Bill “Epoman” Halcomb and Rita

Bill “Epoman” Halcomb and Rita

By Peter Laird, MD

Sitting on my “throne” here at the Kaiser Permanente Sunset Home Dialysis training room, the topic of other people with renal disease who write on a blog came up. Rita my training nurse, stated she had one other patient who wrote on a website as well. She couldn’t recall the title exactly but it was “I hate” something or other. Being a fan of I Hate Dialysis (IHD), I immediately stated, “you mean you trained Bill “Epoman” Halcomb right here in this chair?” Of which Rita immediately stated, "yeah that’s it."

I never met Epoman before his much untimely death, but like so many others, Bill Halcomb has touched my life by the legacy he left all renal disease patients on IHD. I had only seen a couple of the pictures of Epoman on IHD, and only briefly reviewed some of the tributes to Bill Halcomb after his death in 2007 at the age of 35, but sitting in the same chair where he had trained touched me to learn more of this life cut short, yet he still lives in the minds and memories of those that knew him. Interestingly, the most touching tributes to Epoman may have come from those that joined IHD after his death:
monrein
I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out for someone I never met, not even in cyber-space as he left before I found IHD, but someone for whom I am profoundly grateful. Grateful for Bill's vision, his spirit, his courage, his values and above all his "realness". He was a true "mensch". May he Rest in Peace and my condolences go out to his family.

annabanana
When I first found this site a few months ago I read a lot...but missed that Epoman had passed on. I read practically everything he had written and when I found out he had passed on it was such a shock. I cried like a baby. I felt as if I'd lost a family member and I hadn't even joined this forum yet. He has left such an incredible gift! Here's to you, Epoman!

My heart goes out to “Epokid and Epowife” as I read the tributes to Bill “Epoman” Halcomb. Not only has he left a loving legacy to a family that I am sure misses him with all of their hearts, yet Epoman lives on in my own life as I daily read over all of the new posts added since the last time I was on IHD, which is usually at least two or three times a day. Epoman is a daily part of my life and an inspiration to all those who suffer with renal disease. Epoman not only made a difference, he still is making a difference even after his death. What a legacy of love, caring and sharing from a man I will never meet on this side of eternity, yet I seem to know him any way as a close and dear friend.

Let this be just one more loving tribute to a man that will continue to make a difference in my life and many others that never had the pleasure to know Epoman in person . The influences in life that one man can have over those that he has never met is a legacy that we all in one way or another leave for those that are left behind. Rita remembers fondly her time training Epoman and Epowife and regrets the life cut short by such a prevalent disease. As I was bombarded with all the different people doing intakes for my home dialysis training, I was asked a simple question of “How tall are you?” My answer was, “Much shorter than before I started my training, because every time I turn around, Rita is tapping her hands and telling me “chop/chop” to get a move on.” I wonder how many times Rita told Bill “Epoman” Halcomb “chop/chop” as I sit atop my “throne” here in this somewhat cramped training room.

Bill, you have touched my life through IHD in so many countless ways, and now through Rita and the same dialysis chair that you sat in for your NxStage training, I am drawn even closer to you, may your soul rest in peace. Your friend and fellow renal disease sufferer, Peter, aka Hemodoc.

http://www.billpeckham.com/from_the_sharp_end_of_the/2009/06/bill-epoman-halcomb-and-rita.html