Isn't there a nicer way to combine multiple `Union{T, Nothing}`

Let me comment more on it why it is not possible given the discussion in the comments.

In Julia function arguments are evaluated eagerly, so Julia evaluates both find(r, n, start + 1, which) and find(r, n - 1, start + 1, extended) before passing them to something function.

Now, with macros you have (I am not writing in a fully general case for simplicity and I hope I got the hygiene right :)):

julia> macro something(x, y)
           quote
               local vx = $(esc(x))
               isnothing(vx) ? $(esc(y)) : vx
           end
       end
@something (macro with 1 method)

julia> @something 1 2
1

julia> @something nothing 2
2

julia> @something 1 sqrt(-1)
1

julia> @something nothing sqrt(-1)
ERROR: DomainError with -1.0:
sqrt will only return a complex result if called with a complex argument. Try sqrt(Complex(x)).

(in a full-blown version of the macro varargs and Some should be handled to replicate something exactly)