Fetterman says he thought depression treatment would end political career

What he's saying: "Well, when it got released where I was and where I was going, and it was a big story, and so I had assumed that that would be the end of my career," Fetterman said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

• "And, I don't know ... what kind of impact that would have on my family or anything, so I really didn't know how [or] what would happen at that point," Fetterman said.
• "I was desolate for the first couple weeks," he said.

Catch up quick: The first-term senator had been facing health challenges since his 2022 campaign.

• He had a stroke in May 2022 that required extensive rehab.
• Fetterman is now part of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, which began in October.

Go deeper: Fetterman returns to Senate after depression treatment