U.S. Sen. John Fetterman is back home in Braddock after being released Friday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he had been receiving treatment for depression since Feb. 15.
“I am so happy to be home. I’m excited to be the father and husband I want to be, and the senator Pennsylvania deserves,” said Fetterman in a statement released by his office Friday evening.
Fetterman is expected to return to the Senate when it convenes April 17, the statement said. He had been under the care of Dr. David Williamson, Walter Reed’s Neuropsychiatry Chief and Medical Director.
The statement said he had been admitted with “severe symptoms of depression with low energy and motivation, minimal speech, poor sleep, slowed thinking, slowed movement, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, but no suicidal ideation.” In the roughly two months prior, he had stopped eating and taking fluids, according to the statement.
But while at Walter Reed, the statement said, his mood improved: “Sleep was restored, he ate well and hydrated, and he evidenced better mood, brighter affect and improved motivation, self-attitude, and engagement with others.”
Fetterman suffered a stroke during his campaign for Senate last year, and shortly before being admitted to Walter Reed had reported feeling light-headed. Doctors at Walter Reed also reviewed medical records but found no evidence that he had suffered an additional stroke. In general, they said, neurological testing “was stable compared to earlier assessments,” with no evidence of clots and improved echocardiogram test results.
Fetterman continues to suffer from auditory-processing difficulties — following spoken communication— as a result of his stroke. But doctors saw an improvement in that area as well, his office said.
He was fitted with hearing aids and worked with speech specialists, and “with improvement in his depression, improvement in the patient's speech abilities was noticeable,” the statement said. Further improvement is likely with continued treatment, it added.
Fetterman also got a good, if amateur, prognosis from fellow Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey earlier in the day.
“He’s doing really well,” Casey told reporters during a Friday stop in Pittsburgh, adding that he’d visited Fetterman at Walter Reed earlier this week.
“We had a really good reunion after not seeing each other for a couple of weeks,” he said.
Fetterman’s statement said he is committed to continuing treatment over the long term.
“I want everyone to know that depression is treatable, and treatment works,” Fetterman said. “ This isn’t about politics — right now, there are people who are suffering with depression in red counties and blue counties. If you need help, please get help.”
