Sen. John McCain’s longtime aide says he is working on physical therapy

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been working on physical therapy in an attempt to get stronger as he battles a deadly brain cancer, his longtime aide Mark Salter told CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday.

“He’s doing alright. He’s hanging in there, he’s working on physical therapy, trying to get stronger, and staying engaged with his staff. He’s doing well,” Salter, who also co-authored McCain’s recent memoir “The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations,” told host Margaret Brennan.

"He's working on physical therapy, trying to get stronger and staying engaged with his staff. But he's doing — doing well," longtime @SenJohnMcCain aide @MarkSalter55 tells @margbrennan #FTN https://t.co/BLKgVnzJdV pic.twitter.com/g6rBi3G0zT

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 1, 2018

Salter also said McCain is still staying up-to-date with all the events in Washington. “He is, still reading the papers, watching the news,” he added.

McCain, a 81-year-old former Navy pilot, has been fighting cancer since he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2017.

The typical survival period after a diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, though a small percentage live longer than five years.

McCain underwent surgery in April at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix to treat an intestinal infection related to diverticulitis.

Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of a digestive system, according to Mayo Clinic. They are common after the age of 40 and rarely cause problems.

However, they can become inflamed or infected and cause colon pain, fever and nausea.

There have been no official updates on McCain’s health from his office since the surgery, but his daughter, Meghan McCain, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mac and Gaydos last month that her father is doing well.

“He’s hanging in. He’s still recovering from treatment, as I know everyone knows,” McCain said.

McCain’s son-in-law, Ben Domenech, also said in May that the ailing senator was spending time at his Arizona home with family.

“He’s doing well, he’s talking, he’s chatty and he’s walking around,” Domenech said. “We just appreciate the fact that we’ve had such a good time to be able to spend with him in this moment.”

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