Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman issued an update on his health a short while ago in response to criticism from Dems that his campaign wasn’t sharing enough information after he suffered a stroke last month:
New: John Fetterman had a previously undisclosed heart condition, which is why doctors implanted a pacemaker with a defibrillator into his heart last month. Story to come.
— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) June 3, 2022
According to a letter released by his cardiologist, Fetterman was diagnosed with “atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, along with decreased heart pump” in 2017. He also currently suffers from cardiomyopathy:
Fetterman released a letter from his physician that said he was diagnosed with "a decreased heart pump" in 2017.
In a follow-up yesterday, his doctor told him that while A-fib caused his stroke, he also has cardiomyopathy, which is why he got the device. https://t.co/rdqLEI2A40
— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) June 3, 2022
Note the line in the letter, “John did not go to any doctor for 5 years and did not continue taking his medications”:
Here is the full letter from Fetterman’s cardiologist. pic.twitter.com/jLPPKwIeto
— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) June 3, 2022
“I almost died,” he admitted:
"I almost died," @JohnFetterman says in new statement about his health. Fetterman says his stroke "didn't come out of nowhere" and that he avoided going to doctor, even though he didn't feel well. LG Fetterman also says his cardiologist says if he had continued taking blood …
— Lauren Mayk (@Laurenjmayk) June 3, 2022
And we still don’t know when he’ll be able to return to the campaign trail:
… thinners, he would not have had the stroke. Fetterman also saying "I need a little more time" before getting back on campaign trail.
— Lauren Mayk (@Laurenjmayk) June 3, 2022
But he *is* making fundraising videos:
So Republicans just spent $2.3 MILLION in ads against me + our campaign. The first big General Election attack against yours truly.
You’ve really had my back the past few weeks. I need your support again.
Can you rush a $10 donation to help fight back?https://t.co/TLuykZT7l3 pic.twitter.com/rpKbkEcAYY
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) June 3, 2022
And here’s the text of the letter from his cardiologist:
Statement from John Fetterman’s cardiologist, Dr. Ramesh Chandra of Alliance
Cardiology:I saw John Fetterman in my office on Thursday, June 2- as a follow up to assess
his condition following his stroke on May 13th.I first saw John in 2017 at UPMC East. He was experiencing swelling in his feet
and came to get it checked out. That is when I diagnosed him with atrial
fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, along with a decreased heart pump.I had prescribed medications along with improved diet and exercise and asked
him to follow up again in the following months. Instead, I did not see him again
until yesterday. John did not go to any doctor for 5 years and did not continue
taking his medications.John is well compensated and stable. He now has a pacemaker – defibrillator.
From what I and John’s doctors in Lancaster have observed, the device is
working perfectly and he is doing well.Yesterday I talked to John about how, while afib was the cause of his stroke, he
also has a condition called cardiomyopathy, which is why doctors in Lancaster
chose to implant the device.The prognosis I can give for John’s heart is this: if he takes his medications, eats
healthy, and exercises, he’ll be fine. If he does what I’ve told him, and I do
believe that he is taking his recovery and his health very seriously this time, he
should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem.
I will see John again in 6 months for a follow up appointment to monitor his progress.
***
