This is a letter my Dad has written and sent to his friends and family concerning his health. I thought our boat racing family should also read this.
Mike Jodway
To my friends and family from Bill Jodway,
In 2007, all of my get up and go, got up and left, as I became more tired. I began to worry about my health. At first, I thought it was just a part of getting old. I was tired all of the time. I put the boat in the water but all I did with it was take it from the marina to the cottage and back. I knew I had a problem so I saw a doctor and started to have some tests. In 2008, things got bad and I had more and more tests but only got worse. I began to see various doctors in different areas of specialties that sent me through a serious of different medical tests. I did not even put the boat in the water that summer. No one could find out what was wrong, but knew there was a problem as I was losing weight and getting frail. I saw one doctor after another and sent through one test after another. In November, I was getting considerable worse. One doctor said, "I give up," and sent me and my entire medical file to University of Michigan neurololgy/research department. "Thank God for this doctor!" They met with me sooner than I expected and thought that I had a rare disease called dermatomyositis. However, I had to go through several biopsies to prove that is what I had. Unfortunatlely, on Christmas Day, I was very weak from not eating properly that I had a diabetic crash. Roseanne had to cal 911. I ended up at Beaumont Hospital, but requested to be transferred to the U of M Hospital because they had all of my medical records. I was in the hospital for three days. They confirmed that I had dermatomyositis, and began to treat it with heavy steroids and other medications (this disease is not curable, but it is treatable.) Check out this disease on the Mayo clinic website if interested. Many docotors have heard of this disease but never saw any one with it. I've lost over 50 pounds since this started. Currently, trying to build back my muscles and strength back (this will take several months.) I'm walking with a walker and having difficulty eating still. Roseanne is taking some time off work to be home with me. I'm not working at Sears right now, but hope to go back to work some day soom (early spring). This disease is in the trunk muscles, skin, swallowing, holding my head up and breathing. They say I will always have this disease. Well, that's the story, I hope 2009 will be a better year. When this started, I weighed 225lbs. I now weigh 161lbs. This could be good. Well, let me know how you all are doing.
Bill
Mike Jodway
To my friends and family from Bill Jodway,
In 2007, all of my get up and go, got up and left, as I became more tired. I began to worry about my health. At first, I thought it was just a part of getting old. I was tired all of the time. I put the boat in the water but all I did with it was take it from the marina to the cottage and back. I knew I had a problem so I saw a doctor and started to have some tests. In 2008, things got bad and I had more and more tests but only got worse. I began to see various doctors in different areas of specialties that sent me through a serious of different medical tests. I did not even put the boat in the water that summer. No one could find out what was wrong, but knew there was a problem as I was losing weight and getting frail. I saw one doctor after another and sent through one test after another. In November, I was getting considerable worse. One doctor said, "I give up," and sent me and my entire medical file to University of Michigan neurololgy/research department. "Thank God for this doctor!" They met with me sooner than I expected and thought that I had a rare disease called dermatomyositis. However, I had to go through several biopsies to prove that is what I had. Unfortunatlely, on Christmas Day, I was very weak from not eating properly that I had a diabetic crash. Roseanne had to cal 911. I ended up at Beaumont Hospital, but requested to be transferred to the U of M Hospital because they had all of my medical records. I was in the hospital for three days. They confirmed that I had dermatomyositis, and began to treat it with heavy steroids and other medications (this disease is not curable, but it is treatable.) Check out this disease on the Mayo clinic website if interested. Many docotors have heard of this disease but never saw any one with it. I've lost over 50 pounds since this started. Currently, trying to build back my muscles and strength back (this will take several months.) I'm walking with a walker and having difficulty eating still. Roseanne is taking some time off work to be home with me. I'm not working at Sears right now, but hope to go back to work some day soom (early spring). This disease is in the trunk muscles, skin, swallowing, holding my head up and breathing. They say I will always have this disease. Well, that's the story, I hope 2009 will be a better year. When this started, I weighed 225lbs. I now weigh 161lbs. This could be good. Well, let me know how you all are doing.
Bill
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