Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer, got eight weeks of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Speaker underwent surgery July 17 to remove a diseased portion of his right lung.
According to hospital doctors, even after the lung operation and antibiotic treatments, "there are still a few tuberculosis bacteria in his lungs" which can be cured by ongoing antibiotic therapy for two years. However, his TB is no longer detectable and isn't contagious.
"We expect him to return to a full and active life," the hospital said. Though Speaker was allowed to take a commercial flight home to Georgia, he took an air ambulance back to Georgia on Thursday after being discharged from a Denver hospital to avoid any undue public attention.
"I really appreciate the quality of care I have gotten from all the people at National Jewish," Speaker said. "Thanks to all they do, patients like me are able to walk out of here not only well, but better in so many ways."
Though Speaker is no longer under an isolation order but was instructed to check in with county health officials in Georgia. As a general rule with TB patients, a health worker is asked to keep a watch on Speaker to make sure he takes his drugs.
