Good news, County School Board wants me to be a speaker. Update 4/14

wmc

Got the news today that the county school board wants me to be a speaker for there Anti-Tabacco program. I will go to schools all over the county and give talks and answer questions for the kids. May be I can save one or two. 

Also Stanford Medical in CA, and St Agnos Hospital, Fresno CA, are using my YouTube to help other Laryngectomee learn how to blow their nose, and have requested three more.

My way on paying back for my second chance on life.

Bill

CivilMatt

you are a video star

Bill,

Good for you.  Kids can be a tough crowd.

3 more videos?  Are you going to need new material?

Good luck,

Matt

PS my Vit D level was 25.9, how did you know?

MrsBD

Good for you!

It's great that you are able to use your experience to help others. It's important to instill the knowledge about the risks of smoking in younger kids before they start. I'm sure you will have an impact.

wmc

CivilMatt said:

you are a video star

Bill,

Good for you.  Kids can be a tough crowd.

3 more videos?  Are you going to need new material?

Good luck,

Matt

PS my Vit D level was 25.9, how did you know?

Thanks

Mine was low for a year but they were more concerned with my breathing and cancer. If yhey had said something I could have got it up so much sooner. When they called me, they said go now to the drug store and get 5000ui NOW, and take it every day.............No all my bloodwork goes on line so I can check and make sure nothing is overlooked.

Bill

wmc

MrsBD said:

Good for you!

It's great that you are able to use your experience to help others. It's important to instill the knowledge about the risks of smoking in younger kids before they start. I'm sure you will have an impact.

Thank you

I feel I can explain some things that have never been talked about to them, and what it has cost me. It's my way of paying my do's to get my second chance on life. If I save even only one, I won. My gold it much higher.......

Bill

Bunnymom

wmc said:

Thank you

I feel I can explain some things that have never been talked about to them, and what it has cost me. It's my way of paying my do's to get my second chance on life. If I save even only one, I won. My gold it much higher.......

Bill

Bill,
This is tremendous.

Bill,

This is tremendous. What a wonderful gift to give of yourself. I know you WILL have a very positive impact on those whose lives you touch!

Its a Win, Win

wmc

Bunnymom said:

Bill,
This is tremendous.

Bill,

This is tremendous. What a wonderful gift to give of yourself. I know you WILL have a very positive impact on those whose lives you touch!

Its a Win, Win

Thank you.....

This will be my first step in what I want to do to repay for my second chance. I have always enjoyed educating or training people. I turned down a teaching job when I was 21. I would have been teaching business class at my high school. Even went as far as having the meetings with the princable of the school. I had no college degree at that time I was offered. I have some regreats, but I have always been the one who trained all my co-workers, so I have always keep a hand in training.

This will be my chance to really make a differance in peoples lives. I really Feel I can put in differant words the kids will not only see what it has done to me, but in words they will understand are real. I have lost the ability to smell because of my surgery. You can close your eyes and remember a blue sky with clouds, that's easy. You can hear in your mind, a train whistle. But you can not remember how a peach smells, or your wife favorite perfume. Smell is the hardest sence to recall. This is my chance to make a differance in life.

Then next is the school for nursing to help them learn how to care for a laryngectomee. They never really see one and If they get to see me and I can answer there questions I can help them as well. I do the one at Stanford when they recertify SLP for working on laryngectomee's. That is why they want me to do the YouTubes, because I have showed them if you try hard you can whistle. I was told they had never seen a laryngectomee that could whistle even with a prosthesis. But I can.

Bill

phrannie51

Wonderful!

My mom did this exact same thing....and she said "teens are going to be a tough sell"....However after she spoke, many of them wanted to talk to her afterwards...partly curious about how she breathed, coughed, etc....there is something to be said about kids getting a real life look at the possible end results of smoking....

Go get'um, Bill!

p

donfoo

wmc said:

Thank you.....

