County Councilman Cooper battling cancer

Snohomish County Councilman Mike Cooper has been diagnosed with a type of cancer known as multiple myeloma.

The council chairman issued a statement Sunday (see below) providing details of the illness that was discovered after he was hospitalized July 15. On that day he said he was put on dialysis “due to dangerously low kidney function.”

Cooper, a Democrat, is a retired firefighter and former state lawmaker. He’s in his first term on the County Council. He said in the release he is aiming to return to work the week of Aug. 3.

Cooper continues to be on dialysis and on Friday began what he termed “aggressive chemotherapy.”

“While this is clearly a “big fire” in our lives it is time to cinch up the chin strap, tighten the suspenders and stare down the red devil,” he said in his statement.

Here’s the entire statement issued Sunday:

On July 15, I was hospitalized due to dangerously low kidney function and placed on dialysis. During subsequent follow up and testing I have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell.

The estimated frequency of multiple myeloma is 5 to 7 new cases per 100,000 persons per year. Accordingly, in the United States, nearly 20,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2009. According to a study released by University of Cincinnati, Firefighters have a 50% greater chance of getting multiple myeloma than the general population.

While this is clearly a “big fire” in our lives it is time to cinch up the chin strap, tighten the suspenders and stare down the red devil. My faith in God, my family, and friends give me the strength to carry on. I am looking forward to seeing my grandchildren grow up.