Sen. John McCain returns home after undergoing surgery at Mayo Clinic
Apr 23, 2018, 6:06 PM | Updated: Apr 25, 2018, 8:29 am
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
PHOENIX – U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has returned home after he underwent surgery last weekend at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
His wife, Cindy McCain, shared a photo on Twitter Monday of a creek near the couple’s home, announcing they were “enjoying a glorious Arizona sunset.”
McCain underwent surgery to treat an intestinal infection related to diverticulitis.
Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of a digestive system. They are common after the age of 40 and rarely cause problems.
RELATED STORIES
They can, however, become inflamed or infected and cause side effects such as colon pain, a fever and nausea.
“Senator McCain and his family are grateful to the senator’s excellent care team, and appreciate the support and prayers they continue to receive from people all over the country,” a statement from the senator’s office said after the surgery.
Dr. Terry Simpson said surgeries for diverticulitis happen on a daily basis in the Valley.
“He’s gone through the worst part of it,” Simpson said. “He’s in pretty good shape.”
The Arizona Republican has been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, since he was diagnosed last summer.
The tumor was removed shortly after his diagnosis, but another tumor was found in the same location while undergoing chemotherapy. Typical survival period after a diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, though a small percentage live longer than five years.
McCain called his prognosis “very poor” in a September interview with “60 Minutes.”
He returned home to Arizona due to the side effects from regular chemotherapy treatments and after he was hospitalized with a viral infection.
McCain had originally aimed at a January return to Senate, but that did not happen.
