TLS, one page, 6 x 5.75, personal United States Senate, Office of the Democratic Leader letterhead, January 27, 1955. Letter to a well-wisher following his recent hospital stay, in full: "Thank you for remembering me in prayer. My faith in God's hearing and answering the prayers of His people is assuring at all times, but more especially in a time of illness. I feel better each day and hope to be back at my work before long. Again, thank you for your thoughtfulness of me." Upper right corner bears an affixed newspaper clipping mentioning LBJ's trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for an examination of a kidney stone ailment. In very good to fine condition, with trimmed edges, and clipping-related toning touching the signature. Accompanied by a modern glossy photo of Johnson.



During his 1948 race for the Senate, Johnson was suffering from a kidney stone and kidney colic. Doctors told him that an operation to remove the stone was imperative, but Johnson refused to agree to one because the lengthy recovery time would end his hopes of winning the campaign. An alternative endoscopic stone removal was performed, and Johnson had a prompt recovery. The ailment persisted into his presidency, and on November 8, 1965, Johnson underwent surgery at the Bethesda Naval Hospital to remove his gallbladder and a kidney stone. More dire, however, was Johnson's heart condition. A 60-cigarette-per-day smoker, Johnson suffered a near-fatal heart attack on July 2, 1955, at the age of 46. He abruptly gave up smoking as a result and, with only a couple of exceptions, did not resume the habit until after he left the White House on January 20, 1969.