Posted on 06/19/2007 7:42:52 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Stroger Has Gone On Medical Leave For 3 Weeks
(CBS) CHICAGO -- The medical mystery surrounding Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is now solved. He'll be out of the office for three weeks after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports that a raging debate erupted Tuesday after the revelation that Stroger concealed his ailment for 10 months.
Stroger, 44, is going on a two- to three-week medical leave. It comes barely a year after his father, former County Board President John H. Stroger Jr., was hospitalized with a stroke that eventually forced him to leave office.
Todd Stroger's staff defended his decision to withhold his diagnosis of prostate cancer while he campaigned last year for Cook County Board President, and even as he underwent surgery Monday, which a spokeswoman called a minor medical matter.
Stroger spokeswoman Ibis Antongiorgi said, “The doctors said that the condition was not life-threatening and we understood that to be routine.”
Others declared that Stroger should have disclosed his cancer, all the more because of the way the grave illness of his father, John Stroger, was misrepresented for political reasons last year by top Cook County Democrats and the family.
“It's a terrible mistake. Because, you know, if the President of the United States were having this procedure, we would know every detail,” said Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-10th).
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-16th), who lost to Todd Stroger in the November election for county board president, said “A cancer diagnosis is a serious matter.”
"I think there's an important element that should have been shared with the voting public," Peraica said. "I'm not sure whether or not it would have had any ultimate effect on the outcome of the election, but certainly it would have been an important consideration."
Peraica added that his thoughts and prayers were with the Stroger family.
Published reports say Stroger has plans to fight the disease in the public eye to raise awareness.
Staffers said the removal of Todd Stroger's prostate gland went well. While it may be three weeks before he returns to the County Board room, they said Stroger would continue to run the $3 billion government by telephone and through his chief of staff.
Asked if Stroger made a mistake in not telling voters sooner, Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D-12th), who lost to Stroger in the Democratic primary last year, said, “I don't think so. I mean, again, I’m not a doctor, but I understand this is the type of thing that, if caught early, is immediately treatable. It’s a question of how you treat it and when, so I understand why would keep it private until he actually went in for the procedure.”
A Stroger ally, County Commissioner William Beavers (D-4th), suggested that the 10-month delay between diagnosis and treatment was because Stroger sought advice from several experts on prostate cancer.
Antongiorgi said Todd Stroger could be released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital Wednesday or Thursday.
"According to his doctor, President Stroger is in excellent condition," Antongiorgi said. "He is expected to have a complete and rapid recovery to all normal activity."
The National Cancer Institute says prostate cancer is the second most common type among men in the United States.
There will be 218,890 new cases in the United States this year, with an estimated 27,050 deaths, according to the institute.
Some other high-profile men who have survived prostate cancer include Nelson Mandela, Bob Dole, Rudolph Giuliani, Colin Powell, John Kerry, and John Stroger.
Cancer-related Web sites indicate that Todd Stroger is put at risk by his family history, and the fact that he is African-American.
On Tuesday morning, Cook County employees and residents wished Stroger well.
"If it's strictly health, you wish him all the best, you really do," said county employee Jim Corbeil.
"The fact that he has cancer doesn't mean he can't still do his job, it just means he has cancer," said Cook County resident Alice Eberhardt. "I wish he would get well. I have seen him here for a long time. I hope that somebody would feel the same way about me. I wouldn't want to put someone down because they have a condition."
While Stroger is gone, board meetings will be run by Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno (D-7th), the board’s president pro tem.
Antongiorgi says Stroger doesn't plan to turn over his official powers. Instead, he'll continue to handle day-to-day duties through his chief of staff, Lance Tyson.
CBS 2's Mike Flannery, Kristyn Hartman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
No fan of this man, but I offer prayers for successful treatment.
That's young. Most folks don't even start getting checked until close to 50.
Does this guy have a son who can take over for him should he not be able to cure the cancer?
Heh, unless he fathered a kid in his early teens, that would be a no.
Geez... prostate cancer. In Stroger’s case, that’s awfully close to his brain.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.