ONTARIO - After postponing her return to Sacramento after a three-month illness, Assemblywoman Nell Soto said she feels well and plansto be back in the Legislature next week.
The Ontario Democrat, who turns 81 on Monday, has been recoveringfrom a months-long battle with pneumonia. She planned to return toSacramento this week but changed her plans in order to see herdoctor.
She also opted to stay home a few days longer after realizingactivities in Sacramento were slowing down and ramping up again nextweek, she said Thursday.
Soto said her constituents shouldn't be concerned about herhealth.
'I feel fine and I'm doing very well. I don't feel the least bithealth-threatened,' she said.
The assemblywoman has been away from Sacramento and her districtoffice since March 8.
At the third annual Cesar Chavez Day Breakfast in Pomona on March30, she looked somewhat tired and her voice was weak. On Thursday,Soto appeared far better, her voice having regained its customarystrength.
Thursday was also the first time Soto had been in her Ontariodistrict office since taking time to recover, she said.
She said she managed to fight off a cold she feared could turninto another case of pneumonia.
Relapse has been a concern for her. In the course of her illness,she relapsed and was again diagnosed with the same condition, shesaid.
'I didn't let myself get well,' Soto said.
Soto is making monthly visits to her doctor and has permission toreturn to her activities in Sacramento.
'He told me not to go back until I feel really well,' she said.
The assemblywoman said her doctor urged her to try to rest beforeresuming her activities and asked her not to abuse her health.
'I have a habit of thinking nobody can do it but me,' she said,referring to her work.
Soto said she expects to be back in Sacramento on Monday inpreparation for the resumption of activity on the Assembly floorThursday.
The state budget is expected to come up on the Assembly's schedulethe following week. But before that, she'll be reviewing the budgetand making sure her projects are included, Soto said.
While she's been recovering in her Pomona home her children havebeen keeping an eye on her, she said. Two of her children call orvisit regularly, and one son lives at home.
A health-care worker has also been visiting her at home checkingher blood pressure and other vital signs, which appear to be in goodshape, Soto said.
Asked why her staff didn't make an announcement about her illness,Soto turned to Chief of Staff Paul Van Dyke, who said that hasalready been explained.
Soto's staff did not make an announcement about her illness untilthey began receiving media calls. Last week Van Dyke said noannouncement was made because at different points in time when thestaff was preparing to do so, it appeared she would be able to returnto her duties. He also said although pneumonia is a serious problem,with proper treatment a person can make a full recovery.
Medical experts said Friday pneumonia in people older than 65 canbe difficult, if not deadly.
Some reasons are linked to changes in the immune system, said Dr.Brandon Koretz, assistant clinical professor of geriatric medicine atUCLA's medical school.
As people age, 'some of the body's defenses may be less capable offighting pneumonia,' he said.
Other medical problems and taking certain types of medication canalso contribute to aggravating an already difficult problem, Koretzsaid.
Another factor that affects older adults is that as people agesome lung capacity is lost, said Dr. Zab Mosenifar, pulmonarydepartment chairman and director of the Women's Guild PulmonaryDisease Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Patients with a history of smoking or who have been around smokershave extra obstacles to overcome, Mosenifar said.
Doctors agree treating the conditions as quickly as possible isimportant, but an obstacle to treatment is that elderly patients maynot have visible symptoms of pneumonia.
'Young immune systems are very aggressive - they have fever,cough' and other symptoms, Mosenifar said.
Sometimes an older patient will only feel tired, complain of notbeing able to sleep or of loss of appetite, Koretz said. Unless aphysician does a thorough examination and runs tests, the conditionmay go unnoticed, Koretz said. Memory problems can also prevent quickand accurate diagnosis.
Full recovery can take weeks if not months, doctors said. Forevery one day of bed rest, a patient may require a week of recoverytime.
While she has been recovering, Soto said she has been keeping aneye on what has been going on in Sacramento and the bills sheauthored. She even made calls lobbying in her bills' favor.
Van Dyke said while the assemblywoman was gone, her staff has beenmaking sure her bills were still moving through the legislativeprocess with the help of Assembly members such as Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara; Joe Coto, D-San Jose; Bill Emmerson, R-RanchoCucamonga; and Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto.
Twelve of Soto's bills moved to the Senate, including proposedlegislation offering financial assistance to schools with strongparent-teacher involvement, providing funds to communities to helppay for sidewalks used by children on their way to school, and fosterfamily home licensing, Van Dyke said.
'They are all bills that make sense,' Soto said.
Another bill, AB301, which calls for creating a state gang-prevention coordinator in the state Department of Justice hasn'tmoved that far.
Instead, a similar version by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu ez, D-Los Angeles, has gone to the Senate.
Soto, a sixth-generation Pomonan, is the second oldest member ofthe Assembly. The oldest is Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, who is morethan a month older than Soto, Van Dyke said.
Soto has no plans to leave politics any time soon and intends tocomplete her current two-year term and run for another.
In the short term, Soto said she and several members of her familyleft Friday for the Central Coast this weekend to attend today'sgraduation of a grandchild at UC Santa Cruz.
Staff writer Monica Rodriguez can be reached by e-mail atm_rodriguez@dailybulletin.com, or by phone at (909) 483-9336.
