To my friends and detractors here. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I didn't want you to think I just went away. I am presently in Tucson recovering from cancer surgery at an elegant hotel built in the '30's by a friend of my grandmother where we vacationed when I was a child. As I mentioned last spring when I retired, I was feeling poorly and unable to keep up my regieme.

Well, between my ex-quack of a Dr. in rural northern AZ where I live and Trumps VA trying to murder me... it was October and a new primary before I was diagnosed with aggressive high grade stage two (really bad) bladder cancer, after I began heavily bleeding. My new Dr. got me fast tracked and the local urologist tried a cystoscopic attack in early Nov, which was unsuccessful.

I was referred to the huge Univ of AZ cancer center, where I underwent surgery Dec 1st. A 5 hr operation, 3 days of delerium, and 7 days in the hospital later... The fantastic surgery team, successfully removed a tumor nearly the size of my bladder. They have (so far) saved my bladder, and life. I get the remaining tubes and staples out in a couple more days and the final pathology to determine if I need chemo or not.

My team was the only one in three states willing and skilled enough to try to save my bladder. The rest wanted to just yank it and leave a hose in my stomach to pee from, which is usual proceedure. The Mayo clinic wouldn't even consider me. The VA wouldn't schedule me until March, which would have been far too late. I will need regular cystoscope exams and close monitoring for life, but I am alive and getting stronger by the day.

No idea what caused it. Haven't smoked in 40 years, could be construction chemicals, round-up, or just bad luck. Who knows.

As an aside, the hotel has allowed us to stay for two weeks in the same private bungalow on the property where John Kennedy, Clark Gable and other historic figures have stayed. I also learned a dresser I inhereted from my mother was built here on the property and purchased by my grandmother, probably in the late '30's. There is an exact replica in our bedroom here. This is the second time I've slept in John Kennedy's footsteps. A few years ago we stayed in the Presidential Suite at the Awhanee in Yosemite, complete with rocking chair.

I am very fortunate to have the resources to afford this. My out of pocket is pushing $20,000, and my deductible starts again in two weeks. Had I not invested in real estate and rentals it is quite likely I would not have had the ability to pay for the testing in time. Instead of having to wait for approvals I was able to just pay the fees ($8,000 PET and, $1,500 CT scans, etc.). Not to mention a hotel bill higher than some of Roy's houses, after completion!

So, watch what you eat, breathe or smoke. Save a lot of money, in case you need it. And make certain your assets are protected! And try to be nice. One day life is good, the next you may be staring your mortality in the face! Don't put off doing the things you want to do. Call that friend you haven't talked to in years. And have a very Merry Christmas. We sure will!

Soo sorry to learn of your cancer, but so glad you are on the mend. May 2019 be a better year for you!

LTD, best wishes in recovery!

LTD, I'm saying prayers for you now. For recovery, for strength, for peace, and for whatever else you might need.

I appreciate your wise words about not putting off until tomorrow what must be done today, especially as it pertains to important people in our lives. I keep hoping some day you'll come to the Mr. LL convention so we can meet in person. :-)

LTD,

2 years ago, I underwent chemo and radiation for 7 weeks straight. Back then what I wanted the most was just to be able to talk to someone who had been down the same road I was on. I never got to talk to that person.

For you and you only, I am going to post my phone number here just in case you want to call me.

2564426854

BTW: I have always enjoyed reading your posts here. I hope there will be more of them.

I was diagnosed with a sarcoma of the sinus, 18 years ago, and I still wonder what caused it. I was making surfboards in my basement with epoxy and with my big nose the respirator never fit well.....but I guess we'll never know. I'm pretty sure it was God's plan for me.

I guess it's blessing to face our mortality, and be grateful for those we love.

