Sen. Johnson in Critical Condition After Surgery

[qanda]

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) underwent emergency surgery overnight after falling ill at the Capitol and was in critical condition early this morning, introducing a note of uncertainty over control of the Senate just weeks before Democrats are to take over with a one-vote margin.

Johnson, 59, was taken to George Washington University Hospital shortly after noon, after becoming disoriented during a conference call with news reporters. He underwent "a comprehensive evaluation by the stroke team," his office said. Aides later said he had not suffered a stroke or heart attack.

Nursing supervisor Quinn Collins said early today that the senator was out of surgery and in critical condition. Hospital officials and Johnson aides offered no further comment or details; a more complete statement was expected later this morning.

The two-term senator's illness -- which sent Senate Democratic leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) rushing to the hospital to check on Johnson -- underscored the fragility of Democrats' hold on the next Senate, which they won by the narrowest of margins in the Nov. 7 elections. Should Johnson be unable to complete his term, South Dakota's Republican governor, Michael Rounds, would name a replacement for the next two years.

(more)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/14/AR2006121400379.html

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Get well soon, Senator Johnson!!

They haven't said exactly what he was operated on for?:shrug:

[zanne]

4. It sounds like a stroke.

I hope they got to him in time.

[CTyankee]

17. Yes, Dr. Nancy Schneiderman on The Today Show said he

got medical attention within the 3 hour window necessary. My brother had a stroke which DID go untreated til after the window. He survived, and while not the guy he had been, was ambulatory and could talk and react. His mind was not very attentive, however, so he had to be in a nursing home.

Does anyone know if Sen. Johnson smoked?

[Warpy]

46. Arteriovenous malformation is the latest news

That's a collection of blood vessels that formed into a knot during gestation. Some people have them and never know it. Other people have them into adulthood before they cause trouble, usually by either leaking or rupturing completely.

A rupture is generally catastrophic with a very poor prognosis.

A leaking AVM can be corrected by different surgeries, or if it's extensive or deeply within the brain, by cutting off the blood supply to it by creating artificial and permanent clots in the vessels leading to it.

Everybody who comes out of brain surgery is in critical condition for at least the first few hours.

We can still hope for his recovery.

I've worked in all areas of adult medicine and neurosurgery is where I saw the miracles.

[lumpy]

64. Thank you for your imput and your participation

in the very important medical arena of our lives.

[MiniMe]

2. They make it sound like Reid went to the Hospital because he was worried about power

in the Senate. I truly doubt that is the case. They have been working in the Senate together for 10 years. Not everything has political motivations.

[caledesi]

6. Agree. Am appalled by this "slant." It's disgusting. nt

[liberalhistorian]

29. Yep, there goes that

"liberal" media again, damnit!

[IndyOp]

25. Thank You. Agreed. Reid might just visit because Reid is a decent man. (n/t)

[PDittie]

3. Hopefully this is

just the post-surgical condition. It could be a TIA, or mini-stroke, which (could have) resulted in an operation to clean out his carotid artery.

Kos has more, including an ER doctor's best guess based on publicly available info:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/12/14/14814/677

[Name removed]

5. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Princess Turandot]

7. He may have had a brain aneurysm..

where the wall of a blood vessel in the brain is weakened and blows out. They don't refer to those as 'strokes' generally.

[knitter4democracy]

15. That's what I was thinking.

If he has a bleeder, that is also more likely to result in emergency surgery.

I will be praying for him and his family and his medical team today. What a scary thing. :(

[tomp]

26. the hallmark sign of ruptured cerebral aneurysm...

...is severe headache. anything else would be an entirely atypical presentation.

[knitter4democracy]

43. That's true. My aunt died of that.

Still is hard.

They have released that he had an AVM. It's like an aneurysm but different in structure. It sounds like they caught it in time, thank goodness.

[tomp]

45. yes, thank goodness! nt

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zanne]

9. I'm beginning to feel like a Red Sox fan again...

Bad luck.

[Cameron27]

10. CNN's calling it a temperal lobe "stroke"

caused by a hemorrage. A hospital spokesman said his surgery was successful, but the CNN doctor suspects a long recovery. An update in a few minutes.

Keep praying.

[IndyOp]

31. The left temporal lobe with some involvement of the frontal lobe...

Broca's area in the left frontal lobe is involved in language processing and speech production - some involvement of this region would explain why Senator Johnson could not speak yesterday.

Wernicke's area is involved in language processing - specifically comprehension.



