Quick profile of Casey Cagle
Age: 43; born Jan. 12, 1966 in Hall County
Occupation: Lieutenant governor. Member of board of directors of Gainesville Bank & Trust. Owns various real estate investments. Former tuxedo rental store owner and weight-lifting instructor.
Personal: Wife Nita, three sons.
Education: Johnson High School graduate. Attended Georgia Southern University in 1984, where he was a redshirt football player but dropped out after repeatedly tearing his Achilles tendon. Attended Gainesville College, 1985-1986.
Political experience: Campaign manager for state House candidate James Mills in 1992. First elected to state Senate in 1994 at age 28, defeating an incumbent Democrat. Re-elected in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002. Elected lieutenant governor in 2006.
Religious affiliation: Blackshear Place Baptist Church, Flowery Branch
Although Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has announced that he will be withdrawing from the 2010 governor’s race due to a medical condition, he is expected to make a full recovery.
"I have experienced pain in my back and neck for years, but during this past legislative session, the pain worsened. At times my arm was numb and the pain would spread," said Cagle in a prepared statement.
Cagle’s condition has been treated with physical therapy and injections, but since those treatments have failed to alleviate his pain, surgery is the next step, he said Wednesday.
According to Cagle’s surgeon, who has asked to not be named, the lieutenant governor has "sustained significant nerve damage in his neck, which requires prompt surgical treatment. His prognosis for a full recovery is excellent, but this is a challenging surgery and one that will require time for rest and recovery."
Although Cagle’s specific condition has not been named, there are several surgical options for treating degenerative spinal conditions.
One option includes removing a portion of the spine that may be pressing on a nerve and then fusing the adjacent discs together. Another option includes removing the damaged spinal disc and replacing it with an artificial one.
Although actual incisions from such surgeries generally heal in a week or two, it can take several months for patients to recover from the procedures.
"While his activities will be limited temporarily, we expect (Cagle) to remain fully capable of performing the duties of his position for almost all of the treatment and recovery period," Cagle’s surgeon said in a prepared statement.
"If the surgery proceeds without complications and no further issues are revealed, he is expected to be back at full speed well in advance of the next legislative session."