Bill V's Health

[Ted Craven]

Dear everyone, Bill V wrote me to express his thanks to you all for all the Birthday wishes over the past week, but also to say how sad he is that he cannot respond at much length just now due to how ill he is and often just plain tired.

We've known for some time now that Bill is actually suffering from kidney failure in a serious way. This plus the collection of medications he is taking is seriously messing with both his physical and mental/emotional health. Some weeks he feels better, full of enthusiasm for horse racing, talking and corresponding with people, being his traditional generous, helpful self. But other weeks he feels very low energy, can't focus on anything and feels altogether like crap and sad. More like the latter this past week, I think.

I talked for a while with his sister Lois yesterday who lives nearby to Bill and their dad Joe. The facts are that Bill needs a new kidney and has launched the process for applying to get one. People in this situation, with proper dialysis treatment and medication live for many years with the condition. I understand that the family hopes he can get a new kidney soon, since he is otherwise generally healthy enough and certainly younger than most people in the situation.

I want to encourage anyone who feels moved to either send Bill a private note or even, during this November Del Mar live race meet, if they are in the neighbourhood, to ask him if he wants to meet up somewhere at Del Mar and enjoy a few hours of live racing and the company of friends. Except when physical health conditions preclude it, I think his spirits are greatly lifted when in contact with people who care for him - I know that's true for me and mostly everyone I know!

Make no mistake friends, Bill is in serious health but I personally strongly believe that physical health in many ways follows mental/emotional health and how we see ourselves. Any help Bill can receive from kind people who are able to simply wish him well, or keep him in their prayers while trying to live a loving and generous life for themselves (or by arrangement to spend a few hours enjoying our shared pastime with horse racing) -- all these gifts can help him perhaps find the physical strength and positive outlook required to deal with these tough times for him while he prepares for a new kidney, however long that may take.


Bill started the precursor to PaceandCap, the VDC Messenger Yahoo newsgroup in 2004, out of gratitude for how Doc had affected his life. It is due to his desire to continue the Sartin Methodology and gather together Doc's fans that we are all here today, having this conversation and enjoying the game as we are, still using the old and the new tools. Many good things have flourished from those early desires of Bill. I want to say: hang in there Bill though I know that is neither easy nor much fun most days. I am grateful for your enthusiasm all these years and I want to do what I can to help you in this tough period, which I know may go on for a long while further.

OK, I just wanted people to know more specifically what our friend is going through, how he is fighting, sometimes more sometimes less ahead of the curve - and how he needs our thoughts, positive energy and love.

Ted