175: Michelle Reed survived bladder cancer | cystoscopy | gemcitabine | bcg immunotherapy

1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 175: Michelle Reed survived bladder cancer | cystoscopy | gemcitabine | bcg immunotherapy | mitomychin &nbsp; &nbsp; Michelle Reed is still with us after being diagnosed with NMI bladder cancer in 2018; but she will stop short of saying she has survived the disease.&nbsp; Since surgery to remove a 7mm mass, she has had ten recurrences.&nbsp; Post-treatment included a chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine, which she says she will be taking for the rest of her life.&nbsp; Managing her cancer consists of making she comes in for her scheduled scans and listening to her body.&nbsp; Michelle does much to help others as they battle cancer through her book and her website. &nbsp; In 2018, Michelle Reed had a lot on her plate.&nbsp; Her son had just been in an auto accident and while she was caring for him and working at a full time job, she noticed blood in her urine.&nbsp; With all she had going on, she was slow to seek medical attention, but when the condition wouldn’t go away, she went to an urgent care.&nbsp; She made five such visits, each time being told she probably just had a urinary tract infection or mini kidney stones.&nbsp; Michelle had friends who had suffered kidney stones, knew they were quite painful, and that tipped her off, that the diagnoses she had received at the urgent care were inaccurate. &nbsp; She eventually saw a urologist who conducted a FISH test, which stands Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization urinalysis, which combined with a CT scan, revealed a 7mm mass on her bladder.&nbsp; Her doctor said it was urgent that Michelle undergo surgery to remove the mass.&nbsp; He added that a best-case scenario was complete removal of the mass after which she could go home, while a worst-case scenario would her being hooked up to a bag for the rest of her life.&nbsp; Thankfully, the entire mass was removed.&nbsp; &nbsp; However, Michelle Reed will never say she has ‘survived’ bladder cancer.&nbsp; After the surgery, she was put on a chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine.&nbsp; She says she will always be on that regimen.&nbsp; Michelle also says since her diagnosis, she has had no less than ten recurrences of bladder cancer, requiring several surgeries.&nbsp; She also knows there is the possibility that another surgical procedure could be in her future. &nbsp; Michelle says the quality of her urinary function varies from day to day, and that also will be with her for the rest of her life, as well as fatigue that is a byproduct of her treatment. &nbsp; By way of advice to others who find themselves ‘managing’ their cancer, she says to be sure to be present for all your scheduled appointments and listen to your body. &nbsp; Michelle Reed makes a steadfast effort to help others battling cancer with a book anda website. &nbsp; Additional Resources: &nbsp; Michelle’s Book: Cancer Care Book &nbsp; Michelle’s Website: https://www.cancersupportstudio.com &nbsp; Cancer Interviews http://cancerinterviews.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41298450/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/41298450