Bill Matteson

July 2010 Update

2010-07-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hi All...

Well, the latest CT scan showed that about half of my melanoma spots have disappeared and the other half have gotten smaller, except for one. My doctor initially said it would either take sugery or radiation to fix that one, but another doctor mentioned a new outpatient procedure called Radio Frequency Ablation. For this, they insert a needle into the tumor and basically microwave it using alternating electrical charges. Sounds good to me (better than surgery :)

So I'm still hanging in there, feeling good and may be done with the chemo, at least for now. Maybe without the chemo, I can gain some of my weight back and not look like I'm 110 years old :)

Hope you all stay well...

Bill

Update - April 20, 2010

2010-04-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All...

Well, always something new. My latest CT scan showed that the multitude of Melanoma spots on my lungs and liver have all shrunk in size except for 1 in my lungs and 1 in my liver (both have increased in size). I'll take the shrinkage of the multitude, though. Unfortunately, the CT scan also showed a blood clot on my left femoral artery near my hip. That has prompted 8 shots into the flesh around my tummy and a new medication (Coumadin) to dissolve the clot. Not sure how long this will continue, possibly 6 months or more. I'm almost to the point of consuming enough pills so there isn't any room left for actual food :)

Other than the constant health battles, I'm feeling good and trying to stay reasonably active fiddling with our garden and writing a quarterly article for High Hopes, a Newsletter a few of us re-invented as part of the City of Hope Patient and Family Advisory Council (of which I'm a member). This issues contribution is "The Benefits of Getting Sick."

I hope everyone is well, and stays that way...

Bill Matteson

Happy 2010

2009-12-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hi All - It's been awhile since I've done an update and a lot has happened. In my last post I mentioned several melanoma surgeries and 30 days of radiation to hopefully get rid of it once and for all. Didn't happen - the melanoma spread to my lungs and liver, and while trying to treat that with chemo, we discovered a tumor the size of a large grape on the right frontal lobe of my brain. I had surgery to remove it Dec 16th. It was very successful and I was released from the hospital on the 18th - feeling pretty good I might add :)

My doctors are trying to figure out what to do next and I'm just enjoying the holidays. We actually had a nice Christmas and hope all of you did as well. I'll try to keep this site more up to date as the next few months go by.

A happy and healthy new year to us all...

Bill Matteson

Happy Father's Day :)

2009-06-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi All - Well, it's been an eventful few months, sorry I haven't been in touch. I ended up with 4 surgeries for Melanoma on the left side of my face, followed by 30 days of radiation, hopefully to clean up any leftover "bad humors." During the process, I lost my taste buds and the hair on the left side of my head (I look like a marine). Both, supposedly, will come back. I also lost all/most/some of my left saliva glad - so currently, most everything tastes like papier-mache paste. Makes it hard to eat for healing purposes when nothing tastes good.

Anyway, at this point, we're hoping we've gotten it all and that health related issues will level off for awhile. I hope everyone is doing well and taking care of themselves. Thanks for checking up on me.

Happy Father's Day and Happy 4th of July... Bill

Test Post

2009-04-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

hi bill, i'm a test.

Happy Holidays

2008-11-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hi All - Another holiday season is here, and I imagine a lot has happened to all of us. In my case, I've had several skin cancers removed, and I've been told it's because of too much sun in my past, and NOT due to my transplant and my somewhat suppressed immune system. Along these lines, my doctor has reduced 2 of my immune suppressant drugs and I feel pretty good about it. All and all, I have a lot to be thankful for, especially my family and friends. I wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday season, and a wonderful 2009; thanks for you ongoing love and support...
Bill

Day 2,000

2008-08-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hi All...

Well, for those still checking up on me, TODAY IS DAY 2,000 SINCE MY TRANSPLANT! Wow, can't believe it. Must be all the clean living...

Thanks for all your support over the years - it's made a huge difference knowing you care. Stay healthy...

Bill

BMT Reunion...

2008-05-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hi All - Well, the annual Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion was April 25th - my 5th reunion. It is always a special occassion, but this one was even more so. Christine, my friend who had her first transplant the same time I did (yes, she had another one a year ago) met her donor for the first time. His name is Kent and he's from Hong Kong - it was a very special and emotional moment for them both.

Also May 7th was day 1,900 since my transplant - 100 to go for 2,000. Pretty cool! I haven't met my donor, Dirk, in person yet, but hope to in the near future. We email periodically, and I love to here from him and his family - as you can imagine, they are special to Jeanne and I.