If the surgery was not for a stroke - to "clean out" the carotid artery, then the surgery may have been brain surgery to clean up damage from a ruptured aneurysm or extract a tumor...

It is not sounding good. I hope I am wrong.

[AllexxisF1]

11. Hmmmm...

Interesting, on the eve of the Democrats taking control of Washington a Senator from a very red state with a Republican Governor getting to choose his successor for the remaining years of Bush's term all of a sudden is thrown into death's throws.

Moreover, if this Democrat has been elected by the people of South Dakota what on Earth gives the right of a Governor to supersede that election by placing some right wing nut job.

For the love of God, get well soon Senator.

[liberalhistorian]

27. Exactly, that's what really burns me up,

especially since Johnson is my senator and a damned fine man, mountains above the hypocritical, credit-grabbing, Bushbot extraordinaire John Thune, SD's version of Norm Coleman. The people elected a Dem in that senate seat and the governor's party membership should mean exactly dipsquat. And this would be true if it were a repub, like Thune, with a Democratic governor; the Dem governor should also be required to appoint a repub replacement because THAT is what the people elected, and not someone from the governor's party.

What's truly despicable is that I'm already hearing some republicans salivating over the possibility, with nary a thought to Johnson personally; these same nuts would be jumping up and down and howling if the situation were reversed. And there's still a lot of bitterness over the defeat of the abortion ban bill and a lot of venom still being spewed at those who either worked and voted against it or who, in their eyes, didn't do enough to ensure its passage.

There should be a uniform requirement in ALL states that, when a rep dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, the governor MUST name the replacement from the rep's party and not one affiliated with his own party. Only five states currently have such a requirement, believe it or not; that's a disgrace. The party membership of the governor should mean fuck-all dipsquat in these situations.

[trogdor]

35. Actually.

The seat should remain vacant until a special election can be held. The existence or necessity of political parties is nowhere to be found in the Constitution, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Oh yeah, and this is post #10,000. I hope it's a good one.

[liberalhistorian]

40. You are indeed correct, as I've just

discovered. Unfortunately, our idiot Secretary of State, Chris Nelson, as well as most other state political entities, have been telling us and the media that it is state law that the governor can appoint replacements without restrictions. Since they're mostly republicans, they're probably hoping that that's what will happen.

[Stewie]

12. "Critical" condition

It's routine to classify someone as being in "critical" condition after brain surgery. Does not necessarily mean someone is near death.

[Zodiak]

13. His stability is more important

Critical and stable is okay....lots of post-operative conditions are like that.

Unstable is not good at all. But there has been no mention of stability.

[Mad_Dem_X]

14. K&R - get well soon, Senator!

I'm not thinking about any "foul play" right now - I'm just praying he gets better.

[deepthought42]

16. Emergency surgery...oy.

Get well soon, Senator! For your sake, your family's, and this country. We need you. :patriot:

[bufffbison]

18. surgery was described as "successful"

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/14/thursday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Johnson, 59, was out of surgery at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, a source familiar with the senator's condition told CNN. He was hospitalized Wednesday morning after he appeared to suffer stroke-like symptoms, his spokeswoman said.

The surgery was described as "successful" by the source. Although Johnson's condition was critical, that is a classification given to anyone immediately following brain surgery.

"The next 24 to 48 hours are critical," the source said. (Posted 8:27 a.m.)



EDIT: fixed link

[Deep13]

19. Well that sounds promising.

Fingers crossed. I don't know how to make my fingers look like a Star of David or a crescent.

[bufffbison]

21. it is very promising!

my guess is the next 24/48 hours is so important b/c if theres bleeding in the brain or immobility then theres a possible chance of brain damage during the "stroke" or during the surgery. So my guess is if they call the surgery "successful" everything in pre-opt looked good, given the situation. So if theres no bleeding in the brain and he has full mobility within 48 hours then i'd say he'll be okay. sen. johnson is otherwise in good health.

[Go Eagles]

24. what is unknown

is if any damage has occurred and to what extent. I've seen strokes that range from mild/no apparent permanent deficits with a return to previous activities and significant and permanent disabilities. It depends on the location in the brain, extent of damage, and patient's pre-morbid condition.

[mvd]

32. That's some good news

As people said, stability is more important. Continuing to pray for his recovery.

[illinoisprogressive]

20. My mom had something similar

It was a blocked artery. Her symptoms were like Johnson's and at the hospital she was in surgery right away. She was doing fine the next day and was out in a few days. She is 100 percent and takes one med. I am guessing this is what it is and he will be fine. He'll be back to work in a month or two. Watch his diet and exercise.
I'm am sure this is what it is.

