BRADLEY'S CONDITION UPGRADED TO FAIR : FORMER MAYOR INCREASINGLY ALERT, RESPONDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS.

Byline: Associated Press 

Former Mayor Tom Bradley, who suffered a stroke one day after undergoing triple heart bypass surgery, improved to fair condition Saturday and is responding to questions with gestures, officials said.

``His physicians intend to have him out of bed and sitting in a chair sometime this weekend,'' said Stephanie Jo Gomez, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Hollywood.

Bradley, 78, who suffered a heart attack last month, underwent triple bypass surgery at Kaiser on Wednesday and suffered a stroke the next day.

He had been listed in serious condition but was upgraded Saturday to fair, Gomez said.

Tests also showed Bradley has continued good heart function, although his doctors say it is still too early to give a long-term prognosis.

``It can be weeks or months before we have a complete picture of what will happen. We're optimistic that his vital signs are good, he's breathing on his own and that his cardiac function is stable,'' said neurologist Larry Rusheen.

Bradley, though, is increasingly alert and able to flex his right foot on command, said Dr. Fred Alexander. The stroke had partially immobilized his right side.

Additionally, the doctor said, Bradley is nodding yes and no to questions and is communicating with family members through hand-squeezing and smiles.

``These are good signs,'' Alexander said. ``We'll be looking for further improvement over the next several days.''

Bradley experienced chest pains during a drive March 20, and dialed 911 from a McDonald's restaurant in Norwalk.

As the city's first African-American mayor, Bradley served 20 years beginning in 1973. His tenure was highlighted by the 1984 Summer Olympics but marred by the deadly 1992 rioting, which he called ``the most painful experience of my life.''

He retired in 1993 to work in Los Angeles for the San Francisco-based law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison.