Mesothelioma

until she won’t.

It is no surprise that every one of us has an opinion on the Edwards’ choices.

Not just Rush Limbaugh, who accused the Edwardses of turning their eyes to the campaign instead of God.

Not just “Toddo11,” who blogged, “How is he supposed to take care of his country when he doesn’t even take care of his family?

” Not just the 12,000 who e-mailed Elizabeth encouraging words in the first days after their announcement.

We each have an opinion on whether continuing a campaign shows courage or denial.

On whether quitting would show acceptance or defeat.

We have an opinion on whether children need wings or a cocoon.

Our views about facing cancer are as varied—and conflicted—as the eulogies of its victims: She fought every inch of the way.

She accepted it with grace.

The truth is that the Edwardses made their decision the way we all do.

We make choices based on who we are and what we believe and what is important to us.

It is not simply a mathematical equation, it is a narrative.

It’s not just a matter of medical calculation, it contains the arc of memoir.

Elizabeth’s decision is at one with her character, steeled through the death of her son, the birth of two more children, the refusal to be a victim, and the fierce determination to write her legacy.

Her husband’s decision says ...

Those who have passed away before gaining qualification reached 327 as of the end of January, accounting for 20 percent of all applicants.

Only 143 asbestos-linked disease victims or bereaved families have been recognized as eligible for the benefits.

The rest of the applicants, especially those with Akihiko Kataoka, deputy head of the secretariat of the Kansai Occupational & Health Center, a nongovernmental organization assisting asbestos-related disease patients, said, "The ERCA should pay more attention to the frequency of asbestos exposure of the applicants, instead of placing lopsidedly heavy significance on screening criteria based on medical examinations." "Should the situation be left as it is, instances of applicants dying before obtaining official recognition eligibility for the benefits will keep increasing," he said.

=== Scope of relief too narrow Another major problem with the relief law is its limitation of illnesses covered by relief measures to two diseases: Other diseases that are belie...