MICHAEL'S JOURNEY

Kicking cancer’s butt… in style 

A friendly blog for close friends and family to keep up to date with my journey as I take on the ‘C’ word.

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  • August 21st, 2025

    Friends and Family,

    Thank you for interest and prayers as I go forward battling this parasite that has invaded me. I will be using this format as a form of communicating with all of you for updates and any news. I do not plan on keeping this or having to use it for any long period of time.

    Just a quick recap.

    Surgery to remove the tumors in my bladder went well on 8/15. Although I did not have any conversation post-surgery, my surgeon Dr John Tillett, who was somewhat pessimistic before surgery explained to Susan that he was in fact able to remove almost 75%-80% of the tumor. He did not want to press too much closer to the bladder wall as that would create a real problem. In previous CT scans there also was indication of the tumor in the kidney path which was reflecting blood labs that indicated high glucose and creatinine levels which would be indicators of diabetes. Scans of the kidneys (and all of my other internal organs) showed no signs of any problems. Dr Tillet indicated in his surgery notes that his plan after tumor removal was to add a tube to the kidney (stint) to clear the flow of the kidney in question to the bladder. He was not able to find the opening during surgery so that was not done.

    I came out of surgery pretty well but after a little Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Delanda I was moved to the wheelchair and hopped in Susans car and went home to her house only a 5-minute drive from Porter Hospital. However, the catheter was not removed and I still have it as I am writing this.

    I have a surgical follow up appointment later this afternoon and should have that removed. There were high levels of blood and urine flowing through Saturday but as of Monday it’s been very clear and void of any signs of blood or clots. Urinating was painful initially but that is now somewhat manageable.

    No pathology report I know of as of yet. Maybe today.

    As some of you may know I am also working with Health First which is a functional and alternative medicine clinic which specializes in strengthening immune systems before and after treatments and I have started testing with Dr Singer and look forward to continuing that journey asap.

    Thank you again all for your prayers and overall positive vibes, suggestions, websites, you tube videos etc. I read them all and have had great take aways from them. Feel free to continue to send them and ask any questions you may have. If there is any email addresses that want to be added to this, please let me know that as well.

    Done 4 now! – Mike

  • August 8th

    I think it’s going to be a long process, but I am positive of the outcome! Once they do the surgery to remove as much as they can, I have the option to start chemotherapy and immunotherapy. I am also looking into holistic doctors and doing tons of research on this. Big shout-out to Susan, who has been an absolute trooper through all this. Cooking me delicious, healthy meals and being such a support. Love ya babe!

  • August 7th, 2025 – Doctor update

    Talked to the doc today. Here is the info:

    Michael,

    I have reviewed your CT scan.  I left a voicemail on your phone to discuss findings. In brief the CT scan shows that the presumed bladder cancer is larger than I initially thought based on cystoscopy. I suspect this represents disease invading into the muscle wall of the bladder. It also shows an enlarged lymph node within the pelvis concerning for bladder cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes.

    The tumor itself is also causing obstruction of urine flow from the right kidney. This explains some worsening kidney function seen on your recent blood work from your preoperative visit.

    What this means is that next week when Dr. Tillett goes into resect the tumor he may elect to place what is called a ureteral stent. A ureteral stent is a hollow flexible plastic tube that spans the entire length from the kidney down to the bladder. This will help to unblock that right kidney to improve urinary drainage. It is a temporary measure.

    The CT findings also suggest that trying to remove the tumor completely next week may not be possible. Due to the size and likely depth of invasion, the goal for next week would be to get tissue for pathologic diagnosis. 

    More than likely we will recommend more invasive surgical management with bladder removal surgery. This is usually performed after giving chemotherapy or immunotherapy for a period of time to help shrink tumor burden and improve overall outcomes.

    You are in good hands next week with Dr. Tillett. He does a large amount of our bladder cancer management.

    Please feel free to reach out via phone or message with further questions.

    Daniel Kaufman, MD

    AdventHealth Medical Group Urology Denver

  • July 23rd, 2025

    So I have surgery booked for August 15th to remove the cancer, or as much as they can, from the inside wall of my bladder, and we will take it from there. More updates to follow.

  • July 22nd, 2025

    Alright, Let’s get down to business.

    I just had exploratory surgery with a camera to see inside my bladder to determine is there cancer inside my bladder. There was.

    Let the research begin. Moving over to a new strict diet – sugar-free, no red meat, adding beans, fish, and chicken. Bought a pint of chicken lentil soup today, and I swear I feel 100% better.

  • July 20th, 2025

    Well. Today I found out from the doc that I have cancer. Goody. Gonna need a minute on this one.

    In the meantime, look how cool I am.