Enjoy life, my friends - health and happiness... Bill

5th Re-Birthday :)

2008-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All...

Well, today is a milestone; February 26th, 2003 is when I received bone marrow from my new "brother" in Germany (Dirk). He saved the life of someone he didn't even know, and because of him I'm celebrating my 5th Re-Birthday. It's hard to put into words what it feels like to still be waking up each day and being able to do things I like to do.

For those of you still checking updates here from time to time, your concern and support has meant a lot, and has made all the difference. It's difficult doing things alone; it's easy doing things as a team.

For those of you who have helped, who have been concerned, and who have offered the many different kinds of support I've received - thank you...

I wish you continuing health and happiness in return...

Bill

Happy New Year...

2008-02-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hi All - Well, it's 2008. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a healthy and happy new year. My 2008 started with a good checkup in January - all blood counts in the normal or near normal range. I'm feeling well and my doctor's appts. are 2 months apart now, and it's nice not to be spending several days a week at various medical checkups (City of Hope, Orthopedic Surgeon, Urologist, physical therapy, etc.). 'Course, if it hadn't of been for all the medical appts, I wouldn't have had any social life at all :)

I've been fishing a couple of times so far this year, and hope to get back to golfing and camping in the near future. I have 2 more retail outlets for my greeting cards, and Jeanne and I are thinking of taking an Alaskan cruise this summer.

All in all, life is busy and wonderful. I'm very lucky to have so many blessings, and hope all of you are taking time to recognise the blessings you have. Remember to keep work, family, and friends in a proper balance... Straight ahead - Bill

Greeting Cards...

2007-11-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks - I gave a health update recently, so thought I'd let you know how my greeting cards are doing. Folks seem to like my "off-the-wall" humor (especially for $1.25 each :) I've got over 200 cards covering all the major categories at this point, and have included a unique set of illness-specific cards (various cancers, bone marrow transplant, kyphoplasty, etc.). I'm still focused on helping people laugh, especially those with illnesses - even the illness specific cards are pretty much all humorous. A retail store named Card Heaven likes and is handling them, and says they are doing well.

In addition, another retailer who handled the cards quit and went to Mississippi on a mission to help Katrina victims. He asked me to create cards that he can use to thank people that assist his recovery efforts. I created 6 humorous ones and he likes them very much.

I'm putting catalogs together at this point and hope that soon I'll be able to start marketing to hospital gift shops. Laugh and stay healthy - Bill

November Update

2007-11-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks :)

I had a pretty good Dr.’s appt. on the 5th - good enough that my doctor made my next appt. 2 and a half months from now; most have been monthly or 6 weeks. It’s nice to lengthen out the checkups. Plus, she lowered my daily liquid intake from 100 oz to 75 oz - much easier to accomplish. Felt good about that, too. My muscles are cramping some, and my stamina borders on non-existent, but interestingly enough, I feel pretty good. I’m exercising to build up my strength and hope that’ll help, little by little.

Y’all take care, and have a great Thanksgiving coming up… Health and happiness - Bill

Hallelujah…

2007-09-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Wow - this hasn’t happened much in the last 5 years (once, I think) - I HAVE NO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS IN OCTOBER :) That’s right, no bone marrow transplant related checkups, no orthopoedic surgeon appts. for kyphoplasty and my back, no urologist appts. for cooled thermo therapy and prostate stuff, no dental appts., etc. Pretty cool.

I had a dental appt. a few weeks ago and no cavities; I had a doctors appt. at City of Hope yesterday and my blood counts were all good, I finished a month of physical therapy for my back last week, and I played 18 holes of golf last Friday with no apparent ill effects. Life’s good :) I hope anyone reading this is well, and that you take care of yourself and stay that way. Here’s to a happy fall and holiday season for us all - Bill

Feeling Good :)

2007-09-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hi All - Well, I’ve been exercising and doing some physical therapy to help heal my back and make it stronger with the goal of getting back to the point where I could play golf. I tried golf (got through 12 holes) 6 months ago or so and ended up fracturing another vertebrae. My more recent goal was being in a golf tournament Sep 14th. I made it, got through all 18 holes, my back feels fine, and I’m considering it a success at this point. I plan to continue exercising with the hope of getting stronger after almost a year of inactivity due to my back, and look forward to a more active life again. Thanks for checking in on me - health and happiness to you all. Bill

