Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has been upgraded to “good” condition after suffering a stroke last month, according to a statement from his Chicago-based doctor.
Kirk, 52, has undergone multiple operations to ease brain swelling but has been given a good prognosis for full mental recovery by his doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Richard Fessler, his neurosurgeon, said in a statement today that the Illinois Republican “even watched the Super Bowl” on Sunday evening.
“Senator Kirk is making good progress in his recovery,” Fessler said. “He has been upgraded to good condition and we anticipate he will be able to start the rehabilitation phase soon. We are very pleased with his continued improvement.”
Fessler has said he expects Kirk will regain full cognitive ability, but it’s likely the first-term Senator will have some degree of permanent physical damage to his left side. It is still not clear how long Kirk’s recovery will take, but doctors have indicated it could be weeks or months.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Rep. Joseph Crowley, vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, address a news conference immediately after the closed caucus meeting.
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