A Message Of Love For Bill & Denise
Bill's Newsletters To Family & Friends
20th Newsletter -
Hello All,
What can I say to you all, but I am sorry for not keeping you all up to date on my progress, especially when it’s been so good! No excuses! Sorry!
Its springtime 2016 and everything is good! I’ve been cancer free, now, for almost a year, and I can feel the difference, and the Red Sox are close to 1st place, even though ALL the teams in the division are close to 1st, this early in the season. I am still weak by my treatment(s) and continue to have side effects, including neuropathy in my hands and feet and fatigue, but I continue to get stronger every day. At last, I can start helping to do things around the house to off load just some of the enormous amount of responsibilities that Denise has had to endure on her own for the past two years… without complaint! We are a formidable team together, in all aspects, and I want to continue to get stronger so I am able to do my fair share of the workload.
Since my last status update in late August 2015, I have had two surgeries to remove residual tumors from my lungs in September and October. These surgeries were not as trivial as we once thought, as they had to remove 10% and 15% of my right and left lungs, respectively, and I had to be taken back into the operating room a second time after my second surgery due to my bleeding excessively while in the recovery room. Needless to say, but once, again, Denise had to endure more pain and suffering watching me go through these additional treatments. However, the results from these surgeries was excellent in that no living cancer was found in any of the numerous tumors removed and my breathing is good, but only if I don’t run in any marathons (or do any yard workJ). The body is an amazing entity along with faith!
Thereafter, after taking some time to heal well enough to fly, Denise and I flew back East to enjoy the Christmas and New Year’s holidays with our families and friends, whom have been so very supportive, as everyone has! The mental and emotional healing for both Denise and I was tremendous and it was nice to celebrate all of our good news with those that we love so much! We ended up staying back East for over two months. Sorry for our not being able to see everyone, while our being back East, but I developed a bad case of Shingles for the last month home, which, unfortunately, was as bad as televised on television! I can still feel (and see) some of the effects of the shingles today.
Before returning back home to California, Denise and I had to go back to Houston, Texas, for follow up appointments with my Stem Cell doctor, Dr. Nieto, and Neurologist, Dr. McCutcheons. The results of the scans of my brain and body were unbelievable, even to my doctors, where Dr. Nieto stated that you only see something this good “once in your career”. Needless to say, this brought both Denise and I to tears, as it’s been such a long and hard road getting here! If there is a place in this status letter to cry, this is itJ
Currently, Denise and I are back home in California and getting back to more of a normal life! While continuing to build up my strength in my arms, legs, and hands, my mind is getting stronger, too, which is especially good as Denise and I are planning our future together (i.e. that’s got a nice sound to it)! A big part of this planning is my continued employment at Raytheon (or not). Raytheon contacted me, back in October of 2105, not long after my second lung surgery, and told me per Raytheon policy, that if I did not return back to work by the end of January 2016, after being out on medical leave for two years, that I would be “administratively terminated” from the company. Currently, the deadline for my returning back to work (or not) has been extended to June 1, 2016, but subject to change. This decision will be based upon the recommendations of my doctors during my appointments at the end of May, coming up next month. If I am unable to return to work, then I will be terminated without a severance package like you get when you are laid off, but given an opportunity to pack up my office and leave. After being a dedicated employee to the company for 27 years (i.e. 25 of them healthy), this is not how I expected (or wanted) my employment to end, if necessary, but then, again, I’m alive and have a future! Also, for whatever reasons, I am having difficulty getting all the documentation that I would need from Raytheon for selecting new higher priced benefits for not working, anymore, if necessary, to the point that I have had to hire an attorney and file a lawsuit. After going through everything that Denise and I have had to endure with dealing with my insurance company, you have to ask, why can’t institutions understand the ramifications of their actions on those that are already going through difficult times.
So, not wanting to drone on longer about my problems, I hope that all of you are doing well! I have talked with a good number of you over the last few months and asked that you spread the word that I was doing much better, which I appreciate! As usual, I continue to follow my Boston sports, where my painkillers came in handy watching my New England Patriots lose the championship game prior to the Super bowl. I still have some left for the 2016 Boston Red Sox season, if necessaryJ As always… Denise and I will never forget what everyone has done for us, in every regard!!! I said it before, but you do not live for yourself, but so that you can continue to enjoy the beautiful people in your life, where I am blessed! So, again, thank you, thank you, for everything that you have done for us AND we, both, look forward to making many, many, more memories with you all! It’s party time, BUT don’t tell my doctorsJ
We love you all and God bless,
Bill and Denise