tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83135369408937631712024-03-13T09:21:17.088-06:00Got Bladder Cancer?Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-27919734546476219602022-06-25T03:16:00.001-06:002022-06-25T03:16:44.485-06:0014 Years Cancer Free - New Procedures - June 25, 2022New country, new doctor, new protocol, new (to me) procedures, same old VERY GOOD result - ALL CLEAR now 14 years and counting! This all happened a couple of weeks ago, and the process was unusual and anticlimactic and did not really feel "real" at the time. But now it does, and I'm pleased to have something unusual to report.From my last post you will have learned that we decided to retireSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-8878008198834807762022-06-16T04:18:00.003-06:002022-06-25T07:50:16.538-06:00Changes in Longitudes - Changes in Attitudes - BIG NEWS! - June 16, 2022The title is a poor rhyme, but apologies nevertheless to Jimmy Buffet. I mentioned in the sidebar last year that BIG changes were coming, and they have come. I am a few months late in this update - bottom line: LIFE IS GOOD! In 2019 we decided to shut down our retirement business and actually retire. We had been exploring all over North America and even some in South America, Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-86624912674613709552021-05-05T13:56:00.002-06:002021-05-05T14:19:03.619-06:00Judgment Day 2021: NOW 13 Lucky Years CANCER FREE! - May 5, 2021As many of you know, I was forced to skip my Cysto last year due to COVID-induced flight cancellation. This year is much the same, so we drove over 2000 miles to chase down Dr. Hopkins and got the job done this year. Today is Wednesday, and we arrived in Medford, Oregon two days ago. Monday (arrival day) saw blood work done. The Asante Medical Group is very efficient, and a Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-13301465876502969312020-04-14T13:50:00.002-06:002020-04-18T16:10:07.078-06:00Bladder Cancer, BCG, and COVID-19 - Potentially Good News! - April 15, 2020Is it possible that BCG treatments that we get to combat bladder cancer
could help us to stave off or survive the Coronavirus? The short answer
is maybe so, but NOT for the reasons being reported in mainstream media.
The long answer of why that good news may be true follows:
BCG is a Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that is made from deactivated (dead)
bovine TB cells. It is Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-42667741575891561762020-04-14T10:19:00.008-06:002021-05-05T11:35:48.174-06:00What Am I Doing NOW to Fight Bladder Cancer? - 2020 Blog Update - April 12, 2020 UPDATED May 2021
UPDATE! See UPDATE flag below for latest info!It was definitely not my plan to update this blog only once per year. But it certainly seems to be progressing in that direction. For the record I will update the blog at least annually, reporting the story of my checkups. Beyond that, only something that will be useful and interesting to you all. And now that the blog is oldSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-45331795518803702482019-07-16T11:34:00.000-06:002019-07-17T10:12:35.862-06:0011 Years Cancer-Free! - July 8, 2019We will begin with the bottom line. Cystoscopy complete, now 11 years cancer-free! Now for the details... I discovered last year that my doc had relocated from Salt Lake City to Medford, Oregon, and elected to hunt him down and have my annual exam, albeit a couple months late, as described in the previous post.
My lifestyle for the past 5 years has been itinerant by choice, winteringSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-61756979436075367952018-08-24T12:10:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:46:22.939-06:00Judgment Day 2018: NOW 10 Years CANCER FREE! - August 2, 2018
The news is finally out and it is very good news indeed! After chasing my urologist literally halfway across the country and pushing the schedule out a few months, I finally had my cysto on Thursday, August 2.
The news was welcome - "Your bladder looks fine." ALL CLEAR, 10 years and 2 months after the last surgery.
