How a cancer patient found comfort close to his home.

Home on the Road: How a cancer patient found comfort close to his care at Southwest General

Bill Fichtel and his partner, Patti Criswell, were enjoying retirement, traveling a bit and relaxing at home on their land in Vermillion, Ohio, when Bill’s life took an unexpected turn. Following a bout with the flu, in December 2022, Bill contracted what he thought was laryngitis. When home remedies and over-the-counter medications proved ineffective, Bill knew he needed to get checked out to see if he had something more serious. He turned to Southwest General, where he had previously been a patient, to find the answer.

Bill’s first experience with Southwest General was as a cardiology patient in June 2022, after a second heart attack resulted in his needing double bypass surgery, which was successfully performed at the hospital.

An Unsettling Diagnosis

This time, Bill’s health challenges led him to seek care from Mark Mehle, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat) at Southwest General, who made a startling discovery—a tumor on Bill’s vocal cord. This diagnosis led Bill to University Hospitals (UH) Seidman Cancer Center at Southwest General, where further testing confirmed he had head and neck cancer.

Faced with the need for extensive radiation and chemotherapy treatment, Bill made the choice to receive care at Southwest General, despite it being more than an hour away from his home.

Unfortunately, the daily drive for Bill and Patti quickly became overwhelming. Upon leaving the hospital one day after treatment, the couple noticed the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds just down the street from the hospital—and they realized that it had a campground onsite.

As avid campers, and RV owners, Bill and Patti made the decision to pack up and relocate to the fairgrounds for the duration of Bill’s treatment. “It lowered our stress level. It lowered the amount of money we were spending, and it was just comfortable,” says Patti. “We were five minutes away from the hospital if anything happened out of the ordinary.”

A Good Experience All Around

To treat his head and neck cancer, Bill completed 35 rounds of radiation and six chemotherapy appointments at UH Seidman Cancer Center at Southwest General. Regrettably, radiation and chemotherapy didn’t eliminate Bill’s cancer, and, in March 2024, he underwent a complete laryngectomy at Southwest General by board-certified ENT surgeon, Freedom Johnson, MD.

“I ended up spending 26 days in the hospital recovering from the procedure,” says Bill. “I have always been so impressed with the facility, doctors, nurses and aides. I truly appreciate their care and couldn’t pick a favorite among them.”

Patti adds that at Southwest General, they found that caregivers truly care. From starting appointments on time to addressing every fear and concern, she and Bill felt heard and reassured. “No matter what department you're in, no matter where you're going, who you're seeing ... they are so patient. They're not rushing you. They answer your questions.”

Bill adds, “Thank you. To the doctors, the staff ... everybody goes out of their way to make sure that you, as the patient, are cared for.”

When asked about advice for other patients facing serious diagnoses, Patti adds, “Come here. This place will save your life. Because it has twice [for Bill]. They saved his life.”

Patti also notes that Southwest General isn’t just great at surgeries and cancer treatments. The couple is thankful that when calling for subsequent care needs, Southwest General was able to schedule an appointment for Bill the very week he called. “This place is just amazing,” Patti says. “You guys go above and beyond.”

Today, with the help from his Southwest General care team, Bill has regained his strength and has been able to “get back to him” and do what he loves: gardening, hiking, woodworking and getting on the road in his RV.