After more than two weeks in a Houston hospital, former President George H.W. Bush has been released.
Bush, 92, was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on January 14 because he was having trouble breathing.
Some have speculated that the elder Bush was skipping President Donald Trump's inauguration because of his previous lack of support for the incoming Republican president, but Bush, who has been in increasingly fragile health in recent years, stated in a letter to Trump that his doctors told him, "If I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under."
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Bush was subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit after developing breathing problems because of a case of pneumonia. Doctors sedated him and performed a procedure to keep his airways open while he was in the ICU.
Spokesman Jim McGrath admitted that Bush's situation was a potentially dodgy one because of his age (he's the oldest living former president), but Bush has steadily recovered and was finally in good enough shape to go home, McGrath said Monday.
"[Bush] is thankful for the many prayers and kind messages he received during his stay, as well as the world-class care that both his doctors and nurses provided," McGrath stated.
Barbara Bush, married to the former president for 72 years, was also admitted to the hospital a few days after her husband because she was having trouble breathing and was diagnosed with bronchitis. She was discharged last week.