Politics
Jesse Jackson Jr., recovering expected back from medical break soon
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. addresses the audience at the Democratic National Convention 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, on August 25, 2008. PHOTO/Richards/AFP/Getty Images
U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who disappeared on a secretive medical leave two months ago, is expected back home within a matter of weeks, an aide said Thursday.
Jackson, 47, currently is being treated for depression and gastrointestinal issues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and has been away from the public eye since June 10 when family members said he collapsed at their Washington home.
Jackson aide Rick Bryant said he recently spoke with Jackson, who asked Bryant to reach out to mayors and get updates on projects in his district, which includes parts of Chicago and stretches south.
“He’s been in touch over the weeks. This was the most engaged he was,” Bryant told The Associated Press. “He seemed like his old self.”
Bryant said Jackson could emerge from leave in possibly three weeks, but it will be up to doctors.
Jackson’s office has released few details about the congressman’s health. At first his medical condition was described as exhaustion. Later, a statement from an unnamed doctor referred to it as a “mood disorder.”
It was only earlier this month that Jackson’s office said he was at Mayo and being treated for depression, after a transfer from the Sierra Tucson Treatment Center in Arizona.
