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CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Dec. 6 (UPI) -- The health of Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., has worsened as her cancer has spread, her family said Monday. Her family said in a statement that Elizabeth Edwards, 61, is home in Chapel Hill, N.C., after having been briefly hospitalized recently, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, reported. Doctors have recommended she not receive further treatment, her family said.
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She is being supported by her family and friends, including John Edwards, who was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2008 and ran for the presidential nomination in 2004.
"I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces -- my family, my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope," Edwards said in a message posted Monday on her Facebook page. "These graces have carried me through difficult times, and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that."
She was first diagnosed with cancer late in her husband's the 2004 presidential campaign but didn't disclose it until after the election. It resurfaced in early 2007 as he was mounting a second presidential bid.
Elizabeth Edwards, who has written two books about how she has overcome adversity in her life -- "Resilience" and "Saving Graces" -- separated from her husband about a year ago after more than 30 years of marriage. The breakup was precipitated by his affair with a campaign staffer.
The marriage produced four children -- Wade, who died in a car crash in 1996; Cate, a lawyer in Washington; and Emma Claire, 12, and Jack, 10, who live in Chapel Hill with their mother.
