John Fetterman, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, will soon return to the campaign trail for the first time since having a stroke in May. His situation has spurred a discussion about the demands of working in today’s very politicized and divided arena with other MPs who have also had strokes.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told CBS News congressional reporter Scott MacFarlane, “We do have highly difficult jobs. “There are a million different directions we’re running in.”
Van Hollen reported having a “minor stroke” on May 15 while giving a speech. I remember feeling dizzy,” he recounted. “My ears were popping, and I experienced an ache in my neck.”
Later, medical professionals discovered bleeding in the brain and a rip in one of Van Hollen’s veins at the back of his skull. He was hospitalized and missed work due to the stroke, but he did not have surgery.
The lesson, in his opinion, is that everyone should take care of their health.
This year, New Mexico senator Ben Ray Luján also had a stroke. After having brain surgery, he missed many weeks of work.
He remembered, “I couldn’t say more than a few sentences before my doctor told me to go to the emergency department.
Luján has recovered and resumed work, and he now urges the public to put health first.
You must find a way to create time, he said, whether it is a little additional time in the morning or the afternoon or just a moment to yourself. “Schedule time to maintain your health.”
Van Hollen agreed and urged people to be mindful of the symptoms of a stroke, which include slurred speech, loss of balance, dizziness, and visual issues.
Don’t dismiss these weird sensations when you experience them, as we so often do, he said.