Diary updated Sept 14, 2007 | email Marie
September 14, 2007
As you may already know, a bit of my tumor survived
the laryngectomy in February. I will undergo a new operation at Virginia
Mason on September 19. The tumor has compromised my esophagus, which
will replaced with a portion of my small intestine. The surgeons will
also
rebuild
my throat again with another “flap,” this time borrowed from
my back’s right latisimusdorsi muscle. Assuming all goes well,
I will be hospitalized about 10 days, followed by another couple of weeks
of recuperation at home.
Mel Brooks has already optioned the musical of all my operations; it
will be called “Old Frankenstein.” I should be dancing (if
not singing) again by the end of September.
Thank you again for your patience and support through all of this. It
will end someday, one way or the other.
July 12, 2007
This is an archival site. It is a history of Walt's battle with cancer dating back to July 15, 2005 when he was first diagnosed with laryngeal cancer two years ago. The "diary update" is the history of his hospital stay.
At this time he seems to be fine. Talking with buzzy voice. Working full time. In excellent spirits. Hope we do not have anything to report for a long time. If you want to missed out on what happened, and want to read this in chronological order start at the bottom of the page.
April 13, 2007
I'm writing from "sunny" Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it's snowing and colder than you know what (note date). We're in a rented condo. I tried to light a cozy fire in the fireplace, which filled the unit with smoke (note date again). Now drinking a beer and writing this (so far, so good).
Marie and I are attending the annual meeting of the
National Council on Public
History,
at which
we
joined colleagues from the Encyclopedia of Tennessee and New Georgia
Encyclopedia in a daylong workshop on the art and science of building
(and funding) online reference resources. Good attendance and an interesting
discussion, plus much bonding with our comrades online. Marie did the
talking for HistoryLink, and was great. "Speaking" of which, I have started
practicing with the "talking dildo" and am making progress, but I'm far
from delivering even a short speech.
Our Santa Fe trip is a symptom of my recovery, not quite complete but advancing daily thanks to my wound care at Virginia Mason's Center for Hyperbaric Medicine. Former canyons and craters in my throat resulting from the inability of radiation-damaged tissues to heal unassisted from surgery are fast disappearing.
From here, we head to San Francisco for the official centennial of the Fairmont Hotel and the debut of our book on same on April 18. We'll be back in Seattle on the 20th, by which time we should know if the Legislature included us in the FY2008-2009 budget. Both houses put funds in their draft budgets and both passed resolutions saluting HistoryLink and yours truly (see links). We also have a great lobbyist, Kevin Hughes, but we're not counting chickens until they hatch (note date one more time).
Speaking of kudos, the Municipal League of King County named me Citizen of the Year, a great and humbling honor. Marie has added a link to the League for tickets to the awards dinner ($50/head) at the Space Needle on April 26. Funny that all of these kudos come when I can't talk.
March 1, 2007 note from Walt
Free at last. God almighty, free at last!
After 18 days in hospital, I’m home. I want to thank the Virginia
Mason team on “Level 16” for their attentive and professional
care 24/7 and countless kindnesses. They made a hard time bearable in
numerous ways. I don’t recommend spending two and a half weeks
in hospital, but if you have to, Virginia Mason’s the place to
do it.
My recovery from three operations has been complicated and slowed by
a low-grade but stubborn infection and by tissue damage from my previous
radiation therapy. Tomorrow, I start hyperbaric treatment at Virginia
Mason. This entails sitting in a giant diving bell (like a space station
pod) for 2 hours day over the next month breathing pressurized oxygen.
The point is to accelerate growth of veins and capillaries in tissues
damaged by radiation. Also a good time to get in some reading.
Otherwise, I’m working from home. I hope to feel strong enough
to drive and start venturing out next week. I’m totally mute at
the moment, but I should be able to start learning how to use the talking
dildo as my throat heals over the coming month or two.
