South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage earlier this month, is still in intensive care. The Washington Post reports that he is responding to his wife's voice, but has not spoken since the emergency surgery to save his life.
Julianne Fisher, a spokeswoman for the senator, said Johnson will not be present in the first days of the new Congress next week but is continuing to improve. She said he is responsive to directions from his wife but has not yet spoken
It is too soon to tell how long recovery will take, Fisher said.
In a statement yesterday, Johnson's doctors said he remains in intensive care at George Washington University Hospital. They have released few new details about Johnson's condition and prognosis since the days after the Dec. 13 surgery to stop bleeding in his brain.
Vivek Deshmukh, head of Johnson's surgical team, said in a statement that the senator's overall condition has improved and that he is gradually being weaned off sedation to help his brain heal.
Johnson's wife, Barbara, said that her husband "continues to give us great hope" and that two of the couple's three grown children were at the hospital on his birthday.
Please keep Tim Johnson and especially his family in your thoughts. He is fighting for his life, but the stress on his family is enormous right now as well.
I think it’s also his 60th Birthday today. Here’s hoping for many more.