Desperate Measures: Man Joins Army for Health Insurance

Dec. 24, 2009 — -- Bill and Michelle Caudle were teenage sweethearts. They've been married 22 years.

They never guessed life would throw this at them.

For the last three months, Michelle Caudle has been going to a Wisconsin hospital to get chemotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer. She has been going alone -- because Bill has gone off to join the Army.

They figured it was the fastest way to get medical coverage after he lost his job at a Milwaukee plastics company.

"I was concerned she was going to need continuing treatment, and with the lapse in coverage, I didn't want that lapse," said Bill Caudle.

"That's what everyone told me," said Michelle, "with the cancer, don't let the health insurance lapse."

The Caudles have three children -- Alycia, now 21; Bill Jr., 18; and Chelsea, 14.

They say they are not activists, and they never pictured themselves on the front lines of the health-care debate. They also never thought they would be part of the story of the great recession.

Bill Caudle worked as a raw materials coordinator for a firm called PolyOne. He had been on the payroll there for 20 years when he was laid off, another victim of the fragile economy.

The Caudles say the doctors and staff at the Aurora West Allis Medical Center have been wonderful. But there is only so much they can do to keep Michelle's cancer in check, and the medical bills are staggering.

Bill is now in basic training at Ft. Knox, Ky. He is 39. Some of the drill sergeants are half his age.

He just graduated from boot camp, and he is home for the holidays. But in eight days he will have to leave again, beginning a four-year tour of duty.

He talked about those young drill sergeants.

"Yes, they're yelling at you," he said. "And then it hits you -- what am I doing here?"

"What do you tell yourself?" we asked.

"That this is nothing compared to what she goes through every day," he said, looking at his wife. "So I figure this is the easy part."

Michelle Caudle read us one of the letters her husband sent during training. One unexpected effect of their situation, they said, is that they are sending each other love letters -- for the first time since they were teenagers.

"We just have to be strong and stick together," said the letter. "After basic training, things will get better."