He survived torture as a Vietnam prisoner of war. He has faced many political battles - having ran for president twice. Now Senator John McCain is about to face another fight for his health and life after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma.
A local man knows what it is like to get that diagnosis.
“I was 38, and I would wake up with headaches,” said Ed Mann of Grosse Ile.
As the days would go on the headaches would ease. He powered through. Then one day he and his wife went to the casino. He realized he wasn’t following the games at the level he typically did. He felt disoriented. They went to a comedy show. He got lost when he went to the bathroom.
The next day as he complained of a severe headache, his wife insisted he go to the doctor for a check up. He would soon learn his prognosis was grim.
“It depends on who I talked to, but they were telling me I had 6 months to 2 years,” said Mann.
Mann says he refused to accept the prognosis.
“I said that isn’t acceptable. I am 38-years-old. I have things planned.”
Now nine years have passed. He has cherished time with his now 12-year-old and 8-year-old daughters.
Doctors at Henry Ford Medical Center, where cutting edge research is being done on how to treat these types of tumors, say more and more people are beating the odds.
“Five years ago the life expectancy was nine months. Now it is eighteen months, but the percentage of people who beat those odds is increasing,” said Steven Kalkanis, M.D. Henry Ford Cancer Institute Director.
Ed Mann says he has a message for Senator McCain.
“Keep fighting. Don’t look at the statistics. You are a strong man. You have done wonderful things for our country.”
