Posted on 01/05/2007 8:15:15 AM PST by shrinkermd
Sen. Tim Johnson's recovery from brain surgery is expected to take several months, the senator's office said Wednesday.
A test performed on the South Dakota senator Wednesday showed that he no longer has a tangle of arteries and veins in his brain that caused cerebral bleeding last month. Johnson underwent an angiogram at George Washington University Hospital, where he has remained in critical condition since emergency brain surgery Dec. 13.
His long-term prognosis is unclear. Dr. Vivek Deshmukh, head of Johnson's surgical team, said in a statement Wednesday that the tangle, called arteriovenous malformation, appears to be gone and the senator "continues to be responsive to both his family and physicians — following commands, squeezing his wife's hand and understanding speech."
The statement from Johnson's office said the senator had developed fluid in his lungs as a consequence of the initial hemorrhage and has been on a ventilator to assist in his breathing.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I question whether if will be capable of speech again given the brain injury and time on the ventilator. I cannot imagine his energy level ever getting up to the demands of a Senate job. However, the Dems care more about THEIR majority than the needs of one state--which should be reason enough for the voters of South Dakota to NEVER VOTE DEMOCRAT AGAIN!
Reading between the lines, I agree.
If they had waited too long, he'd be dead.
To sum up the report: They don't know what his condition will be in several months, but they do know it'll take him several months to get there. In the meantime he continues to recover but his present condition is unchanged. This is all identical to the last report, and the one before that...
OK, at what point do you make the decision? Do you replace him now? What if he recovers enough in 6 months that he could have resumed his duties? Do you say, "Sorry, we really thought you weren't going to make it. Our mistake."
I have the same question
Thanks for the specifics.
Now that precedence has been set, it is apparent that Johnson will be in the Senate until his term expires in 2009.
Only the truly fanatic see a comparision between a woman who had undergone 15 years of progressively worse brain degeneration and a man who has been afflicted for a MONTH. Johnson could well wind up in the same state as Schiavo who needed FAR more than "just a feeding tube". There was constant around the clock medical care needed as well. The feeding tube only allowed the pretense of life to be maintained since the heart still beat but there was no other life involved.
you saw the thread yesterday - even if Johnson were to pass away, and be replaced by a republican, McConnell indicated republicans would not demand a vote to reorganize the senate. unreal, but I can believe it.
that's not the point.
the point is this - suppose he did enter a brain dead vegetative state, and his wife wanted no extraordinary means to keep him alive. how long do you think it would take the Dems to identify a guardian for him and find some judge to overturn her wishes (until 2008)? about 5 minutes.
I don't believe that's what that article said, but I'll revisit it.
what I read here is not encouraging:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1763741/posts
Try to find the thread..
see post 56. its "vague", but I still don't like it. I guess it doesn't preclude a reorg vote, but I don't know.
For 14 years, the main word of the 'rats has been "fight". Now the pubbies main word will be bipartisan. It is so disheartening to me as a conservative.
He's a democrat, which means he will be able to vote in the Senate even if he is in a coma. If the democrats need his vote, they will wheel him in, and push the button for him.
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