The Doctors caring for George and Barbara Bush finally gave a press conference regarding their health

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush speak before the first half of a college basketball regional final game between Gonzaga and Duke, in the NCAA Tournament Sunday, March 29, 2015, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

 

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HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara remain in the hospital, according to the latest update from their spokesperson.

On Sunday, Jim McGrath issued a statement on Twitter saying President Bush’s health is improving, and “he could be moved out of the ICU in the next day or two.”

Meanwhile, doctors gave the former first lady the option of being discharged, but she decided to stay at the hospital with her husband.

Bush, 92, was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital last Saturday for “shortness of breath,” McGrath said Wednesday. Bush’s chief of staff, Jean Becker, told KHOU on Wednesday that Bush was “doing fine,” and McGrath said he “has responded very well to treatments.”

Barbara Bush was admitted Wednesday to the same hospital “as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing,” McGrath said.

On Thursday, McGrath said Barbara Bush, who was diagnosed with bronchitis, was feeling “1,000 percent better.”

“Antibiotics and some good rest seem to have restored her to better health,” he said.

RELATED: Former President George H.W. Bush is stable after being hospitalized in Houston

The former president’s doctors addressed “an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” a statement released Wednesday by McGrath said. Doctors performed a procedure to clear his airway.

Bush has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or wheelchair to get around. Despite that, he marked his 90th birthday with a tandem parachute jump in Maine and last summer took the helm of a speedboat as part of a fishing trip with a group of 40 wounded warriors.

Bush was the youngest naval aviator when he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1943, spurred by the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He flew 58 combat missions during World War II, including one that required he be rescued by a submarine after his plane was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. For his bravery, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

It was while he was enlisted that he first met Barbara Bush, then a student at Smith College. The couple were married in Jan. 6, 1945, making theirs the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history.

RELATED: George W. Bush shared an encouraging update on his parents’ hospitalizations

The couple had six children: George W., Robin, John (known as Jeb), Neil, Marvin and Dorothy. Robin died as a child. George W. Bush served two terms as president from 2001 to 2009. Jeb Bush ran for the Republican nomination in the run-up to November’s election, but lost his bid to President-elect Donald Trump.

Following in the footsteps of his father, U.S. Sen. Prescott Bush (R-Connecticut), George H.W. Bush launched a career in politics in 1963 after settling with his family in Texas. He served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

In 1989, became the first sitting vice president to secure the presidency since 1837.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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