Bill Catlett has been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer.  Bill is healthy enough to undergo the more aggressive form of chemotherapy, which provides a higher chance of arresting the cancer's growth.

In case you do not know, Bill was a lawyer for the U.T. system for many years. One of his special friends shares one of Bill's many significant contributions to our great university.

Bill Catlett has been a special friend for more than a half century.  He is such a special and unique person.  I always have felt about Bill that he is a one of a kind, with so many great traits and abilities.  We played a lot of tennis together and we talked about many things years ago, things of great depth and complexity. 

 More recently he was involved in a critical advanced nuclear research reactor program involving UT, ACU, A&M, and Georgia Tech, with the four universities supported by Natura Resources.  Fittingly, it is being built in Bill’s home town of Abilene, Texas.  It was a thrill for me to learn Bill was involved in helping the Natura backed research group’s formation. 

I pray he can get into the clinical trial.  It is indeed a terrible disease and he will need our thoughts and prayers.  Cancer is a terrible scourge and it comes as a shock to me that my great and strong friend is now facing a difficult fight.  It is a sad time and difficult time.

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8/29/2024

I met with the oncologist this morning for about 2 hours. Didn't make it into the clinical trial; as feared, kidney function levels were just out of acceptable range (darn!). So will start Chemotherapy either 11 Sept or 18 Sept.

MEDICAL

I am healthy enough that they will start Chemo using 3 drugs designed to target this particular form of cancer.  I will have an office visit with the oncologist once a week for the first two months to monitor my reaction to the Chemo and, if needed, adjust the dose(s).  

I will have my initial infusion on 11 Sept (or maybe 18 Sept) which will take all day (like 9am to 3 or 4pm) and then I will go home with a pump attached to my chest that will finish the infusion over the next two days.  Then I return to the infusion center to remove the pump, and I go about my happy way for the next two weeks.

This process will repeat every two weeks (office visit with Dr., followed the next day by all day spent at Infusion Center, followed by return to infusion center to remove pump) for 8 weeks.

After 8 weeks, will have a CT scan, blood work, etc and oncologist will review results to determine how my body (and the cancer(s)) are reacting to the Chemo. The oncologist will then discuss further treatment options. Also, at this point I will "go on a break" for about 2 weeks, i.e. no chemo, to give my body a chance to "rest" a bit.  

There are side effects to the Chemo.  Every patient is different, so whether I have a certain reaction or how severe remains to be seen.  But the most common side effects sound pretty annoying at best, and downright nasty at times.  Sounds like I'd best get ready for some fun times! 

And just to make sure we're all on the same page here: best results from Chemotherapy is an extension of life; how long varies from patient to patient. There is no "cure" on the menu here.

SYMPTOMS

Mental - still plugging along!  I do think about things I'm going to dearly miss, but then I realize if I didn't have so many wonderful memories of time spent with friends and family - I wouldn't have anything to miss!  So, I'm SOOO grateful for the memories I have.  Do I wish there'd been more?  Sure.  But the ones I have are great!!

Physical - Still weak, but have now fully recuperated from the biopsy surgeries and have been cleared to resume light exercise.  So, hopefully exercise will help restore energy levels somewhat. I spent 24 hours this past Monday/Tuesday with son Blake - no real physical exertion, but it wore my ass out; and it was so worth it! Appetite is back, though I'm still reluctant to "overeat" for fear of adverse stomach reaction.  So I'm just eating a whole bunch of itty bitty meals constantly through out the day (doctor told me not to get caught up on trying to eat "healthy", at this point much more important to just concentrate on stuffing as many calories as I can in whatever type of food sounds/tastes good!  He's definitely not selling Jenny Craig or WeightWatchers!).   

NEXT UPDATE WILL PROBABLY BE AFTER CONCLUSION OF FIRST 8 WEEKS OF CHEMOTHERAPY, AFTER ONCOLOGIST HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW RESULTS.  IF SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.