This is a good milestone for Bladder Cancer. The biggie is two Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-11190292820186192502018-08-11T11:34:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:45:42.648-06:00Unexpected and Unpleasant Surprise - 18 April 2018
It has taken me a few months to write this post, mostly because I needed time to process it all and deal with it, letting events play out. And because it still pisses me off. And because life has been busy and basically good these days! And now here is the story: On a particularly pleasant day in April I was wrapping up work with some HVAC contractors who had just completed installing aSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-13528789420090399102017-06-21T09:54:00.000-06:002017-11-29T08:05:21.148-07:002017 BCG Post-Mortem - June 21, 2017
I completed a series of 3 BCG Maintenance treatments in early May, and I have dawdled a bit on posting the results. This behavior, as well as my very infrequent posting on the blog, are symptomatic of a very good thing. Cancer is no longer a major factor in my day to day life. It's a nuisance, a pain, and a distraction. Somewhat like having to go in to the dentist for a root canal Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-75897619224656509072017-04-17T18:22:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:43:50.016-06:00Judgment Day 2017: CANCER FREE for 9 Years Now! - April 17, 2017Due to some complex travel plans, we are about 3 weeks earlier than last year for Judgment Day. The setting is the same, Spring in Utah, and the day is nice, if not as bright as last year - to be expected for April rather than May. Last year I did not even think about the cysto at all, not even the day it happened, working on business finances for month-end closing until about an hour before the Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-80834800161640481822016-05-10T14:21:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:42:17.484-06:00Judgement Day 2016: 8 Years Cancer Free! - May 10, 2016
Today I was scheduled for my "routine" annual cystoscopy and I had already scheduled 3 maintenance BCGs for the next 3 Fridays (early, at 8:30AM). Unlike the past, I did not have a day where I began to think about it in advance, nor had I much time to develop any trepidation. Even my sleep and dreams last night were neutral, not even thinking about it then. While it's Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-84174621712787937972015-10-22T10:30:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:39:20.387-06:00Something Old and Something New - October 22, 2015
Baking soda - it's the bomb! Or so we thought until Julie T. in Illinois had a recurrence scare a couple of months ago. I was confident her TURBT would produce benign results. I was very confident, because Julie T. is one of the few who uses baking soda daily as a preventative for cancer recurrence. And the final results are in. Microscopic analysis of the biopsiesSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-71836403254642444982015-08-06T07:12:00.000-06:002015-08-20T11:23:53.257-06:00RECURRENCE, It CAN Happen! - August 1, 2015
Update: Micro-pathology showed something less than full recurrence for Julie. She and I concur that baking soda is working its miracles. Here are the exact words of the path report. You can judge for yourself. Conservative diagnosis is that it's "indicative of recurrence." My diagnosis is that it's indicative of the efficacy of baking soda regimen.
Sections show Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-24630903976422648622015-04-20T20:03:00.000-06:002015-04-20T20:03:30.309-06:00BCG Supply News & Judgement Day! - April 20, 2015First some quick updates: The BCG shortage is greatly alleviated. My doctor reported that they could order and reserve as much as they needed for any of their patients with only two weeks of notice. While not fully mitigated, the supply chain is starting to fill the needs. As for me, I retired from my corporate job last October, sold our house in Utah a few months ago, andSteve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-38029444003456364282014-12-03T06:36:00.000-07:002019-07-16T09:32:08.353-06:00Updated June 2019 - Dealing With ANY Type of Cancer - WHAT TO DO? - December 3, 2014I originally wrote this post more than five years ago. In the time since, now more than eleven years cancer-free, I have come to different conclusions and priorities. Even so the message is basically the same.
There are two things a cancer patient must do to survive:
1) Adopt the correct attitude
2) Adopt the correct "body chemistry"
Nothing else really matters. All the Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-45149564052022148662014-08-22T06:27:00.000-06:002019-05-15T12:34:23.698-06:00News FLASH - There is a BCG Shortage! - August 22, 2014UPDATE 30 January 2015 - BCG still not available in some areas. Others report being able to get it or doctors have a supply on hand. Will update when I hear supply is restored...
