Donation protected
My name is William “Bill” Clymer. I am 52 years old and a single father of 3 gorgeous teenage daughters. I also have two amazing older stepsons that have provided me with love, support, and so far, 3 beautiful grandchildren that bring me more joy than words can describe. I have been raising my girls on my own since their mother and I divorced in January of 2017 and I received sole custody. At that time, I dedicated my life to raising them the best I could as a single father. The girls have been active in marching band, color guard, girls scouts, and dance. I supported my family and the girls’ activities for years by working a full-time concrete construction job and running my own part time business doing parking lot maintenance work on nights and weekends.
Everything was going well until the train wreck of 2020 arrived.. In late January of 2020 I developed a pain in my left thigh above my knee. The pain would get so intense that I could barely tolerate any weight on it and I had to use crutches or a cane to get around. I have been an exercise enthusiast for years and went to the gym at least 5 days a week. I assumed the pain in my thigh was exercise related so I took it easy on my leg workouts and after a couple of weeks the pain subsided. However, the pain returned several weeks later after resuming normal activities. Again, I rested my leg and the pain subsided. After a couple of weeks, the pain returned for no apparent reason, and then would again subside. As time went on the pain would flare up with more frequency and more intensity. By now we were in the middle of the COVID19 outbreak and shutdown, and I was reluctant to make a doctor’s appointment. On May 21st, 2020 I finally got myself in to see an Orthopedic doctor who diagnosed me with Tendonitis after an XRAY showed no other abnormalities. At that first doctor visit my pain was not severe and the doctor told me that if it did get severe to get back in immediately and they would MRI it while the pain was severe. On June 9th, 2020 the pain was severe, and I got back into see the doctor, but instead of ordering an MRI, he stuck with his Tendonitis diagnosis and sent me to see a physical therapist. I should have pushed for the MRI at that time but I went to physical therapy for approximately 7 weeks. The physical therapist told me that my leg was not responding like tendonitis or a muscle injury should respond, and I needed to go back to the orthopedic doctor which I did on July 30th, 2020. At that 3rd visit the doctor didn’t even examine my leg at all, and told me it could take several additional months for my leg to heal. When I asked him why the pain was so severe, his answer was “I HAVE NO IDEA”, and he showed absolutely no further concern. I was so frustrated that I started over with a new orthopedic doctor who was more concerned with my condition and ordered me an MRI. I finally got my MRI scheduled on August 24th, 2020. Just several days before the MRI I started noticing that I was getting double vision when I looked to my right, which I would later find out was caused by a tumor in my bone at the base of my skull. I had my MRI on my leg on the 24th and the doctor contacted me immediately and told me that my left femur was abnormal and showed signs of a blood disorder, and I had a mass in the soft tissue of my leg. I told him about the double vision, and he said that could be a symptom of what was going on. This doctor referred me to a specialist in orthopedic oncology and several days after a surgical biopsy of my left leg and femur on September 11, 2020 I got my diagnosis of Aggressive Large B Cell Lymphoma. The double vision was rapidly getting worse and the entire right side of my head and face started to go numb. An MRI of my head revealed a tumor at the base of my skull which was pressing on the nerves that controlled the right side of my head and eye movement.
My next doctor visit was a week later with my main oncologist/hematologist, who explained very clearly what was happening to me, and then told me to go home, pack a small bag, as he had already arranged for me to check into the hospital that same day and get more testing and start my chemo treatments. My cancer had progressed to the point that he said we could not wait any longer. I checked in to the hospital that day and they immediately got me settled and started testing with another MRI of my head. Next was a pet scan which revealed cancer in my left femur and leg, a small spot starting in my right leg femur, the tumor at the base of my skull, cancer at 2 locations in my spine at my T-2 and T-7 vertebrae, and a small spot on my pancreas. The next test was a lumbar puncture and an exam of my spinal fluid which revealed malignant cells.
My doctors say I have a good chance of beating this cancer, but they also warned me how difficult the treatment would be. They started me on a chemo regimen called CVAD. It is a brutal regimen with 4 different chemo drugs and requires me to be hospitalized for 6 treatments that last for 4 days each. So far, I have completed 3 of the 6 visits. The doctors weren’t exaggerating. In addition to the chemo regimen, I also must have regular lumbar punctures where they examine my spinal fluid and inject chemo directly into my spinal fluid. The side effects of the chemo regularly wipe out my: white bloods cells so I am usually immunocompromised, (this causes me the most worries especially with Covid, and forces me to live like a hermit), my red blood cells so I am constantly fatigued, and my blood platelet counts are usually down so I have a risk of excessive bleeding. So far, I have had to have 4 transfusions.
Between the COVID19 shutdown, the pain in my leg, and now my treatment, my finances are in ruins. I have not been able to work, and have exhausted what savings I had, accumulated considerable debt, and borrowed money to keep the bills paid. I pay my own health insurance premiums through paycheck deductions from my full-time employer, but since I haven’t been able to work, I am behind on paying those premiums. My employer has been terrific and has been paying the premiums for me and says he will carry my insurance until I can get back to work, but that is months away.
I have never been one to ask for help. It’s not an easy thing for me to do. However, fighting this cancer is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and it has forced me to ask for help. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read my story. I also would like to thank you for any donations, prayers, or well wishes you can send me and my girls’ way. Donations will go to help pay my insurance premiums, medical bills, and our living expenses until I can get back to work.