Let me take this opportunity again to thank everyone for their support
during this difficult time. HistoryLink looks great, some terrific new
content has been added, and we’re making progress with several
fund raising proposals and sponsorships. I want to thank Dave Wilma especially
for holding the show together in my absence and Trustees Chris Town,
Pam Heath, and, of course, Marie, for jumping into the breach to help.
Perhaps I should get sick more often.
February 23 note from Walt
February 23: Walt Held Hostage, Day 15... Unfortunately, a little bug got into my system during three operations over 16 hours (can’t imagine how) so the docs are keeping me in hospital until things clear up. No serious discomfort, just antsy to get on with things. May be here over the weekend and beyond.
Since this is my first time back on line since February 8, let me thank everyone for their kind notes, gifts, and good wishes. I will be responding to each of your individually over the next week or so. I thought that was a pretty awesome party for the last words, and the press was astounding. We even “bumped” Anna Nicole Smith on the P-I front page! Interesting that Gabby Poll was the focus of both daily’s cameras, but then she’s gorgeous.
I look pretty horrible at the moment but there is surprising little pain. I’m not suffering in silence. Barbara Korducki gave me a great “Chicco” magic slate which is getting heavy use. I’ve already worn a dead spot on the screen. I have a loaner talking dildo but haven’t tried it yet. I’m still too swollen for it to work effectively.
I cannot
say too much about the quality of care here from my Group Health docs
and the Virginia Mason clinic. Just fantastic. Visits are not encouraged
due to the infection and my need to rest. Barring new complications,
I should be home next week.
Best, Walt
February 14, 2007
Walt is OK. He says happy valentines day, and thanks for all your help. Enjoy the video of Famous Last Words. Warning it takes along time to load.
February 12, 2007
Thank you to the one or two hundred of our friends who came by for our "Famous Last Words". It was a great send off for Walt. The surgery went well, and he should leave critical care today. He will be staying in the hospital for about a week if all goes well. You can get more detail here. Marie is staying at the Inn at Virginia Mason.
February 4, 2007
Alas, the magic didn't work. After we returned from a terrific
grand tour of Guatemala in early December 2006 (visit www.crowleyassoc.com/guatemala for
an online trip diary), a physical exam revealed a suspicious swelling.
A subsequent CT scan on January 3, 2007, showed a “worrisome” lump,
and a surgical biopsy on January 19 confirmed that the cancer was back
and had escaped the larynx into the surrounding tissue.
On Friday, February 9, Walt will undergo a daylong operation at Virginia Mason
to remove his larynx. Assuming the cancer has stayed localized, this procedure
will eliminate the disease completely and prevent its recurrence. Walt will
have to breathe through a tracheal stoma (good bye, bow ties) and use an electrolarynx
to speak – but he will be alive and otherwise unimpaired. However, his
hopes to compete on American Idol have ben dashed (there could be a future
in techno-pop, however).
He will spend a week in hospital and several more weeks recovering at home.
However, the docs, therapists, and survivors of similar procedures assure us
that folks bounce back quickly from the operation and easily master the electrolarynx,
which makes everyone sound like Stephen W. Hawking. Walt hopes to be writing
and emailing, if not “talking” within a few weeks. (Don't call
him, he'll call you. Dave Wilma will monitor the HistoryLink office mail and
phone and Walt's email during the convalescence.)
Walt is taking what’s left of vocal chords on a “farewell tour” before
the operation. Steve Scher will interview him on KUOW-FM at 10 a.m., Monday,
February 5, and C.R. Douglas is taping an interview for the Seattle Channel.
Northwest Cable News will also tape an interview on Wednesday. The P-I is planning
a print profile, and look for Walt's op-ed on local "road wars" in
the Sunday Seattle Times in mid-February. All this yacking will climax with
some famous last words at our house, 5-8 p.m., Thursday, February 8, the eve
of the operation. He hopes to debut his “new voice” before the
Ides of March.
We will update this site with news of the operation and Walt’s recuperation.
