Please help Alexandra Leh beat bladder cancer!

Hi...I’m Alexandra Barnes Leh. In February 2022, I was diagnosed with Stage One high-grade (aggressive) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer; a terrifying diagnosis, but we’d caught it relatively early, so we were realistically optimistic.

In March 2022, I had my first laparoscopic surgery to remove two tumors. Once the bladder healed, I began a six-week series of intravesical immunotherapy that often keeps the cancer from returning. The first cystoscopy in October 2022 was clean as a whistle. The second scope in early January 2023 revealed a return of cancer cells in one area. By the time I had my second laparoscopic surgery in late February 2023, many more cells had returned. It was clear the BCG therapy had not worked for me.

The best chance for a long-term cure is to remove the bladder. Ideally, it needs to happen before the cells invade the muscle around the bladder.

On June 5, I will have a major surgery at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles to remove my bladder and create a neobladder from part of my small intestine. I fought my insurance company for the location and the surgeon my urologist recommended; thank goodness, I won. I have a stellar team led by an experienced surgeon who is a well-known expert in this field.

The complex procedure takes 5-7 hours; the recovery, the rehabilitation, and the adjustment to the neobladder take much longer. I will not be able to work at full strength for 4 to 6 months. As with most surgeries, it’s a “your mileage may vary” situation; some patients take longer to heal and become fully functional.

My insurance coverage does not include an assortment of vital needs, including special rehabilitation, housekeeping help, and other costs related to receiving and living with a neobladder, so I will also have significant out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The fact that my longtime friend and book client, with whom I published two books and was planning a third, died of brain cancer last year has–in addition to causing great sadness–added to my financial burden.

In fact, I have lost too many friends and family members to various forms of cancer; I’ll bet you have, too. I personally know two people who died of the monster that has been threatening me for over a year: one was my former brother-in-law who passed in 2014, the other was a woman I knew when I worked in the New York City music business; she died in 2022. Jack Lemmon died of it; so did David Ogden Stiers, Hubert Humphrey, Andy Williams, Dominick Dunne, Arthur Miller, Edward G. Robinson, Allen Ludden, Mary Lou Williams, and Margaret Thatcher (you’ll notice that it shows up in more men than women...unfortunately, though, we’re catching up).

But, through the bladder cancer support systems to which I have access, I’ve also become acquainted with people who have had the surgery for various urinary diversions––neobladder, Indiana pouch, urostomy pouch––and are doing well, some for nearly two decades. I intend to be one of the survivors.

So...I am asking for whatever financial aid you can manage, to cover my medical expenses and living expenses while I am unable to generate the cash flow that will allow me to continue my life and my work. You who know me personally know that I will keep you all updated on my progress here on my GoFundMe page, and on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

You have my deepest gratitude for following my journey, and for your continued support. Your donations will help me stay afloat and beat this beast for good.