Following the removal of a tumor-related blood clot on Friday, Sen. John McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer. In three decades, nothing has stopped the Arizona senator from fulfilling his political duties, but now, it's unclear whether or not McCain will return to the Senate. With such positive wishes flooding in, though, hopes are high that his recovery process will be a rapid one.
McCain's daughter, Meghan, posted a statement to Twitter, reiterating the extent to which those closest to him are betting on a successful recovery.
It won't surprise you to learn that in all this, the one of us who is most confident and calm is my father. He is the toughest person I know. The cruelest enemy could not break him.
McCain's senate seat will most likely be empty for at least the upcoming three or four weeks while the incision above his eye heals. At that point, doctors will want to begin radiation treatment, chemotherapy, or both to try and help the senator beat the disease. The type of tumor doctors discovered in McCain's brain, a glioblastoma, is a particularly aggressive one that can affect both the brain and the spinal chord.
According to a statement the Mayo Clinic released on behalf of McCain's family, doctors say the senator is doing "amazingly well" and that "his underlying health is excellent."
McCain's office also released its own statement, reassuring the public that he's in "good spirits" as he recovers with his family in Arizona.
Senator McCain appreciates the outpouring of support he has received over the last few days. He is in good spirits as he continues to recover at home with his family in Arizona. He is grateful to the doctors and staff at Mayo Clinic for their outstanding care, and is confident that any future treatment will be effective. Further consultations with Senator McCain's Mayo Clinic care team will indicate when he will return to the United States Senate.
McCain has been an incredibly important member of the Senate and is one of the few Republicans who has spoken out against Trump fairly consistently. Though his views are most definitely conservative in nature, his willingness to oppose the president has, in some ways, won him the respect of many Democrats as well. Following his diagnosis, support and warm wishes have come from both sides of the aisle.
When he's discussed with his doctors whether or not he can return to the Senate, his office will more likely than not promptly release a statement. Much of that will depend on whether his recovery continues to look up.
