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  Ailing Sen. Johnson returns to D.C. home
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ContributorThe Sunset Provision 
Last EditedThe Sunset Provision  Apr 30, 2007 12:00pm
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MediaWebsite - Yahoo News
News DateMonday, April 30, 2007 05:00:00 PM UTC0:0
DescriptionSen. Tim Johnson (news, bio, voting record) has returned to his residence outside Washington, more than four months after he suffered a brain hemorrhage, his office said Monday.

"It is wonderful to take this next step with family and friends," Johnson's office quoted the South Dakota Democrat as saying. "As I continue with my therapy, I also get more and more work from the office."

Johnson since February has been receiving treatment at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington. The attending physician at the hospital, Dr. Michael Yochelson, said Johnson continues to show significant progress, with gait training playing a more central role in his rehabilitation.

The statement described that as a form of robotic treadmill training where the weight is shared proportionately between the senator and the machine. It said the senator will bear a larger share of the weight as his therapy progresses. It is not uncommon for patients with his condition to see improvement for up to two years, the statement said.

Johnson was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, or AVM, a condition that causes the arteries and veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst.

The senator's spokeswoman, Julianne Fisher, said Johnson was still using a wheelchair but could walk with assistance. She said he might start using a motorized scooter soon. Use of his legs was limited both by the attack, which affected his right side, and the prolonged stay in bed.

She noted that Johnson was in a medically sedated condition for a month after the hemorrhage, and that his therapy did not begin until January. He is able to speak, she said, but continues to undergo speech therapy.

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