Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was released from a Jerusalem hospital on Tuesday morning less than 48 hours after suffering a mini-stroke caused by a blood clot on this brain.
The 77-year-old prime minister was all smiles as he greeted a group of reporters awaiting his arrival. 'Apparently, you've missed me,' he joked.
Sharon then thanked the Israeli people for their concern and well wishes while he was in the hospital.
'I was very touched by the reactions of Israeli citizens, touched by their concern. They worry about my health,' Sharon said. 'I have to get a move on and get back to work and move forward.'
Doctors said that Sharon is expected to make a full recovery. They dismissed reports that his condition was more serious than admitted.
'The prime minister never lost consciousness,' Tamir Ben Hur, head of neurology at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, said Monday. 'There was no slurring. He was not confused. He suffered from a certain difficulty in speaking. A small blood clot briefly blocked a blood vessel in his brain.'
'There's an excellent chance it won't repeat itself,' Ben Hur said. 'After a rest, he can return to full functioning.'
Sharon recently broke from the Likud Party which he helped found. He will run for re-election in March under the new, centrist Kadima Party which also features former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, a long time Sharon rival who is now his ally. Sharon is hopeful his health will not be a major issue in this upcoming campaign.
