Sen. Mitch McConnell says he was hospitalized due to a fall last month
Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has been in the hospital since June 11 with an undisclosed medical diagnosis, said in a statement Sunday that he suffered a fall last month that left him briefly unconscious and landed him in the hospital.
The lawmaker said he also had to deal with a "mild case of pneumonia."
“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. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia," McConnell said in the statement.
McConnell's office has provided few details about what landed the senator in the hospital last month, despite a growing demand from many, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
In the statement, a letter from McConnell to his fellow Kentuckians, he said he hesitated to be more public about what happened to him.
"You all know how 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," McConnell said in his note.
“But at the same time, I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities. Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital," he said.
The senator said he has been making progress and was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility, but he will not be returning to the Senate yet.
"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. I’ve been working closely with my legislative staff on current issues, and with my Kentucky team who help me provide timely constituent services across our Commonwealth. I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between," McConnell said.
McConnell said he intends to finish his term, which expires in January. The seven-term Senator has already said he does not intend to seek re-election in January.
The release from McConnell's office also includes a note from the Office of the Attending Physician noting that McConnell has suffered a number of falls in recent years related to his post-polio condition. The senator has been quite public about his childhood battle with polio.
"A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. Early in his hospitalization, he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment," the office of the attending physician's statement reads.
"The remainder of his hospital stay focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls. He has been medically cleared to continue fully participating in his intensive physical therapy program," the statement added.
