BY BILL ZIEGLER
In July of 2011, my life was forever changed. It was supposed to be a time for celebration. It was almost my 33rd birthday, an occasion I had planned on celebrating with my wife, Kate, and our three children. On those warm summer days, my life could be best described as a healthy mix of family, work, bicycling, and working on cars.
Then, one morning, the phone rang. The call was from my doctor. I had cancer – mesothelioma, to be precise. As the shock and disbelief settled, surrounded by my family, one thing became crystal clear: I was going to do whatever it took to live and overcome.
Like any parent, up to that point, I focused on caring and providing for my family. My message to them has always been to never give up, no matter the circumstances. I taught them that the more tools and resources you have in your toolbox, the more likely you are to succeed.
I knew that if I were to continue to be there for them, I had to take a page out of my own book and find all the resources available to me. I searched low and high for everything, from treatment options to new and upcoming therapies, that would give me the best outcome.
In my search, I discovered the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and took advantage of its patient support services. Mary Hesdorffer, the Foundation’s nurse practitioner, talked me through treatment options and pointed me in the right direction for care. Her knowledge and expertise of treatments and clinical trials, along with her relationships with specialists in the field, are the “must-have” resources in every patient’s arsenal.
Through the Foundation’s online support groups and Symposium, Mary also introduced me to other patients (as well as doctors and scientists actively working to find a cure) from whom I could draw support and learn.
These relationships came in very handy throughout my mesothelioma journey. I found motivation and inspiration from others like me. In fact, my decision to continue working came as a result of a conversation with another cancer survivor. He helped me understand that I had more to give to my family and the world, and that a sense of purpose would help me continue to fight even through the pain.
Today, I am happy to report a status of “no evidence of disease.” Hearing these words after chemotherapy, a pleurectomy followed by a long recovery, six weeks of radiation, and a WT-1 peptide vaccine clinical trial was a great relief and has helped me motivate and inspire others in the same battle against mesothelioma.
