THE FIRST FAMILY: Betty Ford: Facing Cancer

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At 7:10 a.m. she was wheeled into the surgical suite. At 8:05 a.m. the examination began. It took the doctors only 15 minutes to determine that the nodule was indeed cancerous. Proceeding according to a prior agreement with the Fords, they went on to perform a standard radical mastectomy (see box).

When the President learned the devastating news, he canceled plans to attend the Saturday-morning session of the summit and flew to the hospital by helicopter through a thunderstorm. Ford was waiting in the hospital suite when the operation was completed at 11:15 a.m. The doctors allowed the President to go into the recovery room to see his wife. She was awake but groggy.

Later Navy Captain William Fouty, who is chief of surgery at the hospital, assured Ford that the operation had gone very well. Dr. Lukash told reporters: "Throughout this ordeal, Mrs. Ford exhibited an atmosphere of confidence and demonstrated an inner strength that sustained not only her family and close staff but also the doctors."