Wednesday, February 02, 2022Ben Ray Stroke Shocker: Event Followed By Brain Surgery; Now Recovering But How Long Out Of Pocket? DC Supreme Court Battle Eyed In Absence, Plus: Congress And Statewide Candidates File For June Primary; You Are Now Entering Monster Blog Territory
That's the main question for the state and nation as the US Senate is in one of those rare times where it is equally divided among the Dems and R's. Lujan could be sorely missed if his medical condition keeps the Dem lawmaker away from the Capitol for an extended period. The timeline is unknowable but the seriousness of the event conceivably means it could be weeks or months before he is able to resume his senatorial duties. Lujan's office said there is no timeline for his release but report he did not suffer paralysis or speech loss. National media immediately went to the consequences of a vote on Biden's US Supreme Court nominee. All 50 Dems plus the vice-president breaking any tie could be needed to get the nominee through. The president says he will name a nominee by the end of this month. The average time before the full Senate vote comes after the nomination is 67 days (less than 50 days in modern times). Lujan's office says he suffered the stroke early Thursday morning in Santa Fe and checked himself into Christus St. Vincent Hospital. From there he was transported to ABQ's UNMH where he underwent surgery to reduce swelling on his brain. Full Lujan office statement here. The news of the stroke was not released until Tuesday afternoon, five days later. Why the delay? The Senator's office is not saying. That’s not a good look and is curious. Lujan's office does say they expect him to have a "full recovery." But that statement was not accompanied by any comment from the physicians caring for New Mexico's's junior senator who will turn 50 in June. However, one expert said strokes like the one Lujan suffered are generally accompanied by solid recoveries: The chief of the vascular neurology and stroke program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Pierre Fayad, said patients generally recover well from strokes in the cerebellum.
Barring complications such as infection or bleeding, Fayad said recovery can take from a few weeks to a couple of months. There may be a need for acute rehabilitation to restore balance and brain functions, he said.
Hospitalization may last a week to 10 days, but Fayad said every case is different. He isn't part of Luján's treatment team.
"They could have some balance issues, but overall, damage to the cerebellum can be quite forgiving," Fayad said. The severity of the damage is affected by the size of the injury, the location, the kind of stroke and other factors. He said there can also be swallowing and vision problems and weakness in facial movement.
Will Lujan require time in a rehabilitation facility following his hospital stay, not an unusual occurrence for a stroke victim? We don't know. Such a stay could add considerable time to his recovery. WORST CASE SCENARIO
If he were to vacate the seat to which he was elected to a six year term in 2020 and which expires at the end of 2026, an appointment would be made by Dem Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. That appointee would stand for election this November to fill out the unexpired portion of Lujan's term. However, if the appointment occurred within 30 days of the November election, the appointee would not stand for election until 2024. A Governor has not appointed a US Senator since 1962 when GOP Gov. Ed Mechem resigned to be appointed by Lt. Governor Tom Bolack to the Senate seat that had become vacant upon the death of Dem Senator Dennis Chavez. Lujan became the first Hispanic US Senator in 45 years when he was elected in 2020. That fact would shadow any appointment. In the meantime, the state is unified in wishing Senator Lujan a successful and speedy recovery. THE MEDICAL SIDE Some medical background now: A cerebellar stroke happens when blood supply to the cerebellum is stopped. This part of the brain helps with body movement, eye movement, and balance. . . Medical care is needed right away. Cells in the brain die if they are without oxygen for more than a few minutes. This can be deadly. A cerebellar stroke is often caused by a blood clot that obstructs blood flow to the cerebellum. Blood clots can form in your blood vessels or travel from other parts of the body — such as the heart or the neck — until it becomes trapped in blood vessels leading to the cerebellum. The surgery Luján underwent is a decompressive craniectomy, which temporarily removes a piece of the skull to allow a swelling brain room to expand. The possible causes for such a stroke: History of transient ischemic attacks (TIA), Lack of physical activity, Smoking, Alcohol use disorder, Obesity or metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, High blood pressure, High cholesterol, Heart diseases or injury such as previous heart attack, atrial fibrillation or enlarged heart, Diseases of blood vessels such as carotid artery stenosis or atherosclerosis, Drug abuse from cocaine, amphetamines, or heroin use. Here's a short video clip of Lujan on January 19 in one of his last speeches on the Senate floor before returning to the state. FILING DAY WRAP  Governor: The field of GOP Guv candidates shrunk by two with five R's seeking the nomination. Weatherman Mark Ronchetti and State Rep. Rebecca Dow remain the top two. Financial advisor Greg Zanetti and Sandoval County commissioner Jay Block also filed. Anti-abortion candidate Ethel Maharg is the fifth hopeful. MLG was the only Dem to file. The race is lean or likely Dem, depending on events. Lt. Governor--Four GOP candidates field for the nomination. Former Land Commissioner Pat Lyons and APS School Board member Peggy Muller Aragon are the notables. Dem. Lt Gov. Howie Morales is the only Dem to file for the office. CONGRESS CD 2--In the closely watched re-election bid of southern GOP US Rep. Yvette Herrell, she was the only R to file. Former Las Cruces City Councilor Gabe Vasquez is the top Dem in the race, joined by political unknown Darshan Patel of ABQ. Vasquez supporters can breather easier. The race is ranked a toss-up because of the new district lines. CONGRESS CD 3--After much hype and consternation by the Dems, the race for the northern congressional district is somewhat of a bust. The new district takes in a lot of conservative territory but no big GOP name joined the race to unseat freshman Dem US Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez. The R's filing are Alexis Martinez Johnson, who lost to TLF two years ago, and Jerald McFall of Angel Fire who lost to Ben Ray Lujan in the northern race for Congress in 2018. This race now starts as likely Dem. CONGRESS 1--Dem US Rep. Melanie Stansbury, who won a special election for the ABQ seat last June, is heavily favored for re-election in November. She is unopposed for the nomination but she does have four R's running for their party's nomination, including Michelle Garcia Holmes who has run previously and Louie Sanchez, the salesman/investor who was going to run for Governor but who has now switched to Congress. This one is Safe Dem. There were no surprise filings. The R's did manage to field candidates for Treasurer, SOS, Attorney General, State Auditor, Land Commissioner and two Court of Appeals seats. All of those offices are currently held by Dems and ranked likely D for the November election. There you have it, except for this. In a first draft Tuesday we reported that the proposal to allow 16 year olds to vote in New Mexico would include state elections. The bill would allow them to vote in local elections. Where else you gonna get all this cool stuff? Nowhere. That's why. . . This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2022 |
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