This will be my first step in what I want to do to repay for my second chance. I have always enjoyed educating or training people. I turned down a teaching job when I was 21. I would have been teaching business class at my high school. Even went as far as having the meetings with the princable of the school. I had no college degree at that time I was offered. I have some regreats, but I have always been the one who trained all my co-workers, so I have always keep a hand in training.

This will be my chance to really make a differance in peoples lives. I really Feel I can put in differant words the kids will not only see what it has done to me, but in words they will understand are real. I have lost the ability to smell because of my surgery. You can close your eyes and remember a blue sky with clouds, that's easy. You can hear in your mind, a train whistle. But you can not remember how a peach smells, or your wife favorite perfume. Smell is the hardest sence to recall. This is my chance to make a differance in life.

Then next is the school for nursing to help them learn how to care for a laryngectomee. They never really see one and If they get to see me and I can answer there questions I can help them as well. I do the one at Stanford when they recertify SLP for working on laryngectomee's. That is why they want me to do the YouTubes, because I have showed them if you try hard you can whistle. I was told they had never seen a laryngectomee that could whistle even with a prosthesis. But I can.

Bill

wonderful

There is no more powerful way to convey a message like cancer than what you are doing. As you say, hopefully it gets some thinking about the hazards, and maybe it will stick with one or two.  Glad to hear you arre fit enough to get out the do the talks. Thanks! don

Guzzle

phrannie51 said:

Wonderful!

My mom did this exact same thing....and she said "teens are going to be a tough sell"....However after she spoke, many of them wanted to talk to her afterwards...partly curious about how she breathed, coughed, etc....there is something to be said about kids getting a real life look at the possible end results of smoking....

Go get'um, Bill!

p

Insprational

Good on you mate , Well done

 

 

lornal

wmc said:

Thank you.....

This will be my first step in what I want to do to repay for my second chance. I have always enjoyed educating or training people. I turned down a teaching job when I was 21. I would have been teaching business class at my high school. Even went as far as having the meetings with the princable of the school. I had no college degree at that time I was offered. I have some regreats, but I have always been the one who trained all my co-workers, so I have always keep a hand in training.

This will be my chance to really make a differance in peoples lives. I really Feel I can put in differant words the kids will not only see what it has done to me, but in words they will understand are real. I have lost the ability to smell because of my surgery. You can close your eyes and remember a blue sky with clouds, that's easy. You can hear in your mind, a train whistle. But you can not remember how a peach smells, or your wife favorite perfume. Smell is the hardest sence to recall. This is my chance to make a differance in life.

Then next is the school for nursing to help them learn how to care for a laryngectomee. They never really see one and If they get to see me and I can answer there questions I can help them as well. I do the one at Stanford when they recertify SLP for working on laryngectomee's. That is why they want me to do the YouTubes, because I have showed them if you try hard you can whistle. I was told they had never seen a laryngectomee that could whistle even with a prosthesis. But I can.

Bill

Great

That's great that you can make the videos and talk to teens about smoking.

I can't use my situation to discourage teens from smoking, because I never did. 

However, since I am now on the board of the local NuVoice club (a layngectomee support group), I will be involved in talking to people about life as a lary before their surgeries - and answer their questions.  I did this last week for the first time - very rewarding.

Lorna

wmc

lornal said:

Great

That's great that you can make the videos and talk to teens about smoking.

I can't use my situation to discourage teens from smoking, because I never did. 

However, since I am now on the board of the local NuVoice club (a layngectomee support group), I will be involved in talking to people about life as a lary before their surgeries - and answer their questions.  I did this last week for the first time - very rewarding.

Lorna

Lorna yes it is.

There is a lary support group [45 milesaway] that I go to and haved help the new members and some of the old ones as well. I made the divise to blow your nose and smell and gave it to them and explained how it will un plug your nose. Also showed them that they can still use the powdwr meds, just put it to your stoma.

Stanford has me as a contact for any new going into surgery and after they come out to help with the major transition. The reward is the smile on there face that you did help and do understand them.

