U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8) announced that he has completed his chemo-immunotherapy treatments at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center for diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma.
Raskin wrote in a letter to America, “Having now finished chemotherapy and rung the bell with my nurses and doctors, having a midterm PET scan report showing “negative” for any discernible cancer cells, and having a preliminary diagnosis of being “in remission” from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with a 90% prognosis of no relapse, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and love.”
Raskin wrote that he wanted to thank “the many thousands of people” who reached out to him during the past five months “with expressions of prayer, best wishes, concern, solidarity, sympathy and moral encouragement—not to mention beautiful gifts of bandanas, homemade scarves and sweaters, Capitol Police baseball caps, hospital scrubs, wool hats, chocolate chip cookies, mandel bread, pea soup, vegan matzoh ball soup, and gorgeous paintings, poems and letters that I will treasure forever.”
However, he noted, his hemoglobin and white blood cell counts are plunging so his energy level is low, and he is immuno-compromised. That is why, he said, he decided to express his thanks and gratitude in a letter rather than individually.
Tuesday I thanked nurses, doctors & pharmacists at @MedStarGUH who serve with splendid kindness—and saved my life over 5 months. I finished 6 rounds of 5-day chemo sessions—which they organized so I didn’t have to miss votes or hearings—and I rang the bell! A new chapter begins. pic.twitter.com/lAtpGyBG5b
— Jamie Raskin (@jamie_raskin) April 27, 2023
