California IN BRIEF : LA JOLLA : Mother Teresa Starts Physical Therapy

Mother Teresa, ill with pneumonia that led to a brief episode of congestive heart failure, began her first day of physical therapy Monday, said doctors at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. The 81-year-old Roman Catholic nun, known for caring for the world’s poor, was listed in fair condition as her heart remained stable and her pneumonia continued to improve. Doctors say she will not be out of the hospital for another week. Physicians Paul Teirstein and Patricia Aubane said Sunday that Mother Teresa’s condition had improved noticeably, giving them hope of moving her out of the intensive care unit by midweek. She was admitted to the hospital Dec. 26 for treatment of bacterial pneumonia. She later suffered chest pain, and doctors said the pneumonia triggered a brief congestive heart failure, for which they performed an angioplasty.