Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84, revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health.

McConnell’s Statement

McConnell said in a statement that he was ‘briefly unconscious’ around the time he was first taken to the hospital and has undergone a battery of tests to try and determine what led to his fall. He said he was also treated for mild pneumonia and has been moved to a rehabilitation facility.

McConnell explained the four-week silence about his condition by saying that ‘folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.’ He added that he will continue to work with his staff on Senate business and is determined to finish out his term.

Health History

McConnell had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs. The physician’s office in Congress said McConnell has ‘experienced several falls through the year’ due to his ‘post-polio condition.’

A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the Republican leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both majority and minority leader during that period.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.