[bufffbison]

22. glad your mother pulled out okay.

i'm having health problems myself and im only 24 and barely overweight by 10lbs!!! i had surgery to remove my gallbladder and the pre-opt tests showed i have an enlarged right kidney (15% bigger than it should be) and a fatty liver. which the drs said can be reveresed if i lose the excess weight, eat a low fat diet. so hope all goes well for me too.

[madmax]

23. Great post.

We need more optimistic people. Welcome to DU. :hi:

I'm a doom and gloom person. :P

[liberalhistorian]

33. Well, here's something that might

encourage you. The SD Dem party is stronger and more unified that it's been in decades, with far better leadership than we've had in a long time. We picked up seats in the legislature this past election and many of the rabid social conservatives were kicked to the curb and they no longer have the clout and influence that they once did.

I would think and hope that we would have enough clout and influence to put some serious pressure on Governor Rounds to appoint a Democrat, should, please God forbid, the worst happen, and to make things a bit difficult for him if he doesn't. Rounds is a chickenshit, basically, who hates having to deal with controversy and/or confrontation, so he just might do the right thing in this regard.

[madmax]

48. That sounds good.

I hope everything works out for the Senator. Thanks for the encouragement.

Everyone in the country should be afforded the type of excellent care being given the Senator. That would really make my day ;)

[itcfish]

28. I Hope They Run Toxology Tests

I am not a conspiracy nut, but this is just too much. Carnahan, Wellstone and now Johnson.

[NotGivingUp]

41. you're a thinking person...not a conspiracy nut. this is too much of a coincidence

[flyarm]

30. how did the mary bono thing go down? ..can he turn it over to his wife??

sorry my memory is not working this morning...Could Johnson name a temp for himself for voting purposes??

my father in law had a brain aneurysm that bled out and had the surgery..and it was about a 6 month rehab..but he was fine for another 12 years..and he was old when it happened..like in his 70's...

lets all pray for Senator Johnson, and pray for his family..

he was in a good place to have the surgery ..with some of the best doc's...and he is young...

so he has the best case scenerio for what he has gone through...lets just pray his family has all the support they need, to help him regain his full strength..and he could use all our prayers for a full recovery!

fly

[Deep13]

34. congenital defect in blood vessel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061214/ap_on_go_co/johnson

Doctor seems pretty optimistic. Guess it was an aneurysm after all.

[INdemo]

36. I dont understand ..we have a 51-49 majority..if we lose a seat

it doesn't become a Republican Majority with 50-50 it should be a joint Senate leadership with both parties splitting chairmanship..But
I think if Senator Johnson is unable to complete his term the State Democratic Central Committee should appoint his successor not the Governor..I would bet that this will become an issue since the seat is held by a Democrat..It could be decided by the courts.
What was so ironic was that Senator Johnson had barely passed through the Emergency doors when the media was talking about a Republican controlled senate.......

[Javaman]

37. Yes the repukes do get a majority. Chaney is the deciding vote. nt

[beth9999]

44. Channelling the Church Lady

"How conveeeeeeeeeenient!"

[JMDEM]

38. MSNBC has said what the diagnosis is

"an arteriovenous malformation, a condition which causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large".

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16199440/

If there are doctors and nurses who can help us out with what this means, it sure would be appreciated.

[davepc]

39. National Institute of Health has a page on it...

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/avms/avms.htm

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/avms/detail_avms.htm

[Divernan]

42. Precedent for ailing senators to retain their seats even though absent from Senate

Here's a VERY significant piece of info from the OP's link:


"However, Senate historian Don Ritchie said senators serve until they resign or die. Nine senators have remained in the Senate even though illnesses kept them away from the chamber for six months or more."

[Judi Lynn]

47. Does anyone know about the previous appointment Gov. Rounds made in 2002?

This appears within a CBS article:

When a longtime Democratic state senator died in 2002, Rounds appointed a Republican to replace him — even though Democrats held a huge majority in that district.
(snip)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/14/politics/main2262908.shtml

[Lone_Star_Dem]

49. His name was Michael LaPointe

He lost the seat in the next election (2004) to Theresa "Huck" Two Bulls(D) by 5,629 to 2,535 votes. It was said she won on the Native American and womens votes, however I believe that LaPointe was also a Native American. One of his first actions once in office was to vote for a bill that required ID to vote or get an absentee ballot. This bill was widely disliked among the American Indian voters in SD at the time.

