Sen. Johnson improves after brain surgery: aides (being taking off drugs :)

[wakeme2008]

http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ftoday.reuters.com%2Fnews%2Farticlenews.aspx%3Ftype%3DdomesticNews%26storyID%3D2006-12-28T222343Z_01_N28207466_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-CONGRESS-SENATOR.xml%26WTmodLo

Sen. Johnson improves after brain surgery: aides
Thu Dec 28, 2006 5:24 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, whose brain surgery fueled speculation about upcoming Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, has improved and is being taken off sedatives, aides said on Thursday.

The statement, released on Johnson's 60th birthday, said he remains in critical condition at George Washington University Hospital after an emergency operation on December 13 to stop bleeding from a malformation of blood vessels in his brain.

..more at link

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[progressivebydesign]

1. That's really awesome news!

Nice to hear that he's healing so nicely. Hope he's up and around soon!

[wryter2000]

2. Happy New Year, Senator Johnson! n/t

n/t

[Raine]

3. WONDERFUL

news! :thumbsup: :party:

[valerief]

4. I hope he's okay, I hope he's okay, I hope he's okay, I hope he's okay. nt

[WhiteTara]

14. clicking my heels, too! n/t

[snowbear]

5. I'm HAPPY to give this thread it's ~FIRST~ recommendation!

Now it only needs 4 more... (( ))

Get better soon Senator Johnson ~~~

[superconnected]

6. Wonderful!

Get well soon Senator Johnson!

And Happy New Year!

[Vidar]

7. Great news. Thanks.

[frylock]

8. excellent news for he and his family..

positive vibes.

[grytpype]

9. Sorry, freetards!

Looks like Baby Jesus doesn't want you to control the Senate after all!

[regnaD kciN]

10. "Improved" is a very relative term...

I still haven't seen anyone respond positively to the question of whether or not he is conscious. And that really is the key issue.

[DaveinMD]

11. I thought he was conscious

and the docs put him on sedatives so he'd rest.

[HughMoran]

12. It's called R-E-A-D-I-N-G

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, whose brain surgery fueled speculation about upcoming Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, has improved and is being taken off sedatives, aides said on Thursday.

The statement, released on Johnson's 60th birthday, said he remains in critical condition at George Washington University Hospital after an emergency operation on December 13 to stop bleeding from a malformation of blood vessels in his brain.

"Senator Johnson's overall general medical condition has improved and he is gradually being weaned from the sedation," said neurosurgeon Vivek Deshmukh. "He is opening his eyes and is responsive to his wife."

...
"

Would it kill some people to actually click on the link and read the story?

[regnaD kciN]

17. "Responsive" can mean...

...that his eyelids twitch when she speaks to him.

I just recall an interview with Senator Reid a few days after Johnson was hospitalized. Reid told the reporters how "well" Johnson was doing. Then, one of them asked if he was conscious. Reid immediately clammed up and said something about how it wasn't his position to speak on such things and how they needed to ask his family instead.

Since then, I've heard nothing more about Johnson showing more signs of mental functioning.

Now, he may be able to open his eyes, and he may show some physiological reaction to his wife's presence. But that's a long way from what he's going to have to show if he's going to be able to hang on to his Senate seat. And time's running down -- it's been two weeks since he was hospitalized, and only one more week until the Senate reconvenes. I'm not saying that he has to be at his desk at the Capitol, lucid and able to walk and speak normally, by then. But I doubt it will take much longer before the G.O.P. governor and state legislature start exploring ways of having him declared "unable to serve."

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

19. Think before you speak...

... South Dakota had a GOP senator, Karl Mundt, who in the mid to late 60's missed out on three straight years of senate sessions due to heart problems. The GOP in South Dakota can do nothing about Tim Johnson's seat. Only if Johnson were to resign or die, would Gov. Rounds (hey, I got a nice smile) be able to do anything. It is also a rule in the Senate, the GOP would have to move to change the rule concerning such situations. This has been discussed before on DU.

Also, it has already been reported that nearly a week and a half ago, Tim was responding to his wife and holding her hand/squeezing it. He is sedated so he brain can rest and heal after such a traumatic surgery. So nearly all of your statements are based on conjecture or misunderstandings, to be polite.

Me thinks you want the GOP to take over the senate once again.

[Orsino]

24. C'mon.

We can close our eyes and wish real hard--I'll be right there with you, I swear--but I'd also like to know, for real, what Johnson's chances are of returning to work. Questioning vague terms such as "responsive," particularly when they come from family members, is not the same thing as pining for a Republican majority.

If it's too early to expect him to get up and dance, it's also too early to assume he'll make a full recovery.

[electropop]

22. Fluttering eyelids pretty much describe's Strom's final year.

One might argue he'd been brain-dead for decades, but that would be rude.

[UrbScotty]

13. Happy birthday and continued best wishes, Senator!

:toast:

[Straight Shooter]

15. Good news.

Prayers for gaining strength every day, and a full recovery as time goes on.

Happy B-day, Senator T.J.

[GenDem]

16. Wishing the senator a full and speedy recovery.

[Eurobabe]

18. Keep Improving Sen. Johnson!!

Hope 2007 is kinder to you and your family. :hi:

[Judi Lynn]

20. Looking forward to every good report we can get. Hope they all will be this positive.

He always looked so hearty and solid previously. Hope he'll be able to get right back in step with his life, and continue to do the job the people of South Dakota know he can do well for them.

I am glad to learn from a DU'er who posted, that he has a superior record of conscientious responsiveness to his Native American constituents, and is well thought of for that reason. Those of us who live well away from that state have probably never heard this until now.

Another reason to like him.

[sonias]

21. Good news for all of us

More hope for a full and speedy recovery. I wish him and his family the best.

Sonia

[applegrove]

23. All we can do is hope. This sounds like good news. n/t

[Independent_Liberal]

25. What I'm waiting for now...

I'm waiting for Cheney to step down for "health reasons" so McCain can replace him. Since the Arizona governor is a Democrat that will add another Democrat to the Senate and take us from 51-49 to 52-48.

:)

[suston96]

28. Arizona does it differently.....

"C. For a vacancy in the office of United States senator, the governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy. That appointee shall be of the same political party as the person vacating the office and shall serve until the person elected at the next general election is qualified and assumes office. "

The US Constitution says something else:

"Seventeenth Amendment:

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct."

Don't ya hate it when the US Constitution causes such confusion?

[onefreespiritedchick]

26. What excellent news!

The best I've heard in a while :)

[ellisonz]

27. This makes the New Year alot better...

My prayers are with his family.