Sen. John Fetterman shared a striking recovery photo on social media Saturday, displaying a stitched gash across his cheek just two days after a fall near his Pennsylvania home sent him to the hospital with a facial injury.

The Pennsylvania Democrat posted the close-up selfie on X, showing 20 stitches running along his cheek as he held an iced coffee. “Twenty stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home,” he wrote, expressing gratitude to doctors at UPMC for “putting me back together” and thanking supporters for their well-wishes.

According to Fetterman’s spokesperson, the senator was taking a morning walk near his home in Braddock on Thursday when he suddenly became light-headed, collapsed, and struck his face. Medical professionals later determined the fall was triggered by a flare-up of ventricular fibrillation—an irregular heart rhythm condition that can cause dizziness or sudden loss of balance.

Following the incident, Fetterman remained at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for observation and medication adjustments before being discharged. His office reported he is “doing well” and recuperating with his wife, Gisele, and their children.

True to his often self-deprecating humor, Fetterman had quipped in a statement released Thursday: “If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!”

The senator’s medical incident comes at a politically active time for him. In recent days, Fetterman broke ranks with most Democrats to vote with Republicans on measures to end the ongoing government shutdown, highlighting his independent streak within the party. His office has indicated he plans to return to Washington soon, concluding his Saturday post with: “See you back in D.C.”

This latest health episode has refocused attention on Fetterman’s medical history. The freshman senator suffered a severe stroke during his 2022 Senate campaign, which affected his speech and auditory processing. He later spent six weeks in treatment for clinical depression in early 2023, becoming one of the most high-profile elected officials to openly discuss mental health challenges.

Health transparency among lawmakers has become an increasingly significant issue in recent years. Several members of Congress from both parties have faced public health crises, raising questions about medical disclosure standards on Capitol Hill. Fetterman has positioned himself as an advocate for candor about health challenges, arguing that being open about recovery and setbacks can help normalize discussions about mental and physical well-being in public life.

The 54-year-old senator’s latest health scare underscores the ongoing medical challenges he faces while serving in office. Ventricular fibrillation—the condition doctors identified as causing his fall—is a serious cardiac arrhythmia where the heart’s lower chambers quiver ineffectively instead of pumping blood. The condition can be life-threatening if not properly managed.

Fetterman’s willingness to share his recovery photo so quickly after the incident aligns with his characteristically direct approach to public communication. Since entering the Senate, he has maintained an unusually transparent stance about his health struggles, sometimes using humor to address them.

The image of Fetterman with his facial stitches quickly spread across social media platforms on Saturday, drawing reactions ranging from sympathy to political commentary, once again putting his health in the national spotlight as he continues his work in the Senate.