Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. going through a walking exercise at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago following a stroke he suffered in January 2012. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Sen. Mark Kirk's office)
Nearly a year after suffering a major stroke, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) (second from left) waves as he marks his return to the Senate by walking up the steps to the Senate door Jan. 3, 2013, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Kayla Stiver before shaving her head to celebrate her 18th birthday by participating in the St. Baldrick's fundraiser, on Saturday, February 2, 2012, in Waukegan, IL. | Chandler West~For Sun-Times Media
A year of excruciating post-stroke physical therapy separates Sen. Mark Kirk from last year’s Super Bowl, which he spent inside a hospital, and this year’s Super Bowl, which he watched Sunday from the comfort of his Washington, D.C., home. Kirk, 53, detailed the painful and …