As for the kids, knowing that I did smoke for 42 years and this and my COPD is from smoking I feel they will understand see it first hand. The youngest smoker to get cancer from it [that I know of] was 19 year old girl. She started at 15 like Terrie Hall did. 

Thanks, Bill

Sailor123

Good for you Bill!
Thats

Good for you Bill!

Thats awesome.  

You will make a difference.

They will be riveted by your story.

josh r.

Passing IT on!

Hi Bill,

I am happy to read that you are doing well and are passing it on as you do here on CSN. You have helped so many here and now you will be expanding your knowledge. My treatment, July 1991-September 1991, was at Saint Agnus in Fresmo Ca. and I will for as long as I am on this planet be thankful for the wonderful staff that administered the directions of my doctors and treated me with such care and warmth.

God bless and all the best to you Bill on your next mission. josh r.

debbiejeanne

Bill, i just think this is

Bill, i just think this is fantastic!!  what an honor for you and like you said, maybe you can save one or two or even 100....lol.  It is really good of you to so willingly share your story and try to prevent the kids from ever starting to smoke.  I would love the opportunity to do that.  i'm extremely proud of you and all your accomplishments since becoming a lary!  You are my hero and you ROCK!!

God bless you, Bill.

dj

wmc

Thank you all for your support and well wishes...

Thank each and everyone of you for your kind words and well wishes. I have always enjoied sharing information, [Triva] with others. I'm hoping that if they hear from some who did smoke for many years and can see what and how it has effective my life, they might really hear. If I can change or prevent just a few, I can be part of may be saving a life. I have to try.

Thank you, all my friends, with this group you feel like my extended family and I do thank you for that.

Bill

hwt

wmc said:

Thank you all for your support and well wishes...

Thank each and everyone of you for your kind words and well wishes. I have always enjoied sharing information, [Triva] with others. I'm hoping that if they hear from some who did smoke for many years and can see what and how it has effective my life, they might really hear. If I can change or prevent just a few, I can be part of may be saving a life. I have to try.

Thank you, all my friends, with this group you feel like my extended family and I do thank you for that.

Bill

Bill

What a wonderful thing to do. I'm sure you will be fantastic at it and change some lives. I admire anyone that does any type of public speaking.

Wishes for much success.

Candi

avisemi

Awesome! I'm sure you will be

Awesome! I'm sure you will be a blessing to more than you will ever know. Just like here. 

Hondo

Hi Bill

 

 

That is wonderful to be able to help other to understand what smoking can do to there health. I see young men and women puffing away there health and when I go up to them and ask if they want to be like me, they just look and walk away. All we can do is to try and help them all we can; I will be looking into some charity work I can do at the hospital here in Lafayette, one step at a time.

 

Tim     

wmc

Hondo said:

Hi Bill

 

 

That is wonderful to be able to help other to understand what smoking can do to there health. I see young men and women puffing away there health and when I go up to them and ask if they want to be like me, they just look and walk away. All we can do is to try and help them all we can; I will be looking into some charity work I can do at the hospital here in Lafayette, one step at a time.

 

Tim     

Tim I too have tried........

I have tried at work and for myself I enjoied smoking. I did "try" to quit several times as well. The person has to really want to stop or nothing will work. I believe I did get one to quit, or at least I saw him two days ago and he has quit. I told him smoking is like being an alcoholic, you can never have that first cigarette again, or you're back to somking and have to quit all over again. I don't think you ever forget the day you did quit, or at least I won't. August 28 at 8:00 pm 2013. The next day I was to see the tumor board.

I think my best chance is to get them before they start or at least early on, where they have a good chance of not using tobacco. I don't know if it will, but for me, I have to try this. I have even told some that if you are going to smoke, please don't get your forearm tattooed as that might have to be your tongue someday. They thought I was joking until explaned that is where the surgen will get the skin to rebuild your tongue flap.Trust me, you do not want to go through what I have and do ever day as a neck breather. Some are trying to quit. I can hope.

Bill

jackflash22

Great news

great news Bill.