Judgment Day Approaches - October 21, 2008

It's been a while since I've posted a blog entry. I owe you all two or three book reviews, and maybe some other clever and entertaining reading and pictures. For the next few days it will have to wait. I sent out an email message this evening to family and friends. Many of them don't read the blog (though some check it multiple times daily!), and I do an occasional email to keep them in the loop. I thought it would be appropriate to share this one with the rest of the world:

Hello,

I have not sent out one of these e-mail updates since August 9th. At that time I told you that no news would be good news, and that has been the case. Fall season is fully upon Utah - trees are actively dropping leaves, and day/night temperatures are getting colder. The air is crisp, clean, and clear. It's a beautiful time of year.

In the past months I traveled to Indianapolis to visit good friends and get a second medical opinion, which was informative if not particularly helpful or encouraging. I did a phone consultation with another doctor in Phoenix, and that experience was much more upbeat and positive. Kathryn and I implemented radical dietary changes two months ago. We are eating well and the pounds are melting away, though that is a side effect - the main purpose of the dietary change is to stop encouraging the cancer and start discouraging it.

We traveled to Acapulco with another couple for a week of fun in the sun, and then to Portland (OR) for a weekend of good food, wine, and chocolate with another set of friends. We celebrated our 25th anniversary on October 8th. All of this fun mixed with a good dose of work made it easy to keep the attitude positive and upbeat.

This week, on Thursday (at about 11AM MDT), my doctor will visually inspect my bladder with a cystoscope. I describe the process as "sending in a film crew," because that's what it will feel like. At that time he will either see nothing, and I will continue with three more bio treatments. Or he will see something, and I will likely go to surgery #3 to verify what it is. The docs say the odds are 50/50. I like to think they are better than that, because the docs discount both diet and prayer - and we've done a little of the former and a lot of the latter.

I want the doc to see a very healthy bladder and nothing else. I am hoping and praying that God wants the same. I'm absolutely convinced that He has my best interests in mind no matter what the outcome. Intellectually that's working out OK. Emotions have not been as cooperative.

For those of you that pray and are praying, I really appreciate it. I encourage you to continue to pray for a clean report on Thursday.

For those of you that don't pray, today would be a phenomenal time to start. If not today or tomorrow, than Thursday at the latest!

I will send another email on Thursday to let you all know what transpired.

Thanks for all your support,
Steve Kelley

We'll see what we shall see. Stay tuned...