Sen. Sharon Runner goes home early after lung transplant
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State Sen. Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) left Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday, 10 days after receiving a double lung transplant.
Runner was diagnosed in 2008 with limited scleroderma, an autoimmune condition that damages healthy tissue, and several lung infections had kept her from attending legislative sessions since January while she waited for a transplant.
Her physicians said Runner should be able to return to work in the Legislature in late spring. ‘We are thrilled with Sharon’s rapid progress,’ Dr. David Ross, medical director of the hospital’s lung and heart-lung transplant program, said in a statement. ‘Her new lungs will enable her to resume normal activities and responsibilities soon.’
Runner, who is married to state Board of Equalization member George Runner, now faces daily visits with her doctors and therapists for rehabilitation.
“There are not enough words to express my gratitude to this group of surgeons, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals for their care and professionalism,’ Runner said in a statement. “As much as I am grateful for the care I’ve received, I am glad to be leaving,” she added.
Before she underwent surgery, Runner announced she would not seek reelection.
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-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento
