Robin Williams and Joan Rivers

Good news for Joan Rivers fans: the 81-year-old comedian is “on the road to recovery,” according to E! News. Rivers suffered respiratory and cardiac arrest during a routine outpatient endoscopy procedure last week. She was placed in a medically induced coma at Mount Sinai Hospital in NY to allow her brain to rest.

Over the weekend doctors weaned Rivers off the medications that put her into a coma. The purpose of weaning Rivers off the meds is to see if she responds to doctors voices or to tactile (touching) stimuli.

Gossip blog TMZ had Rivers near death “on life support.” In reality, most critical care patients who are placed in a medically induced coma will require ventilator support to breathe for them while they recover. Not all patients who are on ventilators are considered to be on life support.

From Fox News:

Rivers’ network, E!, has been tight-lipped about her condition, but they told FOX411 on Tuesday that filming had been suspended on the series Rivers’ co-hosts, “Fashion Police.”

“We will not be producing a ‘Fashion Police’ this week or next as we await Joan and Melissa’s return in front and behind the camera. E! will be airing two ‘E! From Fashion Week’ specials that will deliver the latest news and information from the highly-anticipated event.”

Rivers’ “Fashion Police” co-stars have not said much about the events of the past several days, aside from tweeting their support and asking fans to pray.

A source told E! News that Rivers condition wasn’t as dire as some news outlets were making it seem.

“It’s a slow process, but she’s on the road to recovery,” the source said. “She’s getting better. Don’t believe all this ridiculous speculation.”

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