Mitch McConnell gives major update on his health after hospitalization and long Senate absence
Senator Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after a fall and later developed a case of mild pneumonia, he revealed in his first statement since being admitted.
McConnell, 84, gave the update on his health in an email update sent to his constituents in Kentucky.
He explained in the email that he fell last month and had to be hospitalized.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” McConnell wrote. “While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
McConnell said in his statement that he will not be able to return to the Senate in the immediate future, but plans to return to his duties once he is able.
“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet. But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you,” he wrote.
He also explained why he’s been quiet about his condition, noting that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.”
“Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” he wrote.
McConnell noted in his statement that he understands his constituents expect a representative who will be able to work hard for them, and that his health was a contributing factor in his decision to retire at the end of his term.
“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work,” he wrote. “But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”
He said that he intends to work hard to “get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible” and will provide constituents with regular updates on his health.
The message also contained a statement from the Office of the Attending Physician, which provides health care to members of Congress.
“Senator McConnell has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition. He was admitted to the hospital four weeks ago after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries,” the statement said.
It says that McConnell underwent a “comprehensive evaluation” that found he had broken no bones and suffered no concussions, but had developed pneumonia.