Guinea Pig

2007-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hi folks - Let’s see now, a bone marrow transplant, 3 Kyphoplasty’s to repair 5 vertebrae, and Cooled ThermoTherapy (also called TransUrethral Microwave ThermoTherapy - TUMT) to reduce the prostrate without surgery or ongoing medication - I’m lucky I feel so good, I know, but it just occurred I might be the poster child of every new treatment known to humanity :)

Actually, the microwave therapy to reduce the prostrate went very well, an easy procedure that took 30 minutes (in the doctor’s office for about an hour), then left and went out to lunch. If you need something done, this is the type of procedure to get. Supposedly, everything gets better over the next 6 months, and the “fix” is more or less permanent. Works for me… Y’all take care - Bill

Back Surgery Went Well

2007-05-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hi - Well, the good news is that the Kyphoplasty treatment on the T-9 vertebrae went well - no pain and the back feels pretty good. The bad news is that the need for a catheter uncovered a prostrate problem. Fortunately, it appears to just be an enlarged prostrate (fairly common in men as old as dirt) and there’s a new minimally invasive catheter oriented microwave treatment that shrinks the prostrate. I’ll probably have this treatment at the end of May or June and I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned :)

Huzzah…

2007-05-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks - GOOD NEWS :) I had a thyroid biopsy and it came back negative - no “bad humors” and operating normally. Now, if I can get my back fixed, I’ll be in business. Thanks for all the good wishes!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2007-04-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All - Just a short note to let you know that, healthwise, I’ve been better. I’m recovering from a cold, and my doctor asked for a CT scan to see if I had pneumonia. We don’t think I have pneumonia, but the CT scan showed that I have another vertebrae problem (I have an appt. with my spine doctor a week from tomorrow), and that I have a nodule on my thyroid (I have an ultrasound scheduled for next Wednesday).

My back is really sore, especially when I cough, but I’m hanging in there. I hope you all are well, and that you stay that way - take care of yourself (an ounce of preventioin really IS worth a pound of cure :)

I’ll let you know how my appointments go - thanks for caring…

Golf

2007-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks - My golf outing went well; I played 12 holes and quit just to be safe. Fortunately, I felt great the next day, maybe even better than I would have felt had I not played. I was pleased.

My friend Tom (we go back 45 years together) is visiting from Florida for 3 weeks and keeping me busy. We went to Palm Springs to visit a long time friend who was attending a conference from Austria - the new picture is the 3 of us.

Thanks for checking on me.

March “Gladness”

2007-03-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hi All - Well, the good news is that on March 9th my doctor thought I was doing pretty good and lowered my Prednisone a little more - that’s a good thing. The bad news is that my back still isn’t letting me do the things I want to do - even though supposedly it’s “fixed.” I’m trying to strengthen my muscles to compensate - hopefully, it’ll help. We’ll see. Even so, I’m gonna’ try golf next week - cross your fingers :)

The 4 weekly Rituxin treatments to combat Graft Vs Host Disease brought my white count down to 4,000 from 9,000. Fortunately, it’s still in the “Normal” range, and I’m hoping it’ll go up some by my next appt. on April 30th, at which time I’m also going to have a breathing test to check my lungs. I’ll let you know how it goes. Good Health to all; thanks for checking on me - Bill

Latest BMT Checkup…

2007-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks - Had an infusion to boost my immune system during flu season yesterday, and a routine checkup. Things went pretty well. My normal immune system was good enough that we made my next infusion appt. for 6 weeks, versus 4, and cancelled the last infusion. My doctor also lowered my Prednisone dosage by 25%, with the hope of lowering it further in the coming months; made me feel good.

My back is still sore, but I’m hoping now it’s stiff muscles more than anything else (from not using them). I’m trying to exercise them more, little by little, and it’s helping some; I’m crossing my fingers.

I hope you’re all well, and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during the coming year.

Happy New Year…

2007-01-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Hi All - Well, the Dec 8th appt. confirmed a compressed T-8 vertebrae and I had another Kyphoplasty to fix it just before Christmas. The surgery went well; I had a check up today (Jan 3rd) and all seems to be OK. I still have back pain, and was concerned that another vertebrrae had compressed, but todays x-ray showed all vertebrae OK at this point. I feel good about that. The doctor thinks my current pain may be due to muscle dis-use (I’ve been REALLY careful of late), and now I have to begin exercising a little more (gently, but use versus dis-use :)

I hope your holiday season was wonderful, and that 2007 is healthy and happy for us all. Thanks for checking up on me (leave a note and let me know how you are)…