A Message Of Love For Bill & Denise
19th Newsletter -
Hello All,
It’s been awhile since we last talked and there is much to convey. First and foremost, as of today, my HCG (cancer marker) is down within an acceptable range (7.2)…meaning that my cancer is considered in remission, but that my last high dose chemo may still be working on my cancer and/or future treatment(s) may be needed. Regardless of this value, I feel better than I have in quite a while!
However, it has been a tough road battling this disease. Many of the cancer treatments, which include chemo therapy, drugs and stem cell transplants (four total) have weakened my body and has made it difficult to communicate to you all, as much as I would like to. This last transplant in May was the most difficult to date as I was in pain and in the hospital for a month and a half with mouth sores (i.e. couldn’t eat or drink). These were the darkest days of my life, but Denise was there every day to help me through it. I couldn’t have got through it without her!!! I love my Denise!!!
After being discharged from the hospital in mid-July, my appetite returned and I began gaining weight, again, and getting stronger every day. Fortunately, my recovery was going well enough that Denise and I was able to travel back “East” for a couple weeks to rest, recuperate from my latest high dose chemo/stem cell transplant and to see family & friends. With everything going on with my treatments, we hadn’t realized that we had not been back East for over 18 months! It was GREAT being back, even though I did have some side effects from my last treatment that limited my mobility to see more of you! After seeing as many of our families and friends that we could, we are still so full of love and re-energized from all the outpouring of support from family and friends, that we saw during those couple of weeks.
Currently, we are back in Houston, TX, to undergo surgery to remove the dead tumors from my lungs. Unfortunately, this surgery had to be delayed two weeks, ago, when we got back here, due to some swelling in my brain (i.e. a potential side effect from brain radiation last year) , BUT the expert staff here was able to resolve this issue quickly and hopefully permanently… Thank God! It’s amazing what you can get used to. Currently, we are scheduled to talk to the surgeon tomorrow, Monday, 9/1, and to have surgery a day or two later, hopefully. However, he may be requiring a total of two surgeries, one on each lung, with about a month healing in between, but we will know more tomorrow. This is supposed to be the last of my treatments, so Denise and I are open to whatever it takes as long as we “getter done”. It’s been a long road!
I want to thank everyone for being there for Denise and I with unwavering support and love! What do I say to my twin brother Bobby (I call spare parts) who flew to Texas to donate his stem cells for my fourth transplant, to reduce my cancer count to where it is today…thank you and I love you with all my heart!
We love you all and keep doing what you all our doing!!!
All Our Love, Bill and Denise