Fetterman ‘On A Path To Recovery,’ But Still Hospitalized

Topline

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) remains in a Washington D.C. area hospital and is “on a path to recovery,” the first-term senator’s team announced Monday afternoon, after Fetterman was hospitalized twice this month for lightheadedness and “severe” depression.

Key Facts

Fetterman, who was elected to his first senate term last November, is visiting daily with family and staff, who are keeping him informed on Senate business, according to a statement from his team.

His staff expect his hospitalization to be a “weeks-long process,” without providing any further details on his condition.

Fetterman, 53, was admitted into the Walter Reed National Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland, nearly two weeks ago after he experienced a bout of “severe depression”—just one week after he was hospitalized and quickly discharged for lightheadedness.

Key Background

Fetterman’s health issues became a central talking point on the campaign trail after he suffered a stroke ahead of his primary win last May, a health complication so severe Fetterman said he “almost died” from it. Speaking at a debate against former TV personality Mehmet Oz nearly six months later, Fetterman appeared to struggle to communicate at times, mumbling his words as he answered questions, including about his health issues—which Oz focused on throughout the campaign trail. In an interview with NBC News ahead of the midterm elections, Fetterman opted to use a closed-captioning device, admitting the stroke “changes everything” about daily life and has affected his hearing, processing and auditory functions. Fetterman was admitted to the George Washington University Hospital earlier this month after he started to feel lightheaded toward the end of a Senate Democratic retreat, and remained there overnight before being discharged one day later. Initial tests did not show signs of a stroke. One week later, however, he checked himself into a hospital, amid a worsening bout of depression, according to his chief of staff Adam Jentelson.

What We Don’t Know

How long Fetterman will remain hospitalized. One senior aide told the Wall Street Journal last week Fetterman could stay in the hospital for more than a month—and likely less than two months—while doctors experiment with different dosages of medications and as Fetterman participates in therapy. According to the American Stroke Association, clinical depression affects roughly one-third of stroke survivors—well over the 5-13% of adults who have not suffered a stroke who suffer from clinical depression.

Further Reading

Sen. Fetterman Hospitalized For ‘Severe’ Depression (Forbes)

John Fetterman Discharged From Hospital After 2 Days—Will Return To Senate Monday, Office Says (Forbes)

Here’s What We Know About John Fetterman’s Health (Forbes)

Fetterman Could Be Hospitalized For More Than A Month, Report Says (Forbes)