U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., was hospitalized unexpectedly on Friday, per a press release by her communications director, Mackenzie Smith. According to the statement, Dingell had to undergo emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer.
The procedure was conducted at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Smith said the surgery went well and Dingell is recovering.
“The procedure was successful and she is recovering well. For the next few days she will be recovering at the hospital,” Smith said.
After having a jaw surgery last year, Dingell did not want to take opioids and decided to resort to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which could have been the cause of her hospitalization.
“Always a hard worker and clear communicator, she insisted on using her experience as a cautionary tale that NSAIDs can be harmful,” Smith said.
Chris Savage, chair of the Washtenaw County Demoractic Party, wished Dingell a speedy recovery in a statement on behalf of the organization’s executive board.
“It’s a reminder to all of us that even those, like Ms. Dingell, who work tirelessly day after day and who always seem to be the strongest person in the room are still human with all of the vulnerabilities we share as humans,” Savage wrote.
Before the hospitalization, Dingell had recently appeared at the Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn alongside U.S. President Joe Biden.
Summer Managing News Editor Christian Juliano can be reached at julianoc@umich.edu