Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) released his second video since his stroke in January, updating his constituency on the progress of his recovery. The video shows the Senator walking on a treadmill and up stairs. It also shows him as an outpatient now at his home, sipping coffee, and staying up-to-date on Senate business. Sen. Kirk says he is working with fellow Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin to replace U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
“I wanted to make sure we could update the people of Illinois on my progress against this stroke,” Kirk said in the video. “The progress I have made has been very encouraging, learning to walk again and improving my speaking skills.”
Background from the AP:
The senator suffered a major stroke on Jan. 21 and underwent emergency surgery that included the temporary removal of a 4-by-8-inch piece of his skull to allow for swelling. Surgeons also removed two small pieces of brain tissue destroyed by the stroke.
Doctors have said the stroke was expected to limit movement on his left side and perhaps in his facial muscles, though they expected him to make a full mental recovery.
The video footage released Sunday largely shows movement only of Kirk’s right hand: making a phone call, sipping coffee, using a rail along stairs and gesturing. His left side, mainly his shoulder, appears to droop lower than the right.
Watch:
