Be Well

by hilzoy

AP:

"Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards accompanied his wife, Elizabeth, who has been treated for breast cancer, on a doctor's visit Wednesday. His campaign said they would hold a news conference in their hometown Thursday to discuss her health.

Campaign officials refused to answer any questions about what the Edwardses learned at the doctor's appointment or how it might affect his candidacy. Edwards had cut short a trip to Iowa Tuesday night to be with his wife Wednesday but still attended a barbecue fundraiser later in the evening in their hometown of Chapel Hill, N.C.

The campaign had said that Elizabeth Edwards had a follow-up appointment to a routine test she had Monday. The campaign explained that she had similar follow-ups in the past but they always resulted in a clean bill of health.

The campaign refused to elaborate Wednesday. Family friends said Wednesday night that they didn't know of any new complications to her health."

My thoughts are with John and Elizabeth Edwards, and their family. I hope Elizabeth is OK.

Treat this as an open thread; the alternative would be speculation, which is pointless.

***

UPDATE: As many of you probably know already, Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned, this time in her bones. However, they caught it relatively early (as metastasizing breast cancers go): she was being X-rayed because she had a completely unrelated fractured rib, and the doctors saw "something suspicious".

I saw the press conference, and I found the Edwards' strength, their optimism, and their obvious love for one another really moving.

Whatever it is that we atheists do in lieu of prayer, I do for them.

Comments

[rilkefan]

Not going to speculate, just feel awful.

So we were having trouble actually talking to Rilkekind's doctor and finally our pediatrician just found us a new one. The new doctor sat down with us for an entire hour and went over everything. The situation is a bit worse than we had thought (he'll probably need some hopefully easy surgery soon) but we feel more in control and more confident of his care. And he's thriving. Today the teachers at day care all gathered around him and oohed and aahed as he picked things up between his thumb and index finger. Apparently he spends a lot of time there turning the pages of books and looking intensely at them, which I'm of two minds about; when he's at home he seems more interested in flinging books across the room, which I'm also of two minds about.

[DaveC]

Best of luck to rilkefan.
And to Elizabeth Edwards.
RIP Cathy Siepp.
Strange, how things happen to us. Damn it.

[rilkefan]

Update from le meilleur des mondes possibles.

[rilkefan]

Well:

"Jennifer Palmieri, communications director for the campaign, said that she would not provide any details in advance of Thursday’s press conference.

We were told not to assume the worst."

[DaveC]

ShitFuck.
It's not that. I don't know what to say, but it is not that. Do not think about the bad chances. Don't. That is crazy odds that it is that bad.

[cleek]

more DOJ news ! where there's smoke...

[cleek]

CNN says Edwards is out - "suspending his campaign" - because of a recurrence of his wife's cancer.

(no link, they just have a headline up, right now)

[Nell]

They were mistaken.

[cleek]

yes, they were - at least about the campaign part.

[KCinDC]

Yeah, Politico blew it. Not good for their reputation so soon after launching.

[moe99]

I donated blood in Elizabeth Edwards' honor today. It was one way that I thought I could make a positive statement.

[KCinDC]

Well, if this is an open thread: Republicans just threw a monkey wrench into the DC voting rights bill, attempting to tie it to overturning DC's gun laws. So to get voting representation in the House, DC would have to be willing to give up on controlling its own local laws.

Even many DC residents who don't like the gun laws don't favor having Congress (in which we have no voice) step in and overrule decisions made by our city council and voters.

[OCSteve]

Oh this absolutely sucks. The poor woman. It has to be that much worse (emotionally) having it come back after you thought you had it licked.

[trilobite]

Why do they need to overturn DC's gun laws, didn't the DC Circuit Court of Appeals just do that?

[OCSteve]

I just saw bits of the press conference. I don’t like her politics and never will – but that lady is one serious class act. Her husband is blessed.

She is in my “lieu of prayer” – whatever that is. (Mostly happy positive thoughts beamed her way).

[OCSteve]

Man addiction is a bitch. If there was ever a week to quit smoking…

I have read Cathy Seipp for a long time. I followed her progress on her blog and it was apparent in recent months that things were not good. Still, it seemed like a shock. Last blog post up on the 14th (Weather Channel's Nuttiest Moments) dead a week later. Front-pagers – what will your last post be about? :(

She shared her illness, her frustration with hospitals and insurance companies, her hopes and dreams for her daughter, and practically died online.

She never smoked a cigarette in her life and died of lung cancer. Here I sit, relatively healthy, a smoker for almost 30 years now.

Now this depressing development. So what will I do after hitting post? Well, go smoke a cigarette. The demon calls…

[CaseyL]

OCSteve, this is just anecdotal, but I'm hearing about an astonishing number of people who are non-smokers developing smoker-type cancers (lung and mouth). It's very strange.

Meanwhile, like you, I'm a long-time smoker (I've wrestled my habit down to 1/2 pack per day, but still...) who's lost some lung capacity but is otherwise still quite healthy and fit (knock wood).

I feel awful for the Edwardses. I can't imagine what it's like, to hear the cancer's back. I hope it stays treatable, and that Elizabeth beats the odds for many, many years.

[OCSteve]

CaseyL: knock wood indeed.

My heart goes out to the Edwards tonight. That was a brave face for the public today, but I think things are not quite that great as they talk lying in bed tonight.

As I said – classy woman.