Kennedy in Florida to work, recuperate from seizure

Senator Edward M. Kennedy is resting and working in Florida, his office said yesterday, since a seizure at a postinaugural luncheon in Washington last week.

The office said that Kennedy, who spent inauguration night in a Washington hospital for what a doctor called a seizure caused by simple fatigue, is combining work with rest in Florida, where he previously spent time recuperating from brain cancer treatment.

"The senator has returned to Florida where he's balancing his work with his treatment plan and getting some much needed rest," a spokeswoman said in a statement. Doctors urged the 76-year-old lawmaker to get some rest after the collapse during a luncheon to honor President Obama and Vice President Biden. Kennedy, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last May, also had a seizure and was hospitalized in September.

Such seizures are common for brain cancer patients, and doctors say they don't necessarily indicate a worsening condition. There is no date for Kennedy's return to the Capitol. He has been closely involved with the Obama administration in shaping a major overhaul of the nation's healthcare system.