Ophelia Ford is in the hospital again

From WSMV:

State Sen. Ophelia Ford is back in a Memphis hospital this morning.

According to Channel 4's sister station, WMC, the Memphis democrat has missed the entire special legislative session on Capitol Hill. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says Ford missed the first week with flu-like symptons, and that she's spent the last two or three days in the hospital.

According to Ramsey, Ford's lack of attendance had little impact on key votes because none of them were close.

Ford's 2010 attendance record is a familiar pattern. Two years ago, she missed most of the legislative session because of a bleeding ulcer.

You might recall that she was hospitalized only a little bit ago, and was also encouraged by her family to enter rehab. From a 2007 story in the Commercial Appeal:

Ophelia Ford has drawn attention to her behavior by missing multiple Senate sessions, blaming her absences on chronic anemia. She raised eyebrows on May 14 in a legislative committee meeting with an tirade against the state Department of Children's Services commissioner and three other state officials.

A day later, she reportedly fell off a bar stool in the concierge lounge at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel, sending her to an overnight stay in the hospital. A worker at the hotel told ambulance dispatchers that the guest, reportedly Ford, was "extremely intoxicated," according to the recording of the 911 emergency call.