Steve Kelley is the quintessential glass half-full guy. Still, he realizes his reaction to learning he had an extremely rare cancer known as central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma may seem unusual.

Afew weeks after his June 2018 diagnosis, Kelley, then 64, gathered his familyand friends together. He didnt want to focus negatively on the uncertainoutcome or his upcoming treatment at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Womens CancerCenter (DF/BWCC).

Hejust wanted to celebrate the present.

Ive always seen myself as someone who deals with whatever life puts in front of me, says Kelley of the pre-treatment party he organized at a bowling alley near his home in Sharon, Mass. I wanted everybody to know I felt the same way now, even with cancer. I was celebrating the challenge ahead.

Sincethen, through intensive chemotherapy, followed by an autologous stem celltransplant in November 2018, and then several months re-strengthening hisimmune system, the father and grandfather of four has kept up this positivity.

Whileits true he lost his hair, fingernails, and dealt with other serious sideeffects during treatment, Kelley explains, things have greatly improved sincethen. Forced to go without his favorite activities of swimming and mountain bikingfor a while, he is now feeling strong enough to think about triathlons. Heseven handling snow plowing and other duties associated with the real estatemanagement and roofing businesses he founded at age 19, and still leads today withthe help of sons Phil and Dave.

Andif he must be among those living with primary CNS lymphoma, Kelley says, he couldnthave picked a better time or place.

The Central Nervous System Lymphoma Center, established at DF/BWCC in December 2017, was the first facility in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive care and research for patients with this rare cancer. The center offers advanced treatment options including surgical biopsy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, as well as placement for qualified patients on clinical trials.

Itell you, Im one lucky son of a gun, says Kelley.

Itis Kelleys upbeat attitude, he believes, that led him to initially miss the warningsigns of his CNS lymphoma. Two areas impacted by the cancer are eyesight and orientation;although he had been having trouble with both for several months, he says helearned to subconsciously compensate.

Asstrange as it sounds, I would tilt my head left or right to see, says Kelley.Things didnt get really bad until one day when I was driving six miles to myhouse on a route I had known for years. There wasnt a lot of traffic, but Ikept seeing lines across my eyes, and was so disoriented it took me three hoursto get home. When I told my wife, she insisted we go to the nearest emergencyroom.

There an MRI revealed a mass in Kelleys head, and he was immediately sent to DF/BWCC for more tests. He then had what he calls another stroke of good fortune, in the form of oncologist Lakshmi Nayak, MD, director of the Central Nervous System Lymphoma Center. Right away, Nayak and physician assistant Alexandra Torres, PA-C, put Kelley at ease with their knowledge and warmth.

Dr. Nayak analyzed my condition and synthesized a treatment plan that brought me back from the kind of a cliff that I was holding onto, Kelley says. She was terrific.

Similarly,Nayak says, Kelleys approach to that plan was helpful.

Hewas certainly a perfect candidate for undergoing an autologous transplantbecause of his age and fitness, says Nayak, but importantly, his attitudethroughout the arduous process was amazing.

Kelley, who meets regularly with Nayak and her team for checkups, has not yet had a cancer recurrence. Recently he marked a year since his stem cell transplant with another celebration Thanksgiving with his family and in March he plans to meet with a specialist at DF/BWCC to work on improving the cognitive skills impacted by his diagnosis.

Meanwhile, with the ongoing support of his incredible wife, family, and close friends, Kelley is keeping his spirits up and forging ahead. In addition to running his company, he is enjoying a 20-year secondary career as a Cambridge College professor. Among the courses he teaches are leadership, conflict management, and effective listening, all of which he says have been indispensable guideposts in his recovery.

Its funny I was already working on writing a book about how people can help themselves through tough times, and now Im reworking it to include my cancer journey, Kelley says. One of the things I like to tell people is that maturity is the ability to make the best of any situation.

I hope to be proof of that.

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Experts and Attitude Help Grandfather Face Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute