Cheyenne – Just over three weeks after hearing the news that he had leukemia, Sen. Craig Thomas was back in his Capitol Hill office in Washington, tending to business put off while he underwent cancer treatments and providing living proof of the need for regular medical screenings.
Thomas said his situation was a good example of the need for people to maintain their health as best they can and to be “more thoughtful” in caring for themselves.
Thomas, R-Wyo., returned to work Monday – about a month earlier than originally planned.
Since nothing was happening on the Senate floor Monday, he didn’t plan on returning to his seat in the chamber until today, he said in an interview from his office.
Thomas, sounding energetic and lively over the telephone, said he was spending most of Monday catching up on work.
Thomas, 73, was released Saturday from Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, according to the statement.
Previously, Thomas said he didn’t expect to return to the Senate until January.
He began treatment for leukemia on Nov. 9, the day after being diagnosed with the disease.
“Of course, it’s a real shock to get that word,” he said.
He noted there is no history of cancer in his family.
Thomas won re-election last month to a third term while he was in the hospital, easily beating Democrat Dale Groutage with 70 percent of the vote.
After three weeks of treatment, Thomas said he continues to take medication and undergo tests to see how effective the treatment has been.
“I think I’m through with the major treatment,” he said. “We may do more treatments in the future.” Thomas thanked those who offered prayers and support.
Dr. Brian Monahan, director of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the National Naval Medical Center, has said that most people “with Craig’s great physical condition and general health” survive the cancer.
Thomas said blood tests “some time back” and a lack of energy indicated he had some health problems but nothing to suspect leukemia.
The Sunday before the election he felt weak and “kind of stumbled around,” prompting a hospital visit, he said. Still, the initial diagnosis was pneumonia. It wasn’t until a few days later that doctors found the leukemia.
Thomas was first elected to the Senate in 1994 after serving five years in the U.S. House. He is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation and also serves on the Senate finance, agriculture, and Indian affairs standing committees and the select committee on ethics.
Thomas was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and AML is the most common form of the disease. More than 11,900 new cases of AML are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.
