Posted on 03/22/2007 10:56:30 AM PDT by Kaslin
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - John Edwards said Thursday his wife's cancer has returned, but said he will continue his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
"The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly," Edwards told reporters, his wife by his side.
The recurrence of the cancer—this time on Elizabeth Edwards' bone—presents a setback for the couple, both personally and politically. But both said they would stick with their plans to campaign vigorously for the nomination.
"From our perspective, there was no reason to stop," Edwards said. "I don't think we seriously thought about it."
Edwards had canceled a Tuesday evening house party in Iowa to go with his wife to a doctor's appointment, which his campaign described as a follow-up to a routine test she had Monday.
Faced with questions about how his wife's illness affected his political future, Edwards said he will pursue his second bid for the presidency, but: "Any time, any place I need to be with Elizabeth I will be there—period."
Mrs. Edwards, 57, was first diagnosed with cancer in the final weeks of the 2004 campaign. The day after Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and Edwards, his running mate, conceded the election to George W. Bush, Edwards announced that his wife had invasive ductal cancer, the most common type of breast cancer, and would undergo treatment.
Mrs. Edwards underwent several months of radiation and chemotherapy for the lump in her breast. Her husband's campaign has said she had recovered from the illness.
"I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly. I am as ready as any person can be for that," she said at the news conference.
John Edwards said a biopsy of her rib had showed that the cancer had returned.
The bone is one of the most common places where breast cancer spreads, and once it does so it is not considered curable.
But how long women survive depends on how widespread the cancer is in the bone, and many can survive for years. The longer it takes for cancer to spread after the initial tumor, the better the prognosis. She was diagnosed in 2004.
Chemotherapy and radiation are standard treatments, along with use of drugs that specifically target the bones called bisphosphonates. Other treatments include hormone therapy if the cancer is responsive to estrogen.
Dr. Lisa Carey, Elizabeth Edwards' physician, said that initial tests showed some very small suspicious spots elsewhere, but that the therapy focus would be on the bone. Asked where else, she said "possibly involving the lung."
Edwards is a dumb ass. When cancer cells show up in the bone, it is bad. He should put his family first - FOR A CHANGE! What an egomaniac.
What a self-centered prick!
Cancer sucks. Im sorry for Edwards and his family..
Why would he possibly hold a press conference about this if not for the fact that he is trolling for the sympathy vote? Guaranteed that when she dies he will play the "On her deathbed, my wife told me to change this country for the better, and I made a commitment to her to do just that, folks" card.
he's going to try and pivot off this to increase his popularity. how long before he's crying on Oprah with his wife at his side.
This from NRO's Corner care of Jonah Goldberg.
watch Andrew Sullivan 22 minutes apart, it is friggin' hilarious.
First he posts:
"Edwards Suspends Campaign
22 Mar 2007 12:17 pm
He does it because his wife has a recurrence of cancer in some degree to be further explored. It is of a piece with his character to do this; and a simple testament that he has the right priorities and values to be a president of the United States. Sorry, Ms Coulter. But this man will be remembered for a character you do not even want to possess.
And then, immediately afterwards when the news changes, he writes:
"Edwards Forges On
22 Mar 2007 12:39 pm
So, despite earlier reports, Edwards will not suspend his campaign. Good for him. And if anyone did not know of Elizabeth Edwards' extraordinary character before, they do now. What I saw in this press conference was the reality of family values - not the rhetoric, not the divisiveness, not the politics, just the reality of an actual family dealing with real issues. We all face such issues. Cancer survivors and their families know it all too well. So do those of us who live with HIV, diabetes, Parkinsons and many other diseases that patients can now live with, rather than die from. In this, John Edwards is doing a public service. He was admirably candid about his wife's cancer being treatable, if not curable. That paradigm is increasingly common - and it's affirming to see someone in public life live through it so positively, so admirably and so passionately. She shouldn't give in to it. One key to surviving serious illness is to live positively and candidly while you treat it. With HIV, I learned to repeat to myself a triad that was essential to surviving any serious medical condition: Own it, face it, beat it. That's what the Edwardses did today, and they will help a lot of people through their example.
The campaign should go on, as life goes on. It should neither help nor hurt it. But I will say this: Elizabeth Edwards is a truly remarkable human being. And her marriage is an inspiration to all of us.
For all you know she wants him to. It is quite possible that she wants to spend her last months on a presidential campaign rather than just wasting away at home.
Edwards is a cold SOB. But as a Democrat, it is always, him first.
Jonah is such a tool. I'll admit that he is witty and funny sometimes, but he's still a tool.
He is using his wife to further his career (on his way to hell)! POS slimeball to the MAX!!!
LLS
>>>Edwards is a cold SOB. But as a Democrat, it is always, him first.
That's right. Doesn't he know that he is supposed to deliver the divorce papers while she is in the hospital before resumming the campaign?
It runs in the family, by the way. This is the same thing that Trixie did. She realized how great FR was, so she decided to steal the idea by trying to sabotage FR and set up her own site. It hasn't worked, and she too is bitter and angry.
The stress of the campaign will most likely decrease her lifetime in the light of the cancer.
It's not Jonah Goldberg changing his tune 22 minutes apart, he just wrote of "Andrew Sullivan" doing it.
You know Andrew Sullivan, don't you?
He's the "conservative" writer and commentator.
Look, I hate that she's got cancer again, but I almost got physically ill listening to her press conference, going on and on about how wonderful he is, he's a man of the people, blah blah blah--and how he's continuing his campaign because that's just the kind of guy he is. Gag me! Mighty big of him! Like some other people wrote, he should put *her* first. He's pretty young. He can always try to run for President again...BUT if worse came to worse, she's going through this mess alone? I don't care how much she puts on a brave face--the kids are going to pick up on this and they'll be the ones to pay in the future for his 'selfless ambitions' now. :-(
I don't disagree, I just don't think it is unfathomable that if she thinks he has a shot at prez, that she would want to spend her last days a part of that effort.
Oh jeez... my bad, I misread it. Still, Jonah is a tool.
He is sure to lock up the single woman vote now, as they will all want to be the first lady when mrs. edwards dies.
The cynics were right. Exploitation.
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