By AP
Chicago, IL – Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk has suffered a stroke.
The 52-year-old remains sedated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Sam Hudzik reports his neurosurgeon believes the senator has a very good shot at making a full mental recovery.
Northwestern neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Fessler says Kirk suffered a "dry stroke," in which sections of the right side of his brain were deprived of blood.
"Fortunately...will be intact and he should be able to do very well."
That recovery will take weeks or months, Fessler said.
Fessler says Kirk's prospects for a full mental recovery are very good, but "very difficult" for him to regain use of his left arm.
Doctors performed surgery on Kirk last night after he was "becoming less responsive" - removing a 4 inch by 8 inch section of his skull in order to relieve swelling.
Fessler says the senator originally checked in to Lake Forest Hospital on Saturday, complaining of dizziness and perhaps a headache.
He was transferred to Northwestern on Sunday.
A statement from Kirk's family says - quote - Mark has always shown great courage and resilience, and we are confident that the fighter in him will prevail.
Meanwhile, Illinois politicians are offering their support to Senator Kirk and his family.
Pat Brady is the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
"I'm just shocked and saddened and, uh, I wish Mark a - a speedy recovery as a young guy, energetic guy. I'm sure he's - he's gonna be back, uh - at full force."
Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin says he's offered to help with any of Kirk's senate duties while he recovers.
He says Kirk appeared to be a picture of health. Durbin says he wants Kirk to get well and get back to Washington as soon as possible.
A stroke expert in southern Illinois says time is of the essence when dealing with a stroke. Leslie Cranick is the Stroke Program Coordinator for Southern Illinois Healthcare. She says there is a three-hour window when it's ideal for getting a stroke victim to the nearest Primary Stroke Center, which for southern Illinois is Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. But even with a three-hour window, Cranick says every minute a stroke is untreated - the brain ages 3.6 years. Cranick says victims should call 911 immediately if they fear a stroke coming on. She says paramedics can begin treatments before arriving at the hospital. Kirk suffered an Ischemic stroke...which is the most common form. About 88-percent of all strokes are of the Ischemic form.
