Rep. Jackson Jr. return date uncertain

CHICAGO, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The wife of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., said doctors are still searching for the right combination of medications to relieve the ailing congressman.

Chicago Alderwoman Sandi Jackson said at a dedication ceremony Thursday it remained uncertain when Jesse Jackson may return home or to work, the Chicago Tribune reported.

He took a medical leave June 10 and initially entered a treatment facility in Arizona. He has been in inpatient treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., since July 27.

"My hope is that he will come back," she said. "All of that is dependent on the doctors. I'm encouraged by what they've been saying to me thus far."

The Mayo Clinic issued a statement earlier in the month indicating the congressman had arrived for "extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues." Jackson lost 50 pounds after undergoing a duodenal switch weight loss surgery in 2005.

Doctors "are looking at that aspect of his illness," Sandi Jackson said. "They are still running tests."

She said she hoped her husband would return home around the start of September and said he still plans to campaign for re-election, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.