Original Post: I got a note today from Judy L. asking me if I had heard about a shortage of BCG, "I was supposed to get BCG today - 1st maintenance & I am being told there is no more...anywhere???" Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-15961831163867221252014-05-07T07:29:00.001-06:002019-05-15T12:36:01.964-06:00The Statistics of Chemotherapy - May 7, 2014I shall apologize in advance for not having the time to do exhaustive research on statistics. Even so, the one simple example I present is generally representative of the problem. I shall NOT apologize for my anti-chemotherapy bias. I fully understand that having cancer (of any type) is a scary situation. Doctors must recommend the accepted "standard of care" for your Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-25915639654372870852014-04-11T09:34:00.000-06:002014-04-17T13:09:20.208-06:00BCG Maintenance Series 8 - Uncharted Territory - April 11, 2014
BCG Maintenance Series #8 is now complete. This is good news - mostly because it's over, but also because there are only 3 more maintenance series to go. This series was a bit of uncharted territory, as it was the first time with a 1.5 year gap. It's also the first time I did BCG when recovering from a cold. My last treatment was back in November of 2012. Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-62961549555453012212014-03-17T08:45:00.000-06:002014-03-17T17:23:36.259-06:00Judgment Day, again! - March 17, 2014
St. Patrick's Day is Judgment Day for me. It was supposed to be next week, but my doc decided to take some time off. Best solution for scheduling scope and BCGs is to start a week early. Wind is whipping up and loud this morning. A storm is brewing and sky is dark early in the day. I am not going to let the weather affect my attitude. Instead I will do Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-16576274683010108782013-11-06T08:27:00.001-07:002019-05-15T12:26:04.552-06:00Bladder Cancer, Alkalinity & Secondary Issues/Considerations - November 6, 2013See below for some February, 2014, Updates in blue text!
Yes, it has been a while since the last post! It is truly amazing how quickly the time has passed. The good news is that I have been busy living life, exploring the world, looking forward to some sort of working retirement (the only type available to US citizens these days), and planning the future. Over the past months Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-34813992387804964262013-03-14T05:46:00.000-06:002013-03-14T05:46:01.672-06:00A Legendary Event - March 12, 2013Today's post is short. We have a meeting of two winners in the battle against Bladder Cancer. Can you guess who they are? I will provide more details in a week or so...
Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-79138555609554930562013-02-01T16:11:00.000-07:002013-02-02T15:38:27.832-07:00Good News Across the Americas! - February 1, 2013Had two of our "fraternity" members with cystoscopies scheduled for this week. Good news of ALL CLEAR all around, and heartfelt thanks to God. Join with me in celebrating stories from our brothers.
First up was Ben F. in Louisiana, whose procedures were on Thursday, January 31. We shall have to change his name from "Mobile Biohazard Man" to "Hardcore Ben." Here is his report:
Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-17112083001138138872013-01-18T09:15:00.000-07:002019-05-15T12:27:22.239-06:00Maybe Someday - January 18, 2013
Maybe someday is when I will get around to my next substantive blog posting. I already know the topic - diet and urine alkalinity. I have collected a lot of data and so far it's suggestive, but not conclusive. Apparently other factors affect the acidity of urine in the bladder. Trying to separate the signal from the noise. Not succeeding. At least we Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-11523576098320105272012-11-05T10:19:00.001-07:002019-05-15T11:54:30.009-06:00BCG Rounds 2 & 3 and Other Updates - 5 November 2012
It's been almost 3 weeks since my final BCG treatment of the last maintenance series, and I have been remiss in updating the blog with data and details. I must emphasize that moderating my fluid intake and adding Gatorade as an electrolyte replacement has made an enormous difference in dealing with the side effects. My "drink more, then drink more still" strategy definitely Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8313536940893763171.post-38429693053245425172012-10-08T07:53:00.002-06:002019-05-15T12:03:29.232-06:00BCG Maintenance Series 7 - First Round - 8 October 2012It's been over a year since my last round of BCG - the longest gap to date. I was happy for the time off and curious to see how my body would react. Would my resistance be greater due to increased recovery time, or less (making symptoms worse) due to elapsed time allowing my body to drop BCG resistance? There was good news and bad news here. The bad news is that the Steve Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06041213821291872054noreply@blogger.com3