Why is there such a news blackout on Senator Tim Johnson's medical condition?

I have begun to get concerned that Senator Tim Johnson's health might be worse than believed simply because his doctors have been so silent on the topic. It is surely understandable that the family wants to have its privacy and I am sure that reporters' questions if directed at the family would be extremely stressful. It would also not be fun to have your loved one's health discussed in the media. But is the lack of information because of these concerns or is it because things are worse than we fear. The speculation is occurring anyway, and Johnson, a reportedly very nice and decent of a guy, is a US Senator. In any case, I got an email from someone who writes me regularly. Here is what concerns me:

Since I have worked in a neurosurgeon's office and have had relatives who had strokes, I sincerely doubted the newsmedia's stories about TJ. This afternoon I called a widowed friend in South Dakota whose late husband was a physician. She said the doctors of her acquaintance said that Johnson's condition is critical and they do not know whether or not he will survive. If he does, he faces a long and painful recovery and may never be the same.

Regards,

Christine M. Ross

I sincerely hope that this isn't true. Presumably South Dakota's medical community, especially among specialists such as this, is a small tightly knit group, but it is possible that Ross's friend is exaggerating her inside information. In any case, thanks to Christine for letting me post this.