Elizabeth Edwards with metastatic breast cancer.

Edwards Will Continue Presidential Run

I was very sorry to hear this. My best advice for Mr. Edwards would be to drop out of the race and just be with your wife. Be with your kids. You won’t regret it.

Unfortunately I have know several younger people who have died from cancer over the years. My sister-in-law passed away before her only child’s first birthday. My other sister-in-law died from lung cancer before her youngest graduated from high school. My cousin just recently died at Christmas time. I also worked with a wonderful woman in her mid 40s who passed away from breast cancer when she had kids in high school and middle school. It was very sad.

I learned a lot from these women about the importance of family and what really matters in life. Not surprisingly, getting a better gig wasn’t one of their priorities.

Doctor’s seem unclear on Elizabeth Edwards’s longevity. The important thing is to make good use of the time she has NOW. To pack that time full of love and memories, of reaching out to friends and loved ones and just making good use of the time that is left. Going on a strenuous presidential campaign to possibly win an even more strenuous political office doesn’t seem like the best way to do that to me.

Update: From the New York Times. It’s stage IV breast cancer. Her expected longevity is not good. The woman I worked with who died to this was in and out of the hospital, suffered from lymphedema, pain and eventually even dementia. One of the commenters on Amy Welborn’s blog mentioned that if Edwards did win, for the first time, America would watch their first lady’s health decline. It’s a sad situation especially for the Edwards young children.