Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl on Wednesday announced that he has cancer in his pelvic area and is beginning medical treatment.
Rosendahl, who represents the 11th Council District, stated in a letter that he has been suffering from back pain since early July, after he tried to lift something heavy at home. Earlier this week, after a series of tests, his doctors told him he has cancer.
“I am going to beat this cancer and return to work soon. I am going to seek, win and complete a third term,” he said in the letter.
The 11th Council District covers Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Playa Vista, Del Rey, Venice, Mar Vista, Palms and Westchester.
Rosendahl, who turned 67 in May, has missed work for the past week, but doctors have told him that his pain will be manageable and he will be able to work while undergoing treatment.
“While I am undergoing treatment, I will be in touch regularly with colleagues and with Team Rosendahl – my amazing all-star staff,” he said in the letter. “They will ensure potholes get filled, graffiti gets painted out, and motions get introduced on my behalf to make sure our key projects keep moving. You’ll get to see what I have always known: my staff is the best in city government.”
Rosendahl’s doctors told him that the cancer is slow-moving, has not spread to any vital organs and is not affecting his digestive system.
The councilman stressed that he will continue to promote affordable housing and services for the homeless, mass transit and modernizing Los Angeles International Airport without expansion into surrounding communities.
Rosendahl in January 2011 underwent a cutting-edge medical procedure at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica to treat an abnormal hearth rhythm. He disclosed that he has had atrial fibrillation – an abnormal heart rhythm that can cause blood clots and lead to a stroke – for several years.
Rosendahl recently told the Los Angeles Times that he used medical marijuana to treat painful neuropathy in his feet.
