(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Gov. Kim Reynolds says husband Kevin Reynolds is ‘doing well’ in lung cancer treatment [1]
['Robin Opsahl', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2023-10
Kevin Reynolds, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ husband, is “doing well” in treatment for lung cancer, the governor said at a news conference Wednesday.
Iowa’s first gentleman was diagnosed with cancer in September. Gov. Reynolds told reporters after a news conference that Kevin Reynolds has been in treatment for a month using a breakthrough oral immune therapy drug, which could eliminate the need for chemotherapy.
The governor said they have seen “great progress” in the treatment and thanked the medical team providing care at the John Stoddard Cancer Center at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines. The innovative drug Kevin Reynolds is using and the work of the medical personnel at UnityPoint as well as the University of Iowa have been a “bright spot” in the process, she said.
“The technology, and just the education and research that goes into all of this which is so advanced, that we continue to see great new drugs, just like the one that Kevin is using right now,” she said. “… I can’t tell you how grateful both Kevin and I are for just incredible medical team that we have access to — but that we have that locally here in our state, we are incredibly blessed.”
The governor called the diagnosis a “gut punch.” Kevin Reynolds, who has never been a smoker, originally went in for help with spinal pain caused by what the family believed was a herniated disc, she said. The cancer treatment has “really kicked the pain that was in his spine,” Reynolds said. While the type of lung cancer he has is not curable, she said, it is treatable and can go into remission.
Her husband is “kind of quiet,” she joked, but said his medical journey is a reminder to advocate for early detection and routine medical examinations.
The news conference was the first time Gov. Reynolds has spoken publicly about her husband’s diagnosis. She emotionally expressed her gratitude for Iowans’ support, speaking with tears in her eyes about the messages they have received during the treatment process.
“Every day we get a card, two or three cards, in the mail to say that, ‘We’re praying for you,’ and ‘keeping you in our prayers,'” Reynolds said. “It’s just another reflection of Iowans and who we are. And it matters and it makes a difference, so just a heartfelt thank you for that.”
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[1] Url:
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/gov-kim-reynolds-says-husband-kevin-reynolds-is-doing-well-in-lung-cancer-treatment/
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