Palmer Is Handling Discomfort

ORLANDO, Fla. —  Less than a week after prostate cancer surgery, Arnold Palmer says he is coping with discomfort and the thought of having to stay off his feet for a while.

“It’s hurting a little, but it’s all right,” Palmer told The Orlando Sentinel.

Palmer, 67, checked into the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Monday, had surgery on Wednesday and was making what doctors described as an extraordinary recovery.

He was allowed to fly home to Orlando on Friday, a week after he learned he had prostate cancer.

“The discomfort is a little more than I anticipated,” Palmer said. “I’m not moving around very much. After all, it’s only been three days. The tough part is to see how long my patience will last. Sitting around doing nothing is tough.”

Nancy Lopez and other LPGA Tour players in town for the HealthSouth Inaugural tried to arrange a visit to Palmer’s home on Saturday. But Winnie Palmer said her husband was having a tough day and suggested another time.

“It’s just that I was so sad to hear about his prostate cancer,” Lopez said. “You think about what he has meant to America. I feel so much better hearing that they caught it early and that he’s doing well.”