Bill Carlson

I got this note from Nancy Nelson (Bill Carlson's wife) today. He is such a champion. Please keep both of them in your prayers. In fact, please pause and pray for them right now.
Bill, we love you!

Nancy wrote:

Wanted to give you an update on Bill...

As you know, Bill has had an enormous battle since June - and none of it because of the cancer.

* Broke his tail bone
* They overdosed him on oxycodone
* Got shingles
* They overdosed him so severely on prednisone that he became nearly unable to walk
* Because of this problem, fell, hit his head, had convulsions (in AZ - a week in the Mayo hospital there)
* Broke his ribs in the fall
* Got a clot in his lung
* Blood cells dropped requiring blood transfusions
* As they weaned him off prednisone (it took six weeks) lots of physical therapy to walk easily again


(In August when Bill was hopeful he would get back to work, we were confused that he kept getting weaker and weaker - then learned it was from the prednisone. You saw him briefly when he made it out to the state fair - in pretty fragile shape. It got much worse from there - but now, everyday is better.)

GREAT NEWS FOR US - the trials in which Billy has participated, have required that he be in Arizona. A new trial begins this week, and it can be monitored primarily from the cancer clinic at the U of M. This means we will only travel to AZ occasionally. We are very happy about that. The new drug is already approved for other forms of cancer and has shown some considerable results, with generally minor side effects.

Billy, as always, is spirited and positive and talking with the doctor about how much longer to build back from the prednisone so that he can get back to work. That remains his focus and goal. He misses his job and all of you more than you can possibly imagine.

Attaching a picture taken the end of October. You can see all of his hair is back - he has lost all of the prednisone weight.... Isn't he gorgeous.....and in September in a normal position with two of the four dogs (Billy and Daisy) sitting on him!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN AND SUPPORT AND FOR CARING ABOUT BILLY. He loves you all, you know. He really does.
Warmly
Nancy