TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican state senator from Kansas has fractured vertebrae while vacationing in Colorado.

73-year-old Ed Berger, of Hutchinson, is recuperating at a Denver-area hospital after falling down steps on July 4 at an Airbnb unit west of Winter Park.

He said Tuesday in a phone interview that surgery went well and that he is undergoing physical therapy with family by his side. He is in a brace and using a walker but expects to walk unaided.

He says he hopes to return to Hutchinson early next week. He anticipates that his recovery will take about six weeks. He says his fellow lawmakers have been “very nice” and “very supportive.”