Welcome to Bill's CaringBridge site. This site will help us all stay on the same page as Bill has been diagnosed and is well into treatments for Leukemia, a result of important past treatment and his cure 15 years ago. This is Maya and I will do my best to tell his story as I see it. Be sure to "follow" and read the latest in the journal, starting on January 16th, 2023. As this site began in March of 2008, you are welcome to read back about his strength and successful fight years before. Messages can be added in well wishes and comments as well.
Also, the donate button and TRIBUTES are for the caring bridge company and site. I just wanted to make that clear as in the past that was confusing.
From this site prior to 2008: For a quick recap, Bill was diagnosed with testicular seminoma only one year after we met in January of 2002, had the mass removed and was under close surveillance for the following 5 years. On his very last CT scan in the fall of 2006 (a short 14 months after our marriage), a large mass, with others close by, were shown to have appeared in his chest, near his aorta. He received a very strong regimen of chemotherapy and in December of 2006, was cured, as they say, and in January of 2007 had a removal of a GIST tumor (a low grade, slow growing second cancer that was biopsied and is gone-sometimes when one cancer is present, a second can appear). Two cancers gone...He was cancer free.
On January 15, about 13 months after the completion of Bill's chemotherapy regimen for metastasized testicular seminoma, a routine chest x-ray showed the return of that same mass in his chest. It grew right from scar tissue that was left behind from the last round of chemo and had been shrinking four months earlier.
The news on January 15 and 16th, and the confirmation of the biopsy days later…well, it was devastating. I had only returned two weeks earlier from my 3 month tour with Radio City, and Bill and I had just regained momentum with our work and our lives together in Denver. We were soon in the hands of Dr. Larry Einhorn, whose office worked hard to find us a cancellation appointment and we quickly flew to Indianapolis to meet with the man who cured Lance Armstrong.
His theory with Bill's cancer was simply the unknown. Why a cancer with typical patterns had a history of moving up his left side, then missing his abdomen, though a GIST tumor already resided there, and then even skipped to his right side as a small mass on his liver. The cancer was microscopically always there from 2002, and although chemo in 2006 showed a clean bill of health, it was so microscopic that the PET scans could not pick it up and that is why surveillance is so important. Dr. Einhorn's regimen was far more aggressive than what doctors in Denver suggested and practiced: it was, and is, a high dose chemotherapy regimen with a tandem stem cell rescue/bone marrow transplant. We were very surprised that Bill fit into a category of a third line of treatment, surpassing the second line, typically offered to patients who have their first recurrence. Dr. Einhorn had done over 200 of this protocol, called high dose chemotherapy with tandem autologous transplantation . Our confidence with Dr. Einhorn was supported by Bill's oncologist in Denver (of the past 6 years), other oncologists, and transplant teams in Colorado who helped us get the exception approved with the insurance to finally arrive at an acceptance to allow this treatment, and also gave us the ability to travel out of network to be treated at the center of excellence, IU medical center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Details of Bill's treatment will be listed in the journal section of this website. The first entry will take you from the first day of his first round in Denver up until the day before his first round in Indianapolis.
We ask for support through your positive energy and thoughts, prayers and words as Bill begins a journey that none of us can even begin to understand. We have so appreciated the calls, messages, cards, and love. Bill will be brought down to an average of a zero white blood cell count, which means, if we can keep Bill out -patient in our temporary apartment which is our goal, then we will be bubble boy, girl and dog. We have to be especially careful and keep him infection-free, which makes for a lonely few months. We look forward to hearing your positive, uplifting voices and writing, although we know we can't promise to pick up the phone or email or write back. It is the worst part about giving and not getting any return. Please know that it does make a difference and we do remember all of the love. I will keep you updated as we move forward. I will definitely keep it much shorter than this novel, it was important for us to have everyone on the same page, with the correct information...but all we can ask, is that you hope with us, for a safe recovery to health during and after this treatment, longevity and a healthy, happy life. We know this 6 year experience HAS only made us stronger as individuals, and as a couple, challenging and strengthening us every day. I can't tell you how much it means to us to know that we are not alone, and I certainly feel the same for each of you, who will watch a brother, step son, daughter, sister, relative and friend go through this truly powerful experience.
If you had watched the live stream this past Sunday of Bill's Celebration of Life, you may have noticed it cut off. This was partly because of the copyright laws (Beatles specifically from one of the videos). I have added the full service here, hoping it stays on youtube.
The entire experience was exactly as I had hoped it would showcase who Bill was, from the space he knew well, to the art map and memory table to the crowd of caring and loving individuals, including amazing friends to Jackson and Shyla to the gigantic hearts of many dear and special speakers who justified Bill's life. An incredible thanks to so many loving friends and family who supported the whole gathering with so much work so that I could take in this day - Jackson and Shyla will forever know their Dad in so many more ways. THANK YOU.
Many years ago, I watched Kaarin Blasi Enright stand up bravely and authentically at her husband's memorial. When I asked her later, HOW? she told me that if the time ever came, I would do the same. I did accidentally...as you know or can see from the full service. As I learned when I watched the recording, I did say what I felt and what was the truth- the abundance of grief and sadness we have felt, has been truly matched by the abundance of love and support, and it has made us OK. I have been beside myself in the overwhelming help as I know we all have lost in these past years. We do look forward to when we can get back on our feet and make a difference. I have no idea when, but we will make an effort, thanks to the enormous hug from others. Full service HERE
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Bill Stay Connected to Family and Friends
A $25 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Bill's for two weeks. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.Help Bill Stay Connected to Family and Friends