Teary Kim Reynolds updates First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds' lung cancer treatment

Iowa First Gentleman Kevin Reynolds is "doing well" after his first month of treatment for lung cancer, Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Wednesday.

Kevin Reynolds was diagnosed with lung cancer in late September. Kim Reynolds said his diagnosis was a "gut punch": the first gentleman had never smoked, and he sought treatment for what the family thought was a ruptured disc.

"I’m happy to say that the radiation has really kicked the pain that was in his spine, so that has been a true blessing and has helped his attitude quite a bit, to not be in so much pain," Kim Reynolds said Wednesday.

The first gentleman is on a breakthrough oral immune therapy drug, which will hopefully eliminate the need for chemotherapy. Kim Reynolds said it was a "bright spot" to see the innovative new treatments available for cancer patients, and she praised the medical team at the John Stoddard Cancer Center, where Kevin is receiving care.

"We’re just taking it one step at a time, but he’s doing well," she said.

Kim Reynolds got teary-eyed as she thanked Iowans for their prayers and well-wishes.

"Every day, we get a card, two or three cards in the mail to say that, ‘We’re praying for you. You’ll be in our prayers,'" she said. "I think it’s just another reflection of Iowans and who we are. It matters and it makes a difference."

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Gov. Kim Reynolds' husband 'doing well' after lung cancer diagnosis