Live The Dream, I'll be praying for you. It's sounds like your enjoying your adventure at the historic bungalow. That's great. Take care, Bill

Wow. I hope so much that you are healing well in such beautiful and opulent surroundings. Thank you very much for having shared what happened, and I am so glad that you found your new primary doctor and have the means to obtain excellent healthcare. Also, thank you for your well written advice and for using your gifts as a good writer to help others, including us. Happy Holidays and all the best for 2019 and the future to you and to everyone else.

LTD - I was thinking about you the other day wondering "where you have been". I'm glad you met the right people and are able to take care of this as you can. Praying for you and your family. Looking forward to seeing more posts from you (and answers).

Live The Dream of AZ GOD'S SPEED!!!

When it comes to our own health we have to be our own advocates for our best healthcare.

The VA was a NO GO!!!

DR QUACKER in rural northern AZ was a NO GO!!!

TOO many times people depend on doctors as the ALL KNOWING and put too much faith in the doctor. They will not questions a doctor. They will not get a 2nd and 3rd opinion to make certain there may be other options.

Also the National Cancer Institute is a great resource to use to find the best treatment in the country for cancers.

IMMUNOLOGY THERAPY is an excellent way to fight cancer helping the bodies own system to fight the cancer. PLUS its not cheap.

Keep tabs on your PH levels because cancer thrives on high PH levels. Check it out on line how to maintain a healthy PH level..

Also cancer thrives on sugar therefore reduce the sugars in ones diet. Many people DO NOT realize sugar is more addicting and harder to get off of than heroin or cocaine. Now this does not mean to start using herion or cocaine.

Change ones diet to keep cancers out of our bodies.

The Chinese use mushrooms to help keep cancer from there bodies. More than likely you can not go in your back yard and find a SAFE mushroom to use. There are several mushrooms in pill form that are helpful.

YES Marijuana/CBD oil and the use of mushrooms are alternative medicines. HOWEVER checking the PH level and not using sugars and the proper diet are not easy to do but are very important in the overall health when dealing with cancers.

PLUS marijuana is an excellent treatment for pain alternative to the more addicting pain meds. As well as the CBD oils and Hemp Oil are very help with treatment of Cancers.

The fight against cancer is not one thing or another its multiple things that can happen to fight off and kill cancer from our body.

Live The Dream of AZ may GOD Grant you a speedy recovery and health for many more years.

God Bless!!!

I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that. Thanks for sharing the story, though. We all stand a good chance of getting some version of cancer in our lifetimes. From your story, my takeaway is that those of us who work hard to squirrel away some reserves have much more margin in our lives than those who don't/can't. I've seen the deer-in-the-headlight looks of people in the latter category, and seen their desperate pleas on social media.

Thank you all for your kind comments. They are so greatly appreciated. Wasn't going to bother you with this, but I got a bit "sappy" last night.

Roy, I will call you this evening. Thank you.

Re the hotel, yes it truly is helping my recovery. Room service, wonderful lawns, wild bunny rabbits. LOL We have orange and grapefruit trees right outside filled with fresh fruit. I played croquete here as a kid for the first time and we enjoyed a game on their same court the day before my surgery. Remember to enjoy the little things.

As an aside, the hotel was built by the wife of one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, who also was elected as Arizona's Representative, back when we only had one. Mary Roosevelt, the widow of Franklin Roosevelt's son used to live around the corner from me in CA when I was with the newspaper. An elegant lady of class and charm. When my mother moved in they became friends and she came to my house several times to visit with my mother. I never connected the dots until the other day.

To relate this to landlording - Mrs. Greenway built the hotel in 1928 or so, fully knowing the Great Depression was imminent. Their family has held and improved it ever since, leaving a legacy for future generations. Much as many of you are doing with your own business "empires" of whatever size or location. She took a large risk, not so much seeking great profit, as to build something substantial for the future.

I have always been more a boom or bust profiteer. Hit it hard, grab the cash and move on to the next gold rush. But this experience in tranquility has provided me an opportunity to reflect in some depth on how building not just for one's own selfish interests can create a lasting legacy that long outlasts our own short time.

