SAN DIEGO (SDONA) — The office of San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald has confirmed a report that she is battling breast cancer and is scheduled to undergo outpatient surgery soon.
“My doctors say I have an excellent prognosis for full recovery, after the usual protocols,” Emerald said in a post for her Facebook page.
Emerald, who represents the city’s District 9, worked as broadcast journalist for three decades before joining the San Diego City Council in 2008.
10News.com broke the news of her cancer via Twitter. She was called “The Troubleshooter” at the station and had worked there for 22 years.
She said she learned the news just this week, when she was part of a delegation of San Diego leaders on a trip to lobby federal officials in Washington, D.C.
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“I was thinking water, energy, affordable housing and transportation,” Emerald wrote in her post. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine bringing back this intimate appreciation and new sense of advocacy for a disease that strikes women and men so randomly.”
She said she’s been getting advice from friends and family about how to deal with the disease.
“I look forward to a full recovery and getting back to work and back to the business of serving our city,” Emerald wrote. “I also look forward to the opportunity to serve those also struggling with breast cancer and will use this Facebook site to guide you to resources that may help you or loved ones in your journey for a cure.”
It was unclear how much time Emerald is expected to miss while recovering from surgery and dealing with any potential other forms of treatment. Other than a couple of special meetings, the council has not met since the end of July. Meetings are scheduled to resume on Monday.
According to her council biography, she has served on several boards, including Catholic Charities, the Better Business Bureau, and the Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers.
Emerald said she has focused on fiscal restraint, pension reform and increasing transparency in city government during her council tenure. She is logging her sixth year as the head of the council’s Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee.
City Council President Todd Gloria called Emerald “a proven fighter.”
“I know she’ll win this battle and I wish her well,” he said. “Her City Council colleagues will support her in any way we can as she focuses on her health and balances the demands of serving her district.”
She lives in the College area. District 9 includes a swath of town running from around San Diego State University through City Heights and into Southcrest.
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Preceding provided by The Times of San Diego, which is a member of the San Diego On-Line News Association (SDONA)