Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Has Come Back

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Diane L

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Sad news about Elizabeth Edwards...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-070322edwards,0,2127897.story?coll=chi-newsbreaking-hed

This is one of the truly great women on the planet, a warm, intelligent person who is so very likeable and a true asset to John Edwards on the campaign trail. At the moment, his campaign goes on, which is wonderful news for our country. I know my prayers and thoughts will be with Elizabeth, who I also hope and pray will be our next First Lady.

:hug: Elizabeth :hug:
 
I was impressed with the way they handled that announcement this morning....there seems to be a lot of love and grace in that relationship. You have to admire them for that.

Ironically, this could be the best thing to ever happen to his campaign.
 
I was sorry to hear the news. My Internet connection was broken this morning so I've just heard the news. I hope she has a speedy recovery.
 
I watched this on the news this morning. The ticker said they were expecting Edwards to withdraw from running but there was no mention of that unless i missed it.

She does seem incredibly strong. I thought it was interesting how they described the treatment as lifelong from now on. I didn't realize that's what happened with bone cancer.
 
They made it very clear that he's going to continue with his campaign. She will be traveling with him most of the time, unless she is receiving treatment. John also said he'll drop everything when and if she needs him. They really are a lovely and committed couple.:heart:
 
U2isthebest said:
They made it very clear that he's going to continue with his campaign. She will be traveling with him most of the time, unless she is receiving treatment. John also said he'll drop everything when and if she needs him. They really are a lovely and committed couple.:heart:

Wow, amazing woman. When my aunt got cancer, everyone was in shock but she just kept herself very busy all the time, never missed a class (she is a dance professor, among other things). It was her way of dealing. She cant handle pity because it means facing reality. I hope the best for Mrs. Edwards....

:pray:
 
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Sorry Diane, I didn't see that you had started this thread. Like I said in the other one, I am in awe of her and of their relationship after seeing that press conference. It is so sad what has happened.
 
Your e-mails: Edwards proves he is 'one of us'

(CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Thursday he will continue his bid for the White House even though his wife Elizabeth's cancer has returned.

"The campaign goes on," he said at a news conference. CNN.com asked readers what they thought of his decision. Below is a selection of their responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity.

Sherry McDonald of Placerville, California
John Edwards just solidified his membership as one of "us," the regular people who face the ups and downs of medical care, jobs, educating our children and life in general. His and his wife's decision to continue their campaign is commendable and brave and I will get in his camp and fight for him all the way. They are wonderful examples of caring, dedicated leaders who are willing to sacrifice in spite of what life throws in their paths. I always thought he was the best candidate. Today just proved me right. I wish them both the best in the months to come.

Cathy Duhig of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I can't even begin to say how much I admire the Edwards, especially Mrs. Edwards. My mother died from breast cancer in 1977 after a long and brave fight. She was a tough, courageous woman who would have behaved in exactly the same way as Mrs. Edwards. In fact, Mrs. Edwards reminds me very much of my mother. I am not a religious person, but I will hope and pray that Mrs. Edwards recovers, and that her husband can stay in the presidential race.

Sandy Bryant of Hickory, North Carolina
After reading Elizabeth Edwards' book, "Saving Graces," I completely understand the family agreement for John to continue on with his campaign. She is truly an inspirational woman and loves her husband and family more than life itself. Elizabeth is a very determined person and believes in what her husband stands for. She feels that he can make a difference in our lives and that he is what our country needs right now. She will beat this cancer and in the process be an inspiration for many who are in the same situation. May God bless you Elizabeth and John Edwards and your wonderful family.
 
This is by David Kuo who did that recent Beliefnet interview w/John Edwards that we had a thread about.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Cancer is Not a Political Issue

"My MRI is on Thursday," I said to Elizabeth Edwards a month ago.

"I go in for my next round of appointments in a couple weeks." she said.

"Has everything been clear up till now?"

"Yeah," she said, knocking on wood and saying, "Thank God."

Elizabeth Edwards and I shared a common experience of overcoming dreaded disease. Hers was breast cancer. Mine was a brain tumor. We got each other.