Sounds as if he put in someone who the people didn't like without regard for how they would feel.

[CreekDog]

50. Senate organizing procedure question

While they can't force Johnson to resign, isn't the issue how the Senate organizes itself at the beginning of the next congress?

Does the organization happen with unanimous consent and they go forward based on the party breakdown 51-49 or does it require a vote? If it requires a vote, that's where I'm worried, because Johnson might not be able to vote. With a normal majority, having one less vote is no big deal, but if we only have 50 votes to organize, this would be a problem for us.

So, if there are any Robert Byrd's out there with knowledge of Senate proecedures in organizing after a new congress, I'm all ears.

[Judi Lynn]

53. Thanks for the information. Sounds as if the Gov. was completely political about it,

the old "me first" Republican way.

It's doubtful he should be trusted this time, either, if it comes up, to observe the people's choice and appoint another Democrat to the position held by a Democrat.

[CompassionateLib]

57. Jefferds?

Doesn't this make you feel oogie? I personally had no objection to Jefferds joining the Democratic party a couple years ago and shifting control from Republican to Democrat despite the Vermont voters electing him as a Republican. Now criticizing the reverse for me is like kissing my sister. This is our process and it's the nature right now of such a divided country. One Senator can and has changed control. Governors frequently appoint replacements and it happens both ways. I have never heard of a Democratic Governor appointing a Republican because it was a Republican who is being replaced.

It doesn't matter anyway, there are plenty of real issues to focus on like Bush's mess in Iraq and the hypocritical, moralistic Republicans who lecture us about freedom from government, yet want government to tell us when we can die (ala Terry Scheivo), what we can put in our bodies, who we can have sex with, how we can have sex, that women must carry babies in their bodies and a list of other big government intrusion in our lives. A larger majority ends the issue of one Senator jeopardizing control.

Let's focus on those, rather than positions we ourselves do not follow when the shoe is on our foot. Hopefully Mr. Johnson will fully recover and the question will be moot anyway.

[spooky3]

62. Jeffords became an independent, not a Democrat.

[demo_not_full]

51. bump

bump

[DUHandle]

52. I wonder how many good Republicans

are praying for his death.

[John_F_Kerry_4_Ever]

60. Not as many Democrats.....

that are worrying about his death.

Think positive thoughts here. He's in George Washington University Hospital undergoing the very best care at taxpayer's expense.

It's not like he was in a VA Hospital or in Canada with Universal Healthcare. He's a United States Senator for God's sake. He doesn't have to worry about piss poor healthcare like ordinary Americans. He's an elite, like Ted Kennedy, he'll be just fine.

Now stop your worrying and thinking evil thoughts.

[lovuian]

54. There are No coincidences

and Everything is connected

[slackmaster]

58. Make sure that hat is properly grounded

Otherwise it won't do any good.

[John_F_Kerry_4_Ever]

61. Alzheimers disease....

has large concentrations of aluminum showing up in the brain tissue. Do we expose ourselves to this when we don our "tin-foil" hats?

Should we work together in developing a safer alternative or can we just continue to blame it all on the Republicans?

[cyr330]

55. Critical but Stable

I've worked in about every area that exists in healthcare. Most of the time, patients who've undergone brain surgery are routinely classified as "critical" during their immediate post-op period. The same could be said for patients undergoing routine cardiac bypass surgery; they are classified as "critical" during the hours immediately following surgery. The fact that Senator Johnson is holding his wife's hand is a very good sign. It would indicate that he knows who she is and that he's awake enough to be aware. Given that other senators have been out for extended periods of time, I can't imagine that Senator Johnson couldn't do the same and take time to recuperate before returning to the Senate. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Bridget Burke]

56. There's very little "minor" brain surgery....

Even when things went well, it takes some time--& excellent medical care--to recover.

I agree that there's reason to hope.

[Name removed]

59. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Doctor_J]

63. This is probably why Smirky is going ahead with the same

plan he had before Nov 7. When Johnson dies, and the Sneate returns to GOP hands, we can expect more of the same as we've have for the last 6 years, with nothing to stop him

[spotbird]

65. If Johnson recovers

Lieberman will come through for Bush. Bush has no worries.

[diamidue]

66. We've still got the House.

And who knows what Republican Senators could suddenly develop life-threatening illness or even die...or better yet, end up resigning after their exploits are uncovered in the upcoming investigations. It will all work out.