Diodati gets ‘thousands’ of get-well messages
With his first chemotherapy session Friday out of the way, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati faces 11 more over the next six months.
Diodati, 52, was admitted to hospital three weeks ago suffering from pneumonia and pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a highly treatable form of cancer.
“He said he felt really good on Saturday and (Sunday) as well, so two days following his first chemo he’s feeling really pretty good about it,” said Lou Vescio, his friend and campaign manager.
Diodati is seeking re-election for a third term as mayor. He’ll face city councillor Kim Craitor and two political newcomers, Kip Finn and Dinah Mansour, on the Oct. 22 ballot.
Vescio said Diodati is allowed no visitors and has stayed off social media while in hospital, but that “literally thousands of people have reached out” via text and email messages, “not only locally but across the province and nationally, too.”
He said Diodati, who has three children, responds to as many as he can, and that “he wants to share this journey with his friends and family, and, of course, the residents of Niagara Falls.”
Vescio believes Diodati’s release date depends in large part on his body’s response to the chemo treatments.
“I assume he’ll be going home soon,” he said. “I think it was precautionary even last week, I think they were just trying to make sure they had all the results from the assessments and the tests.”
Vescio said Diodati felt the “classic symptoms” of Hodgkin’s lymphoma before being hospitalized, especially fatigue.
Other symptoms include swelling of the lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, severe itching and increased sensitivity or lymph node pain after drinking alcohol.
City councillor Vince Kerrio has filled in for some of Diodati’s duties while he’s been in hospital, and Vescio said Diodati has been keeping up with current events.
“You can only imagine, someone who has been so busy for so long, to sit there and do nothing — that is not Mayor Jim,” he said.