AP: Sen. Tim Johnson Out of Intensive Care

[Eugene]

Sen. Tim Johnson Out of Intensive Care


Thursday January 11, 2007 10:01 PM

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Tim Johnson has been transferred out of intensive care and
has said some words, his doctor said Thursday, nearly a month after the South Dakota
Democrat suffered a brain hemorrhage.

An MRI on Tuesday showed the speech centers in the senator's brain were spared injury
in the initial hemorrhage Dec. 13, said Johnson's neurosurgeon, Dr. Vivek Deshmukh.

"This is confirmed by the fact that he is following commands and has started to say
words," Deshmukh said in a statement released by Johnson's office.

Johnson will be participating in "aggressive therapy" in the inpatient rehabilitation
unit at George Washington University Hospital, the statement said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6339187,00.html

[montanacowboy]

1. Great News

may he continue on the road to recovery

[LSparkle]

2. Answered prayers!

[pecwae]

3. Best news all day! nt

[magellan]

4. Wonderful news!

His family must be greatly relieved. Keep getting better, Senator!

[Straight Shooter]

5. We need good news today.

Best wishes for a continuing full recovery, Senator.

I can only imagine how happy and relieved his family and friends must be. :)

[lancdem]

6. Wonderful!

[Fridays Child]

7. Great news!

[BigBearJohn]

8. Thank you God. God is good.

[enki23]

17. is that a joke?

i will *never* understand it, in any case.

[Raine]

19. Well, NOW God is on

our side (if you believe in that kind of thing). ;-)

[BigBearJohn]

26. What? I can't thank God for saving a good man's life? Jeesh.

[Missy M]

9. What great news.....

I am hopeful for a full recovery for Senator Johnson.

[knitter4democracy]

10. Oh, that is amazing news!

All praises be!

[Pastiche423]

11. YEA!

This is very encouraging news.

[KingofNewOrleans]

12. Fantastic news

I had been really worried about his ability to speak again.

[maddogesq]

13. Ed Schultz said:

As I recall, he was planning to do hunting trip with the senator when this thing happened. In Ed's words, Johnson is "tough as nails." He may just be right.

[Lugnut]

14. That's wonderful news!

K&R

[rodeodance]

15. he has started to say words. whow. his stroke was a bad one.

[superconnected]

16. Well this is good.

I don't fully trust that he hasn's suffered a stroke and is competent to be holding his position though.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

18. My 75 y/o mother, in frail health, had a cerebral bleed 3 months ago. She has recovered fully.

If she can do it, so can he. MKJ

[Fredda Weinberg]

22. My father never recovered fully

These congenital malformations can be massive. I wish the senator all the best - and regards to your mom.

[k8conant]

23. My mother died from a cerebral hemorrhage...

18 years ago.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

20. Great news! Agressive therapy is likely key.

[PADemD]

21. The first word he needs to learn is "impeach".

[G Hawes]

25. Am I the only one who finds this offensive?

The man has suffered a horrific medical trauma and nearly died. He is beginning to show signs of recovery and has only now been able to manage to speak a few words. Are we, collectively, so cold that we should want his first words to be political rather than personal? Are we, collectively, so cold that we would put politics above his personal life and his personal wellbeing?

I surely hope not.

[PADemD]

30. I'm sorry

I'm sorry if you found this offensive or insensitive. I know, from personal experience, how difficult and frustrating speech recovery from stroke can be. It's just that, if I were Senator Johnson and I woke up to learn that the Iraq War is being escalated with 20,000+ troops, some of whom are probably going to their deaths, the first word I would struggle to say would be "impeach".

I am happy that Senator Johnson is doing so well, and I do wish Senator Johnson a full and speedy recovery.

[G Hawes]

31. Apology accepted, without reservation

I, too, know from personal experience how difficult and frustrating speech recovery from stroke can be.
I would never have expected my brother's first words upon regaining his capacity to speak to be anything but personal, though, despite his political involvement and despite his views which often conflicted with mine in that regard. His first words were, in fact, of a personal nature despite all of that.

I suspect that the vast majority of health care professionals with experience dealing with stroke victims will tell you that when someone is recovering from a stroke in which they lost their ability to speak, their first words upon speech recovery will almost, if not always, be of a personal nature rather than a political nature, no matter what the circumstances are.

But I agree with you wholeheartedly on wishing Senator Johnson a complete and speedy recovery.

[G Hawes]

24. Great news!

Here's hoping that he makes a full and complete recovery.

[Eurobabe]

27. Fabulous!!! Keep improving Sen. Tim!!

:hi: Get well real soon, we need you too!

[otohara]

28. Get Mo Better Soon Senator

XXOO

[BlueIris]

29. Hey! That is great! nt

[Hieronymus]

32. That's awesome news for his family and the whole country.