I'm glad you're feeling better than you were. :)

LTD,

Wow! Glad to hear you're on the upside of this.

Been missing you.

Praying for you that God will continue to heal your body, provide rest and comfort, and lift your spirits.

Recently watched a documentary on a hospital in Germany that treats bladder cancer with super doses of nutrition via IV. US has approved this for upper body but is dragging their feet on approval for lower body. Many testimonials of folks who got to keep their bladders when US doctors were convinced on removal.

Glad you're feeling up to posting! It's good therapy!

LTD, you're an amazing person. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I've always enjoyed your sense of humor. I'm glad you found a Doctor and surgery team that had a clue and the skills to use it. It's okay to get a little sappy. It off sets all the shovel comments so everything evens out nicely. I hope your recovery goes smoothly and you continue to gain strength. The history of your choice of recovery lodgings are interesting for me as I've always enjoyed history. I'm looking forward to seeing your posts in the future.

Brad20K, makes a great point that Germany has an approved drug for bladder cancer. Unfortunately US dragging their feet on approval for lower body.

Part of the problem is that Big Pharm has major influence in drug approval and is very political. Who has their fingers in the pot???

Sadly it creates a problem for people that need multiple treatment options for getting rid of cancer from the body. And the most aggressive treatment that will cure and remove the cancer.

LTD,

I wanted to thank you for helping shape so many of us on this board in so many ways.

We look forward to your healthy return soon. Until then, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

LTD,glad to see you back. I had cancer about 15 or 16 years ago had radiation therapy for eight weeks ,five days a week at the same time each day,met a lot of great people,I wouldn’t otherwise have met,so there are good and bad aspects of the process .I also had a heart attach about seven years ago ,still going. So nothing bothers me too much anymore,otherwise we might die from worry, ,and we wouldn’t want that .Roy , I’m making a note of your number,so when you see 203

Evening update:

Thank you everyone for your kind and uplifting comments and sharing your own stories. What an amazing group of people we have here. It is an honor to know you all. Thank you.

And especially to Tom (FL) for your information, I have copied it. I am, a sugar addict. Apparently the ice cream and brownie diet is not as healthful as I wanted to believe! ;) I'm not really that bad. Well OK, yes I am at times. - And I promise to work harder on it. I am going to study on your PH levels suggestions and have it on my questions list for the doctor on Friday.

GKARL, sorry about your father. I'll be most happy with another 20 years, but kicking the bucket like this before I even got my megar social security, which kicks in a few months would have been a great disappointment. It will almost cover my car payment.

Cjo'h - thank you for your inspiration. So long as the pathology is good, and no indication of any spread, I won't need radiation (it was an early consideration but this was far too big and advanced) but may need chemo or some kind of limited chemo. There is apparently a flushing process they can do inside the bladder vs whole body where your hair falls out and you are sick.

There is of course a risk of return, but careful monitoring should enable early detection where any future issues can be dealt with non-invasively.

Roy and I had a wonderful conversation and it was a true pleasure to speak with him on that amazing machine that sends sounds over wires, where you can actually hear one another. I wonder why nobody ever thought of that in the past. :)

LTD, I too keep hoping some day (soon) you'll come to the Mr. LL convention so we can meet in person. :-)

Okay, I'm back. I have returned.

I've let this settle in and I'm ready to pen my thoughts. The shock was filled with fear but I went and took long breaths and ate crepes with blueberries...that helped.

I would of come back sooner but I had to stand in line just to post. Geez. Take a number and go wait with one of those pager things. The line of people waiting to post to LTD is longer than a presidential inaugural parade...

I was smart, I waited for Jeffrey to post then while he was shaking hands I cut the line.

So the lucky ones are the people who get diagnosed early. They can count on a lifetime of check ups and people looking after them.

