Sen. Feinstein’s health complications from shingles more severe than disclosed

 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 89, returned to Washington last week after having suffered more severe health complications from her shingles diagnosis than were previously disclosed.

Feinstein’s shingles triggered encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, as well as Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which causes facial paralysis, according to Feinstein spokesman Adam Russell, who added that the senator has since recovered from the encephalitis complication. The additional health issues, stemming from the case of shingles that hospitalized the six-term senator in February, were first reported by the New York Times.

Feinstein returned to the Senate last week after facing pressure to resign from a few members of Congress and California progressive groups, who complained her months-long absence was slowing judicial confirmations and imperiling the Democratic agenda.

Feinstein returned in a wheelchair and was greeted outside the Capitol by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who later said that he planned “to move forward on many more judges” with her vote in the coming weeks.

Although her return has resolved Democrats’ math problem on close votes, her condition has raised concerns that she might not be up for the demands of the job.

The pathbreaking senator has withstood multiple rounds of calls for her resignation even before her recent illness, as unflattering anecdotes emerged about her memory lapses and her perceived cognitive decline, as well as her visible reliance on aides in public-facing aspects of her job.

This week, she sounded confused in responding to one group of reporters about her weeks-long absence, saying “I’ve been here” and that she hasn’t been gone, according to the LA Times.

Her aides said last week she would be working a “lighter” schedule as she continued to suffer some complications from the shingles, including vision and balance trouble, and she has missed a few votes since her return.

Feinstein on Thursday denied she had been diagnosed with encephalitis, characterizing it as a “really bad flu,” in a brief hallway interview with CNN.

Her office later clarified that Feinstein “misspoke” in the interview because her doctors had not used the term encephalitis with her during her treatment.

“When discussing the shingles complications with her doctors, they often spoke in broader terms when describing the complications, rather than always using medical terminology,” Russell said in a statement.

Feinstein is not running for reelection but has said she plans to serve out the remainder of her term. If she does step down, Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he would appoint a Black woman to her spot, which could scramble the California Senate race to replace her, dominated by Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter. Her allies and former aides say Feinstein never wavered in her desire to return to Washington and her disinterest in resigning in recent weeks.

“It’s a sad situation,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who supports Lee and has previously called on Feinstein to resign. “I wish people just would put politics aside and talk to her about stepping down. That is the morally right thing to do and the right thing for our nation.”

Feinstein’s allies have pushed back on calls for her to resign, with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), whose daughter has been spotted accompanying Feinstein since her return, suggesting they are sexist. The former House speaker backs Schiff in the Senate race.

“I’m back in Washington, voting and attending committee meetings while I recover from complications related to a shingles diagnosis,” the senator said in a statement. “I continue to work and get results for California.”

Republicans blocked a proposal to allow her to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee during her months-long absence, putting more pressure on Feinstein to return while a few judges languished in the committee.

Democrats celebrated Feinstein’s return last week, given her vote is often crucial to push through the priorities of their narrow majority in the Senate. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Judiciary Committee who has complained that her absence hamstrung his committee at a crucial time, expressed his “relief” on May 12 that she was back.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox in childhood but can hide out in people’s nerve cells and reactivate years later. Feinstein has received the shingles vaccine, her office said previously.