The last thing I want to say is like my Public Service Announcement: Do not be afraid to question your doctors. Do not be afraid to ask for additional tests. Do not wait to get a second opinion if you don’t agree 100 percent with your first doctor’s opinion. Back in June I did not know I had cancer. If I had gotten that MRI on my leg 2 months before I did, I would’ve been able to get a head start on this and I might not be in as bad shape as I am now. Every Day Counts!!!!
Everything was going well until the train wreck of 2020 arrived.. In late January of 2020 I developed a pain in my left thigh above my knee. The pain would get so intense that I could barely tolerate any weight on it and I had to use crutches or a cane to get around. I have been an exercise enthusiast for years and went to the gym at least 5 days a week. I assumed the pain in my thigh was exercise related so I took it easy on my leg workouts and after a couple of weeks the pain subsided. However, the pain returned several weeks later after resuming normal activities. Again, I rested my leg and the pain subsided. After a couple of weeks, the pain returned for no apparent reason, and then would again subside. As time went on the pain would flare up with more frequency and more intensity. By now we were in the middle of the COVID19 outbreak and shutdown, and I was reluctant to make a doctor’s appointment. On May 21st, 2020 I finally got myself in to see an Orthopedic doctor who diagnosed me with Tendonitis after an XRAY showed no other abnormalities. At that first doctor visit my pain was not severe and the doctor told me that if it did get severe to get back in immediately and they would MRI it while the pain was severe. On June 9th, 2020 the pain was severe, and I got back into see the doctor, but instead of ordering an MRI, he stuck with his Tendonitis diagnosis and sent me to see a physical therapist. I should have pushed for the MRI at that time but I went to physical therapy for approximately 7 weeks. The physical therapist told me that my leg was not responding like tendonitis or a muscle injury should respond, and I needed to go back to the orthopedic doctor which I did on July 30th, 2020. At that 3rd visit the doctor didn’t even examine my leg at all, and told me it could take several additional months for my leg to heal. When I asked him why the pain was so severe, his answer was “I HAVE NO IDEA”, and he showed absolutely no further concern. I was so frustrated that I started over with a new orthopedic doctor who was more concerned with my condition and ordered me an MRI. I finally got my MRI scheduled on August 24th, 2020. Just several days before the MRI I started noticing that I was getting double vision when I looked to my right, which I would later find out was caused by a tumor in my bone at the base of my skull. I had my MRI on my leg on the 24th and the doctor contacted me immediately and told me that my left femur was abnormal and showed signs of a blood disorder, and I had a mass in the soft tissue of my leg. I told him about the double vision, and he said that could be a symptom of what was going on. This doctor referred me to a specialist in orthopedic oncology and several days after a surgical biopsy of my left leg and femur on September 11, 2020 I got my diagnosis of Aggressive Large B Cell Lymphoma. The double vision was rapidly getting worse and the entire right side of my head and face started to go numb. An MRI of my head revealed a tumor at the base of my skull which was pressing on the nerves that controlled the right side of my head and eye movement.
My next doctor visit was a week later with my main oncologist/hematologist, who explained very clearly what was happening to me, and then told me to go home, pack a small bag, as he had already arranged for me to check into the hospital that same day and get more testing and start my chemo treatments. My cancer had progressed to the point that he said we could not wait any longer. I checked in to the hospital that day and they immediately got me settled and started testing with another MRI of my head. Next was a pet scan which revealed cancer in my left femur and leg, a small spot starting in my right leg femur, the tumor at the base of my skull, cancer at 2 locations in my spine at my T-2 and T-7 vertebrae, and a small spot on my pancreas. The next test was a lumbar puncture and an exam of my spinal fluid which revealed malignant cells.
My doctors say I have a good chance of beating this cancer, but they also warned me how difficult the treatment would be. They started me on a chemo regimen called CVAD. It is a brutal regimen with 4 different chemo drugs and requires me to be hospitalized for 6 treatments that last for 4 days each. So far, I have completed 3 of the 6 visits. The doctors weren’t exaggerating. In addition to the chemo regimen, I also must have regular lumbar punctures where they examine my spinal fluid and inject chemo directly into my spinal fluid. The side effects of the chemo regularly wipe out my: white bloods cells so I am usually immunocompromised, (this causes me the most worries especially with Covid, and forces me to live like a hermit), my red blood cells so I am constantly fatigued, and my blood platelet counts are usually down so I have a risk of excessive bleeding. So far, I have had to have 4 transfusions.
Between the COVID19 shutdown, the pain in my leg, and now my treatment, my finances are in ruins. I have not been able to work, and have exhausted what savings I had, accumulated considerable debt, and borrowed money to keep the bills paid. I pay my own health insurance premiums through paycheck deductions from my full-time employer, but since I haven’t been able to work, I am behind on paying those premiums. My employer has been terrific and has been paying the premiums for me and says he will carry my insurance until I can get back to work, but that is months away.
I have never been one to ask for help. It’s not an easy thing for me to do. However, fighting this cancer is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and it has forced me to ask for help. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read my story. I also would like to thank you for any donations, prayers, or well wishes you can send me and my girls’ way. Donations will go to help pay my insurance premiums, medical bills, and our living expenses until I can get back to work.
The last thing I want to say is like my Public Service Announcement: Do not be afraid to question your doctors. Do not be afraid to ask for additional tests. Do not wait to get a second opinion if you don’t agree 100 percent with your first doctor’s opinion. Back in June I did not know I had cancer. If I had gotten that MRI on my leg 2 months before I did, I would’ve been able to get a head start on this and I might not be in as bad shape as I am now. Every Day Counts!!!!
Organizer
William Clymer
Organizer
Independence, MO