I told her how one of my blog readers, a neuro-oncologist, had chided me because I had taken up professional bass fishing after my White House days. I was irresponsible, the doctor told me. I should be advocating for brain tumor patients. I told her I didn't want to become known as "the brain tumor guy."

She understood. Even though she wrote about her breast cancer recovery, she didn't want to be the breast cancer woman either. She wanted to go on and live life. We left with a promise to pray for each other.

My MRI was fine. I've wondered how her tests had gone and smiled thinking no news was inevitably good news. Then this morning's word that there would be a campaign announcement about her health. I knew what it was, what it had to be and I just stopped and images of needles and pills and chemo came flooding in...things I know too well.

I had no doubt about what would happen to the campaign. It would go on. She wouldn't allow anything else. To quit the campaign would be to give in to the disease - it would be the ultimate admission of being the "cancer woman."

I can't imagine the conversations she had with her husband - except that I can. How much will the illness define us? How much will we become steely fighters? How much will we just withdraw from the spotlight and fight this illness alone, with friends? What if... What if these are the last days? What would we regret more...?

When I interviewed John Edwards a few weeks ago, he answered a question about the suffering he'd endured - the loss of a son, Elizabeth's cancer - by saying that his faith had come "roaring back" in order for him to survive. We all need to pray for that roaring faith - for him, Elizabeth, and their children. We need to pray for healing for her. And for us? That this illness puts politics in perspective for more than the next news cycle. For the other candidates? That they focus more on issues of compassion.
 
They will be interviewed by Katie Couric tomorrow on 60 Minutes

I ordered her book from Amazon today, I feel compelled to read it now. After I ordered they said they only had 2 copies left.
 
I think his first obligation should be to stay home and take care of his wife and put his polictial ambitions away.

dbs
 
If anything, it seems like they both want to continue going forward without changing the way they do things, and if they both feel that way, then I have no problem with him staying in the race.
 
diamond said:
I think his first obligation should be to stay home and take care of his wife and put his polictial ambitions away.

dbs

Everyone deals with illness in different ways. Some people don't want their spouses to stop their lives to take care of them, some people need the "normalcy" of their regular lives in order to keep sane.

I don't think anyone has the right to judge how this family chooses to deal with her cancer.
 
diamond said:
..and in sickness and in health..... see that ye hit the campaign trail.

Who are you to say that him being on the campaign trail isn't still honoring her? Until you are in their shoes, you have no clue, don't pretend you do.

If this was a Republican you'd be admiring their strength to keep on.:|
 
It really is no one's place to say what they should do. Their relationship is hardly the type in which either makes decisions without the full input of the other. It is her life and their family. She basically doesn't want to sit around waiting to die, and why should she? I admire her so much for that.

They already lost one son, they would never do anything to their other children without serious consideration. This is their decision for now, things could change.

To suggest that a man like him puts political ambitions before his wife is really unfair and pretty outrageous. Would you say the same if it was Mitt Romney diamond? After all, his wife has an incurable disease-MS-and she is campaigning with him.

Where did diamond go? I guess he doesn't want to answer that question..

And what about Newt Gingrich discussing divorce terms with his wife when she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery? His campaign treasurer claims he said this about his wife

She's not young enough or pretty enough to be the wife of the President. And besides, she has cancer.

And here I thought Republicans had a monopoly on the proper way to act and react when your wife has cancer..
 
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Mrs Romney looks a lot healthier than Mrs Edwards.
That said if Mrs Romney was as in poor of shape as Mrs Edwards, I think I would want Mitt to sit this one out and take care of his wife.

dbs
 
diamond said:
Mrs Romney looks a lot healthier than Mrs Edwards

It has nothing to do with looks, MS can be completely debilitating and I assume it can kill you as well. Mrs. Romney seems to have done well and she seems to know her limitations and know how to deal with them properly. But so does Elizabeth Edwards-and who are any of us to judge?

Elizabeth Edwards lives her life on her own terms. She lost a son at the age of 16, she is more than well aware how precious life is.
 
