State Rep. Jeanne Edwards, D-Bothell, returned to the House of Representatives March 13 after suffering an episode 11 days earlier related to her kidney dialysis.
Edwards said she experienced a side effect from the medication she takes to keep blood flowing in case of constriction of blood vessels in the brain, a symptom common to dialysis patients, she said.
“She bounced back really quickly,” said Adam Vogt, who does publicity for several Democratic legislators. “At first we were quite worried.”
Edwards, 74, has been on dialysis for several years. “I haven’t really had any side effects of this before,” she said.
Edwards said she felt lightheaded as her son was taking her to dialysis on March 2.
“What’s going on?” she remembers saying.
“My mind was just a blank.”
So Edwards went into a hospital where she wound up staying for about a week as a precaution, she said.
Sometimes she has trouble finding the right word in talking, she said, but other than that, “I’ve been fine ever since.”
Edwards, serving her third term representing the First District in the House, returned to fanfare from the House Democratic caucus.
“When I walked in there was a big hurrah,” she said. “Everyone stood up and cheered.”
Edwards was told not to feel like she let her party down because some Republicans made up for her absence by voting with the Democrats on several bills while she was gone.
“It’s very different this year, there’s quite a bit more working together,” she said.
As for her health, Edwards reiterated that she feels fine, that she feels just as she did before the episode.
“I’m hoping that’s the end of that,” she said.
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