LA Councilman Bill Rosendahl Returns To Work While Continuing Cancer Treatments
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — City Councilman Bill Rosendahl says he is coming back to work despite his ongoing battle with cancer.
Rosendahl, 67, took leave two months ago after being diagnosed in July with a cancer that started in the ureter, the tube connecting the bladder and the kidney. The condition caused tumors to grow in two places on his spine that prevented him from walking.
Rosendahl, who has dropped nearly 40 pounds since undergoing 13 radiation treatments and several chemotherapy sessions, says he feels much better and that strength was returning to his legs. However, he says he has gained back nine pounds, after initially losing 45 as a result of the cancer treatments.
"I'm here to make the point that I'm back on the job," he said, adding that his staff urged him not to attend an afternoon meeting of the council's Budget and Finance Committee. The councilman says he will be out for several days after a chemotherapy session scheduled for Wednesday.
Rosendahl said he wanted to attend Tuesday's City Council meeting for an important vote on whether to repeal recently passed regulations on medical marijuana or to put a referendum on the March citywide ballot. Rosendahl has said he uses medical cannabis to help manage his pain.
A long-time skeptic of a plan to build a new NFL stadium downtown, Rosendahl said he wanted to attend last Friday's vote to authorize the project, but his legs were not yet strong enough.
The councilman, however, said he had spoken with AEG President Tim Leiweke and potential AEG owner, billionaire investor Patrick Soon-Shiong, to urge them not to poach football teams from other cities, but to push the NFL for two expansion teams instead.
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