Democratic U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman revealed Friday in a campaign statement that he was diagnosed with a heart condition in 2017 and didn’t follow up with a physician for years until he suffered a stroke in May.

Fetterman said the condition led to his stroke.

His campaign also released a letter from his doctor saying that he is recovering well from the stroke, and should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate if he continues to take medication and follow doctors’ orders.

Fetterman, also Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, announced his stroke days before earning his party’s nomination in the May 17 primary. He underwent a procedure on the day of the primary to place a pacemaker on his heart, and he and his campaign said he was recovering well from the stroke.

On Friday, he said through a campaign statement that he made a mistake and should have complied with doctor’s orders concerning his 2017 diagnosis instead of ignoring the issue.

“As my doctor said, I should have taken my health more seriously. The stroke I suffered on May 13 didn’t come out of nowhere,” Fetterman said. “Like so many others, and so many men in particular, I avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn’t feel well. As a result, I almost died. I want to encourage others to not make the same mistake.”

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According to a letter from Dr. Ramesh Chandra released by the campaign, Fetterman visited UPMC East in 2017 with swollen feet. Chandra diagnosed Fetterman then with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, and a decreased heart pump.

Chandra wrote that he prescribed Fetterman with medications and an improved diet and exercise, but he didn’t hear from or see Fetterman again until Thursday. He also wrote that Fetterman was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

“John did not go to any doctor for 5 years and did not continue taking his medications,” Chandra wrote.

Fetterman went through a well-documented diet and exercise regimen in the years following 2017, resulting in weight loss, but he admitted that he stopped taking blood thinners as prescribed.

“I didn’t follow up. I thought losing weight and exercising would be enough. Of course it wasn’t,” Fetterman said.

He went on to say that if he had taken the blood thinners, his cardiologist said he wouldn’t have suffered a stroke.

Chandra wrote in the letter that Fetterman is now compensated and stable and the pacemaker is working as it should. He added that if Fetterman continues to take his medication, eat healthy and exercises, he should recover well and “should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem.”

Fetterman said he is “not quite back to 100%” and will continue to rest before starting to campaign again.

“It’s frustrating – all the more so because this is my own fault – but bear with me. I need a little more time,” Fetterman said.

The race for who will face Fetterman in the General Election is still too close to call, with celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz leading former hedge fund CEO David McCormick by about 900 votes. A recount is currently underway.

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