Work can be balm during health crisis
By Pam Belluck and John Leland
The New York Times
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:03/25/2007 12:23:03 AM MDT

When John and Elizabeth Edwards learned Wednesday that Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer had returned, the presidential campaign, which often seems removed from daily life, suddenly mirrored reality for thousands of American families facing a deadly illness. John Edwards' choice - whether to scale back a demanding career to be with his spouse - is one faced throughout the nation.

Some people choose the path taken by Sandra Day O'Connor, who in 2005 announced she was retiring from the Supreme Court after her husband developed Alzheimer's disease. Others, like former Chrysler boss Lee Iacocca, whose first wife died in 1984 from diabetes, maintain a rigorous career during their spouse's illness but then become activists in the search for a cure.

In a recent example, the new governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, was nine weeks into his job when he announced March 10 that his wife, Diane, 55, was being treated for exhaustion and depression. He scaled back his schedule on evenings and weekends, but he told reporters: "You are going to see me consistently perform my duties. I have a job to do."

Many spouses decide to keep up their work life, for reasons that range from practical necessity to their psychological well-being or that of the ailing partner. Some, particularly women with children, do alter or curtail their careers, but many others say that focusing on work can be a relief, a ballast and a needed escape.

"It was very important to me that he carry on his work," said Dr. Joanne Gillis-Donovan of Philadelphia, recalling her reaction when she and her husband, Joseph Donovan, learned she had Stage 3 breast cancer, which doctors said gave her a 20 percent chance of survival. "I needed us to carry on as normally as possible."

Gillis-Donovan said it would have felt like defeat if he had spent more time at home: "It would mean I wasn't able to survive by myself, that I needed him to survive."

Twenty years later, with no recurrence of the cancer, she is following the news about John and Elizabeth Edwards.

"I can see that it's critical to her survival that he run," Gillis-Donovan said. "That will keep her alive."

For many women with breast cancer, the last thing they need is a husband hovering over them, said Dr. Marisa Weiss, a breast-cancer oncologist and president and founder of the nonprofit breastcancer.org.

"The modern-day woman does not want pity," she said. "They hate that. Most of the time the husbands don't cut back. The woman remains in control, she's in charge of the household, and if anyone tries to take that away, she would feel usurped, that he feels she's incapable, and this makes her feel less independent."

Many families' decision is an issue of practicality. They need the income. Most of all, they need the health insurance. Hugh Panero, chief executive of XM Satellite Radio in Washington, was preparing for his company's public debut in 2001 when he and his wife, Mary Beth Durkin, learned she had leukemia.

"I needed to commit myself to my wife's care and also to the birth of the company," Panero said. "The reality is you have a job, and you have to do your job. You have medical insurance, and you can't give that up."

"For both people the situation is fraught with anxiety and guilt," said Dr. Irene Goldenberg, a family psychologist and author of several textbooks on family therapy. "Guilt for the sick person might be, 'I kept you from the thing you would have been best at, because of my inadequacy.' ... And for the other person it might be, 'I wasn't there when the chips were down."'

Women are more likely than men to scale back careers for a sick spouse or parent, even when the loss of income is a hardship.

Andrea Jenkins, 31, an educator at Trinity Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, was in graduate school when her husband, Michael, 33, learned he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"People think it's going to impact Mike, and they don't think about the spouse as much," she said. "It actually impacted my job before it impacted his."

She gave up her job as a full-time teacher to work part time in an instructional support position. Her husband, the school's interim principal, gave up his bid to become principal when he realized he needed a stem-cell transplant.

"The hardest part is being 30 years old and having to talk to your husband about dying," Jenkins said, "and having it be a very real and possible scenario. I'm one of the biggest optimists, and I try to find the positives in everything."
 
I think juggiling duties between being leader of the free world and tending to a sick spouse are too much and john edwards ambitions are, and self centered.

dbs
 
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Altho Newt is genius, this is his achilles heel that making him unelectable -coupled with those pudgy cheeks.

dbs
 
diamond said:
I think juggiling duties between being leader of the free world and tending to a sick spouse are too much and john edwards ambitions are, and self centered.

dbs

Same could be said for being the leader of the free world and tending daily to the recovery of being an addict.
 
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