Senator Tim Johnson Improving

Senator Tim Johnson continues to recover from his brain surgery; here's the story from Sarah Wheaton of The New York Times:

Senator Tim Johnson, the South Dakota Democrat who underwent emergency brain surgery in mid-December following a brain hemmorrhage, is making gradual improvement. His office announced today that his condition has been upgraded from “critical” to “stable.” Here’s what his office had to say in a press release:

“He is breathing independently and no longer requires the assistance of a ventilator,” said Vivek Deshmukh, M.D., neurosurgeon at the George Washington University Hospital.

A tracheotomy tube remains in his neck to guard his airway. It is anticipated that Senator Johnson will be moved from the intensive care unit to in-patient rehabilitation later this week.

Let's hope he can return to the Senate in a few weeks, though I suspect it may be months before he fully recovers.