T.T.F.N.

Bill

Bill Catlett
4233 Canoas Drive
Austin, Texas 78730-1466
512.925.2487

Saw the oncologist today.  

MEDICAL 

Will start chemotherapy Tuesday 17 September. It will be an all day soiree at the Infusion Center at UT Health. Starting at 8:30am I'll be receiving consecutive doses of 4 different drugs, and will be sent home attached to a pump that will continue dosing the fourth drug for two days.  Then it's back to the Infusion Center to disconnect the pump. There will be blood tests before/during/after the infusion to monitor dose/response effectiveness.

This process will be repeated every two weeks, for eight weeks; i.e. 24 Sept, 08 Oct, 22 Oct.  Then there will be a "break" of approximately two weeks to let my body recover somewhat, and run tests to evaluate status of tumors, effectiveness of drugs, and next treatment options.  We'll know more in eight-ten weeks.  

Speaking of treatment options, despite my request that you NOT contact me regarding cancer treatments some of you have shared with me anecdotes of treatments from friends/relatives/news accounts which were successful in treating the subjects cancer. I know this is done out of love and because you care, and we appreciate the caring thoughts behind these gestures. We have dutifully passed these suggestions on to my oncologist who has M.D. & Ph.D. degrees in oncology and works closely with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  He is aware of each of the suggested treatments, and currently has a patient undergoing one of the treatments at M.D. Anderson in Houston. I trust my oncologist, or I wouldn't be seeing him.  I have the misfortune to have THE  most aggressive, hard to treat, form of cancer - pancreatic cancer - which has metastasized and is Stage 4.      

As the oncologist points out, there is no panacea when it comes to cancer cures.  What works for one patient won't work on another patient.  What works on one cancer may not affect another cancer.  My cancer has been typed nine ways from Sunday, and there are certain treatments that look promising. Others are inapplicable based on the markers in my blood and the detailed analysis of 6 biopsies. (For example, they have confirmed the presence of a certain KMAS marker in the tumor on the pancreas which may warrant further consideration for my inclusion in the clinical trial we were trying to get in, another of the offered treatments is inapplicable due to certain markers in my blood/biopsies).  

MENTAL

I've begun to have a hard time believing this is happening.  Mainly because for the most part I've been feeling the best I've felt in 4 years, and then I think to myself "But I'm probably not going to be here this time next year."  It's not a dread, fear, or angry feeling.  It's just weird.  Knowing I have a pretty firm "Use by (date)".  But again, I know I am where the Lord wants me to be, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

SYMPTOMS

Per above, overalll have been feeling the best I've felt in a long time. I am sleeping like a log, and mental acuity is good. I'm still weak as a kitten, have zero stamina, and really look forward to a good afternoon nap. On a good day I'm usually good for about 3-4 hours before I have to "recharge". But my appetite is back and I've been cleared to eat whatever I want with the goal to gain about 6 pounds before chemo starts.  Problem is, my appetite is finicky.  What sounds great now I may not be interested in eating an hour from now.  And I still can't eat much at one sitting.  So I eat small meals/snacks/protein drinks constantly throughout the day.  

I am walking and back to doing my light PT exercises, more to keep the back issue at bay.  But oncologist encourages me to maintain my exercise regime.

Oncologist has warned me that chemo is going to kick my ass, and there may be side effects that are "most unpleasant".  Oh boy.  FYI I will NOT be providing an update on side effects of chemo!!  And IMNSHO those of you who are interested in knowing details of these side effects should contact a therapist. 

Probably won't send out another update until early November.

T.T.F.N. 

Bill

P.S.  Thanks to those who have reached out in the past weeks!  It has meant so much to Jackie and I to connect with each of you, catch up, and share a few tales from years of yore. And if you haven't had the time, don't worry.  We know you're there with the "silent majority". 

Bill Catlett
4233 Canoas Drive
Austin, Texas 78730-1466
512.925.2487