At 82 years old, I was diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer about nine months ago. The diagnosis came as a shock, as I had no symptoms at the time. I was at the Mayo Clinic for an unrelated issue—atrial fibrillation—when the cancer was discovered. The Mayo Clinic deemed the cancer inoperable and sent me home to begin immunotherapy.

I endured five months of immunotherapy, but it was brutal. The side effects were overwhelming: I couldn’t eat, was constantly fatigued, and suffered from extreme itchiness. Eventually, I made the decision to stop the treatments, as they were taking a severe toll on my quality of life. In hindsight, I would not recommend immunotherapy for elderly individuals like myself.

Currently, my primary symptoms are frequent urination and neuropathy in my hands and feet, which I believe is a side effect of the treatment. Despite everything, I’m managing without pain and focusing on maintaining my quality of life.