Bret Hoekema and Aura Brickler
Recorded
December 7, 2019
Archived
December 7, 2019
59:30 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
chi003198
Description
Bret Hoekema (39) and his wife, Aura Brickler (37) talk about the chronology of Bret's illness, which began six months after their wedding, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. He talks about the various treatments he has undergone, the periods of remission and recurrence, stem cell transplants, and his acquisition of Graft-versus-host disease after a donor transplant. BH talks about what cancer has taken from his life as well as what it has given him. They also reflect on what milestones in their young child's life that BH might miss.Subject Log / Time Code
AB talks about coming to StoryCorps to celebrate their 9 year anniversary. They discuss the beginning of BH's illness; BH was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma about 6 months after their wedding.
BH talks about his treatment plan, being in remission after his first two rounds of chemo, and finding out after the last round that the cancer had come back.
BH lists the different forms of chemo he went through that didn't work. He talks about the process of radiation therapy, and the starkly different experiences they had with lymphoma doctors and radiation doctors. They talk BH's initial stem cell transplant surgery the process, which was unsuccessful.
They discuss embarking on what they call "the world tour to save [BH's] life," which involved driving to consult doctors in various cities to discuss transplant options, and their decision to move to NYC for BH's transplant surgery and the extensive recovery period.
BH talks about the clinical trial they found, being sick but in remission again, and their stop in Michigan to officiate their friends' wedding.
BH talks about finding a match for a stem cell donor in NYC, the weeks he spent in isolation, and how AB cooked for him every day so he never had to eat the hospital food.
They talk about another of BH's near death experiences, him being on a ventilator for 3 days, which he doesn't remember, but AB does.
BH talks about how it feels when people say, "I just don't know how you guys do it."
They discuss BH being diagnosed with graft versus host disease and his prognosis. They share their hopes for their daughter's future.
Participants
- Bret Hoekema
- Aura Brickler