I've been dealt a few shitty hands this year

[bonnevillebilly]

I will miss my first year since we started this back in 2008. I canceled my room a couple weeks ago.
About 3 month ago, I ended up in the hospital for 14 days with a really bad lung infection.
Shortly there after I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Then to make maters worse I ended getting Covid, (vaccinated & boosted)
which lasted 3 weeks, and put me back in the hospital for another 5 days. I'm just not quite strong enough to make the bike trip up there.
I know I've got a long road in front of me but, I am a tough SOB, I will fight this thing that is trying to kill me.
I will miss being there with you guys this year. Don't count me out for next year just yet.
I am being treated at Dana Farber in Boston. I have a team of some of the best doctors in the country.

I will beat this, and I will ride them Vt. mountains again.

Hope you all have a safe trip and a lot of fun.

ps.
see you next year

Bill O'Brien aka. bonnevillebilly

[ebolton]

Good luck Bill. I'm rooting for you.

-Ed

[marde]

I am so downhearted to hear about your troubles. I know that you are a strong MF'er, and with a little luck you'll get back to form. I certainly miss our rides together and hope to see you back in the saddle. I will let the VT State Police know that you are not coming this year, and they'll have to find something else to do.

Marty

[tigerwilbury]

Sorry to hear the news, Billy. You'll be missed this year for sure. Keep fighting! I look forward to better days ahead. Keep us posted on how you're doing. You've definitely got a great team of Dr's to advise you. See you next year.

[amrehm]

Hi Bill,

Definately missed you. Sorry to hear about your health. We're pulling for you. Can you send me your mailing address? you can send it privately to me at bigalrehm@yahoo.com so its not out in the public space.

Alan

[GerryP]

Billy,

Just checking in to see how you're doing.

Defiantly missed you this year.

GerryP

[mark]

Hey Bill, hope you're doing a little better by this point. It's been a rough year for me too, and I also missed the BTB due to medical issues.

In my case I wound up in the hospital for a week in April with a bacterial infection in my blood; during all the testing they ran on me for that, they discovered that the mitral valve in my heart was uselessly flapping around instead of doing its job. So I got scheduled in for heart surgery at the end of May, but then that had to be delayed for two weeks because I too caught COVID (my second time, despite being fully vaxxed and boosted). Luckily in my case the COVID ended up amounting to little more than a runny nose, but it still delayed everything. I finally had the surgery second week of June, and have been recovering ever since. That, at least, is going well, thankfully, though I'm still not allowed back on the bike yet.

Here's to both of us making it to the 2023 Bash!

--mark

[GerryP]

hey Bill just checking in to see how your doing. Hope your health is improving.

Gerry

[mark]

Hey Bill, no idea if you're still checking this forum, but if so, how are you doing at this point?

Anyone heard from Bill?

I hope treatment/recovery is going well.

--mark