to Mass. General Hospital on Aug. 10 and released on the 14th. The surgery on his right hip is intended to address chronic pain and flexibility problems. And what about that beard?"

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2009/08/19/kings_of_the_kitchen/?page=2