In the meantime, let us say how much we appreciate the sympathy and support
everyone has extended since the cancer was first diagnosed in July 2005. While
the current news is not the happiest, it could be much worse. We lost one close
friend, Scott White, to cancer just this past November, and another dear comrade
is battling a terminal form. Molly Ivins, the great populist muckraker whom
we had the privilege to know via Ken and Julie Bunting, just succumbed after
a decade-long battle. Several other friends are locked in various stages of
mortal combat with insurgent cells in their breasts, throats, jaws, legs, and
lungs.
They say cancer is not contagious, but it sure is going around. It seems to
be the bust at the end of the Baby Boom. Watch yourselves out there.
Walt & Marie
January 19, 2006.
First, thank you all for all the help and support. I can
not emphasize enough how much it has meant to us and aided in Walt's
miraculous recovery. We still have a last biopsy to go, but unless there
is a big shock it looks like we made it through with no damage to his
voice or other important functions. He is now speaking ( I think he sounds
a little like Katharine Hepburn). The voice is getting better every day.
Group Health. I can not say enough good things about them. If you get really
sick, that is where you want to be. Never had to wait for doctors. We never
felt rushed. Never patronized or even confused. Every thing is in one place.
It really makes a difference. We look forward to seeing
you all in the New Year. We will have some kind of party when he is up for
it. Please pass this on to anyone you think needs to know. Marie
Why is Walt Bald? December 6, 2005.
Why bald? Walt was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer on July
15, 2005. It took several weeks for us to digest this, and get a treatment
plan in place. Our first idea was not to tell anyone, but the course
of treatment made that impossible without outright lying.
Thanks to Dorothy Mann and Group Health Walt begin his treatment plan in August.
This involved many unpleasant things. Lots of dental work, extractions, several
Borg like ports. All in preparation for the treatment. Also many appointments
with his team of doctors, a surgeon, a radiologist, and an oncologist and finally
a general practitioner.
On September 12, almost two months from the original diagnosis Walt started
chemo. He had some really rough patches, but all and all, not as bad as we
were prepared for. So far he is in his fourth round of chemo, and he is in
his sixth week of radiation. He is in very good spirits, but his voice is week
for now. He is returning email sporadically, so don’t be insulted if
he doesn’t answer an email right away.
He finishes treatments on the 22nd of December. If all goes well, he should
be back working and talking in January.
Oh —what's with the hats? His head gets cold.
How you can help | email Marie | land line: 206.782.0230 cell: 353.3198
Links updated April 29
Watch CR Douglas interview Walt
Walt has been named Citizen of the year by the Muni League. Celebratle with us on April 26th.
The Senate and the House honored Walt. Click here to read.
Click here and enjoy the "Famous Last Words" party video loads really slow. Photos by Jo David.
You can add your comments to Michael Hood's famous blog BlatherWatch.
To view the very sweet KOMO-TV News coverage of the party by John Sharify, Click here.
Excellent Times and PI stories, KUOW, CR's show, John C and more...later
Dear Friends: As
you know, I have been undergoing treatment for laryngeal cancer for the
past 18 months. Despite Group Health’s best efforts, the cancer
survived being blasted with X-rays and drowned in toxic chemicals (one
tough little bug) and this now necessitates the surgical removal of my
voice box. The operation will likely occur in mid-February. I am told
that people recover quite quickly from the procedure, but I expect to
be off the field for a few weeks at least.
The loss of natural speech will obviously have consequences, but other means
of communication – which are abundant thanks to email, text messaging,
and the Web – are not compromised. I will undergo therapy to master an
alternative form of vocalization, probably electronic. That way I will sound
like Stephen W. Hawking and always be de facto the smartest guy in the room.
Walt
We almost made it. Me and my Group Health team from left to right: otolaryngologist and surgeon David Mehlum, oncologist Steve Ginsberg, and radiologist Daphne Tong. Thanks for a great 18-month stay of vocal execution. Strange as it may sound, but my cancer treatment was one of the most moving and inspiring experiences of my life -- not that I recommend it for recreational purposes