I have a ton more to say, mostly wanted to ask about your significant other. How she was taking this, but you brought up ice cream and brownies. That combo stole my attention 100% We can get back to all those pesky details some other time.

For now, Was it plain vanilla, or some of that deep Pennsylvania home-made looking vanilla? More importantly...what was the ratio (caliber) 1 to 1? 2 to 1? Did you cover the whole brownie or just top it?

Counting on ya to be well,

Hang in their! I wish you the best! Cancer is scary stuff but you will beat it!

Hi, thanks again everyone. Actually got out and about some today. We drove through the historic homes area of Tucson. Many gorgeous restored homes dating to the 20's. Hand fired brick and adobe. Very ecelectic area, several had little free libraries out in front for their neighbors to enjoy. Looking on zillow, prices run mid 400's to low million. Mostly about 1/2 to acre lots.

Also drove to an area called Catalina Hills, near the cancer center. This is the much higher end, magazine cover type estate homes area. I'd estimate in the 1-10 million range. Huge saguro cactus, one yard I bet had 200k in cactus garden alone. Gorgeous views.

I had no idea Tucson was so nice. Last time I was here other than a gas stop, I was about 12. 68 degrees today. I could see living here with a summer cabin in the nearby mountains or Bisbee at 5,500 ft. My cameras at home show it's blowing like 30 mph! Any of you who are sick of snow and humidity might like to check it out.

See Dr again tomorrow for pathology results. Pretty sure if it was really bad he would have said something, so taking it as a good sign.

Local urologist will do my follow up checks. Of course he's "not in the network" so have to pay cash, but maybe he'll give me a bulk discount since I guess he will be more intimate with my bladder in the future than me. LOL

Jeffery, thank you. Roy and I chatted about it a bit. We'll see how it goes.

Smokowana, thanks for asking. She is holding up. Hugely stressful for her as you can imagine. Thought she was going to lose me. She is my Nurse Nightengale. I've been able to ease up on her today. We walked the grounds some. Part of why we stayed here was so she had lots of support from the hotel staff, who have been awesome. Old school elegance.

Heading home Saturday if all goes well with overnight stay in Scottsdale.

LTD, if I had only known I could have been "positive-thinking" you all this time! I already started yesterday!

Let me ad to Tom(FL)'s 100% correct advice. One very INexpensive way to boost you own immune system is by increasing your body's oxygen levels. You can do that cheaply and well by using FOOD GRADE hydrogen-peroxide!

YES! Not all H2O2 is poisonous or must be used as a cleanser. There is EATABLE food grade H2O2. It can be bought at many pharmacies in a *35% solution,* in 16oz bottles, for about $30.00. Then you MUST dilute it to a 3.5% solution by cutting it a 10-1 with distilled water. Using a glass dropper and a glass bottle to store the new solution is optimal. Once made, you can drop the 3.5 solution into your bottled water. About 10-12 drops of the 3.5 solution into a 16-20oz bottle of water is low enough so that you can sip it all day.

What happens is, when your body metabolizes the H2O2, the extra oxygen molecule is absorbed by the body--and the remaining H2O defaults back to plain, harmless WATER and is eliminated via your urine.

LTD- I’m so sorry to hear of your cancer. You’ve been so helpful on this site. I hope you have a speedy recovery!

Also in addition to the great advice from Tom and others,

An HRV monitor may help. It stands for heart rate variability It measures the variability between heart beats, the higher the better. If it drops quite a bit, it is a “rest day” bc your neurological system is compromised. Athletes use this but can be helpful for Anyone. I use it every morning, it takes 5 minutes and it will show you the effects of eating sugar the day before. It is a huge plus to have this device and to hone in on what your doing right or wrong. I use the chest strap from amazon called 60beat for maybe $25. (There are only a few specific step that work with the app) And then you need the app on your phone called SweetBeat. $10 app. There are videos on youtube, if you search HRV.

Hope this helps.

Love and blessings to you! Sandy d