Dr. says Kirk has made “full cognitive recovery”
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk on Wednesday released a letter from the physician that led the medical treatment of his stroke declaring that the senator has made a “full cognitive recovery” while still dealing with some physical limitations.
“He is unlikely to regain further range of motion on his left side, but he continues to undergo regular exercise and physical therapy to maintain his strength,” stated Dr. Richard Fessler of Rush University Medical Center, who called Kirk otherwise “a healthy 56-year-old male.”
“His speech is occasionally halting but has vastly improved. The stroke did not affect the left side of his brain, which controls cognitive and verbal functions,” Fessler continued.
Kirk suffered a severe stroke in January 2012, returning to the Senate after a near year-long absence for recovery and rehabilitation. He often uses a wheelchair and occasionally uses a cane. Fessler wrote that Kirk has “no increased risk” of suffering another stroke.
* Sun-Times…
Politically, Kirk’s campaign believes the big question voters have is about the mental state of Kirk, who turns 57 on Thursday, and what the lingering fallout of the stroke is on his judgment, if any.
Some of Kirk’s controversial remarks — such as calling his colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a “bro with no ho” in 2015 — have fueled speculation about Kirk’s mental status.
Kirk’s stroke did not impact “the left side of his brain, which controls cognitive and verbal functions,” Fessler wrote, concluding Kirk “has made a full cognitive recovery.”
The Fessler letter omits basic information yielded in routine physical exams — what medications Kirk takes, the results of basic lab tests, his blood pressure, electrocardiogram results.
Discuss.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:07 pm:
Like all of us, Kirk occasionally gets Footinmouthitus.
- Chicago_Downstater - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:10 pm:
Meh, Kirk’s mouth was known to get him into hot water before the stroke, so I don’t think his lack of judgment is related to the stroke. Anyone remember the “Pentagonese” inflation of his war record in 2010?
- Ghost - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
meh this was a non-issue for me…. I like the kirk duckworth race because i do not fear the outcome regardless of who wins. they both have strs and weaknesses; and their viewpoints at the core are not that hugely different.
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
One thing I don’t understand is why the doctor would use the term “full cognitive recovery” if the stroke didn’t impact that part of his brain. Also, “full cognitive recovery” could mean he’s recovered as much function as he’s going to; not necessarily that he’s functioning cognitively as he had been pre-stroke.
- Name Here - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:13 pm:
This means he really meant it when he called our nation’s first black president the “Drug-Dealer in Chief.”
- Anon - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:16 pm:
Saw him speak at an event ~1 year ago. It was messy. That’s not meant to be insulting to him or stroke victims, it simply was how I perceived it.
Unfortunately I never had the chance to see him speak prior, but I would love to see him again in case things have changed.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
Still won’t vote for him no matter how full of a recovery he has made from his stroke. He has had too much trouble with his mouth to get my vote.
- Publius - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:27 pm:
That hurts his campaign because now there is no excuse for his blunders I think people were willing to forgive some of his crazy statements as side effects.
- Jocko - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:31 pm:
Full cognitive recovery implies that he’s the same man he was “pre-stroke” which is a stretch. If Kirk was under 25 when it happened, I’d say “Maybe!”
As others have stated, the “pre-stroke” Kirk would have his work cut out for him against Duckworth.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
I’m like Ghost a little bit. I like them both - a little bit.
But there is a risk for Kirk here, by making this statement. He now owns fully 100% all of stupid stuff he says. And there is a lot of it.
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:40 pm:
Absent a recovery that extended to a discovery of new cognitive abilities, Mr. Kirk remains a poor choice for the Senate.
I wish Ms. Duckworth would have (or begins to) put on a stronger showing.
- Mama Retired - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:44 pm:
Kirk’s full cognitive recovery is very hard to believe.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
Kirk should go to The Donald’s doc.
- Be Careful Out There - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:03 pm:
Easy, Jocko and Mama, many of us who’ve survived strokes would confess to early cognotive fuzziness that goes away as the brain heals. “Full cognotive recovery” from a serious brain injury is a wonderful blessing. Think what you will of Candidate Kirk. But if a stroke doctor of this stature puts his medical conclusions in writing, that may be worth more than anonymous conjecture here. The luckiest stroke patients can make improvement for five or so years, and often can learn coping skills for what doesn’t improve.
Please, for the sake of many people around you, don’t shoot from the lip about stroke recovery if you haven’t experienced its gifts. Thanks for listening.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:03 pm:
==The Fessler letter omits basic information yielded in routine physical exams==
So this is all just a smoke and mirrors game?
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:10 pm:
This is good news for the Senator. It also means his disability can’t be used as an excuse for his verbal blunders.
- Springfieldish - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:14 pm:
A questionable tactic to release this letter. Yes, the implication is that Kirk owns the goofy and offensive things that he has said, and that his being “unhinged” is his inherent inability to bite his tongue before he tells us what’s really on his mind as opposed to what his handlers want him to say.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:28 pm:
The following incidents predate Mark Kirk’s stroke:
Mark Kirk’s judgment problems clearly predate his 2012 stroke.
– MrJM
- pundent - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 4:40 pm:
So how does Kirk’s doctor explain this:
After Sen. Kirk addressed the Naperville Chamber of Commerce, media members were asked to leave the room during the question and answer session. Later, Kirk explained the stroke he survived in 2012 makes question and answer sessions difficult.
“That’s just a Kirk thing. I’ll take the hit for that. Ok,” Kirk said.
- Albany Park Patriot - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 5:26 pm:
Calling President Obama the drug dealer in chief was no accident. He knew exactly what he was doing.
- sal-says - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 6:31 pm:
== “full cognitive recovery” ==
And THAT means exactly what?
His usual far out, off the wall comments are ‘natural’?
Not a great improvement.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 6:34 pm:
When Hintz, and then Gidwitz, were down on Kirk and trying to push him out over his stroke, I put the wood to them. They were way out of line.
And let’s also remember, Sen. Durbin made us all proud by with his common decency.
There aint a lot of heavy lifting in the U.S. Senate. Kirk’s crazy mouth pre-dates his stroke.
- Springfieldish - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 6:52 pm:
There aint a lot of heavy lifting in the U.S. Senate, since 2014. There, I fixed it for you.
- walker - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 9:00 pm:
Used to be dozens of pages of medical records were simply released by candidates. Now we have letters carefully limited (and possibly edited or directed) by campaign staff. Sign of the times, I guess.
- Ron - Wednesday, Sep 14, 16 @ 10:49 pm:
Or not even letters walker, the orange fool is a disaster for America.
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 8:47 am:
This leaves open when Kirk made a full recovery and how long Kirk was serving as a U.S. Senator with the cognitive impairment and which votes he took during that time frame.
It doesn’t really put the issue to rest.
- Jocko - Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 9:16 am:
The doctor also mentioned having contributed $16,000 to Kirk’s campaigns over the years. No bias there.
- Harvest76 - Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 10:22 am:
If you have to enlist the help of a medical professional in convincing the electorate that you aren’t saying things because you are mentally impaired, maybe it’s time to reconsider your tack.
- Keyrock - Thursday, Sep 15, 16 @ 8:47 pm:
“Full cognitive recovery” is deliberately ambiguous. A stroke can also disinhibit a victim’s emotional regulation, or affect his executive function. Those problems could exist despite a “full cognitive recovery” of intellectual functions.