My dad has a mass on bladder and kidney not functioning

Thanks a lot! I will pass it on -i did a search on the site but did not find any info on bladder removal and living with it.. are their any sites for that?.and he is living with one kidney- but that doesnt require dialysis does it ? he has not heard anything about that- he got it removed a few weeks ago because of the cancer- next to be removed is his bladder where the cancer is in muscle wall..

@formydad Good morning. Just saw your note. Google ‘cystectomy’ and webMD will pop up. It has info for ‘life after bladder removal.’ Lots of information! I wish you and your family well and have a sunny day!

Sounds great thanks!

My dad has to get chemo now for 12 weeks in 1/2 doses on wed’s n Thursdays...
and after all this he still has to get bladder removed.
He is getting two kinds of chemo...Gemcitabine, and Cisplatin.
Does anyone have any experience with these?
As to what type of side effects or tips on how to deal with them? Any info is appreciated thanks

@formydad Hi,again.I'm glad you’re in touch thru MayoClinicConnect . Have you gone to appointments with your father? And asked questions? Did the oncologist say anything about chemotherapy education before your dad starts chemo? If not mentioned, ask for it. The education covers everything you ever want to know. I will tell you that the most common side effects, that you and your mom will notice, are nausea and vomiting. So you want to ask ‘what can you ( nurses, etc) and I do proactively and at home to minimize vomiting?’ They will hopefully premedicate before they start the chemo. I get rituxan every 6 months and I had a bad reaction the first time. (not to worry, it’s not common). Now, I get pre-medicated starting the night before. Haven’t had problems since.
Also ask, ‘what are the most common side effects seen, and will they start right away?’
Your dad will also need to avoid people who are sick and avoid any chance of infection. I keep a small bottle of waterless hand soap in the car.
I can send more info tomorrow—it’s time for bed!

No i have not gone to apts i asked if he’d like me to go he said no mom will be with me so i come here to gather all info i can and pass on to him-he is going to get half doses twice a week also —doc says he’ll get an injection of nuelasta for white blood cells? Should he ask for something for nausea before chemo? - he said doc said he may not have bad side effects- lose hair or nausea but wont really know until he starts maybe its just something they say to comfort not sure.. anything i can get to have on hand to help out with side effects will get hand sanitizer..

Good morning @formydad . I had typed a long answer for you and it disappeared! So, I’ll try again.
Your best bet is to go to the American Cancer Society website. There is lots of information on side effects and how to manage them. They might also have support groups for families, which would be great. You’ll also meet other people who are going thru the same thing
The neulasta injection is to support the white blood cells and to encourage growth. Chemotherapy is very hard on WBCs and as their numbers go down, the chance of infection goes up. The doctors keep a close eye on this. They use the term ANC-absolute neutrophil count. Neutrophils are immature white cells. The numbers will drop but the doctor will keep you informed.
Also, now is a good time to find a day planner that has large size monthly calendars and pages for taking notes. Your mom will take it to all appointments and write down everything: next appointments, medication changes, questions she or your dad have, answers, side effects, problems, etc. I was an oncology nurse until I retired and the patients found this very helpful. I hope it will work for you. Take care and think positive! Will you let us know how things go for you and your parents?

Oh of course! Ill keep you updated! And ill definitely find the calendar book great idea! And i know i write a book and had to start over too on one post! 🤣 lovely! Thanks for all the input!

Hi @formydad, you are in a similar position I was in when my dad was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. My mom accompanied him to all his appointments and was his main caregiver. My job was to research, help them know what questions to ask and support them. My mom especially appreciated my supporting her need for more information. My dad didn't want too much information. He just wanted to deal with things as they happened. Thus I equipped my mom with the symptom tracker from the American Cancer Society. It helped put her mind at ease that she wasn't missing anything. Here's the link:
- Tools to Monitor Treatment https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/tools-to-monitor-treatment.html
- Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer/treating/chemotherapy.html
- Side effects of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs/gc-gemcis/side-effects

Your dad won't necessarily experience all of the possible side effects. However some chemo drugs are known for specific side effects. His team knows that the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin reduces white blood cells, so they are taking preventative measures by prescribing growth stimulating factor Neulasta to boost the white blood cell count (WBC). The WBC need to be at a certain level to be ready for the next chemo session. They will also watch for signs of peripheral neuropathy, numbness and tingling in fingers and toes. Keeping track of the side effects will help your team get the dose right for your dad and give medications to help if necessary.

How often will he be getting chemo?

I also want to bring @mcgonzalez36 @sandielegal @jimmy2248 @samasama and @tattrigoo into this conversation. You can read more about their experiences with bladder cancer in these discussions:

- Pembro-Taxol-Carbo Treatment for Bladder Cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/treatment-4/
- Bladder Cancer/Small cell bladder cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/small-cell-bladder-cancer/
- Bladder Cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bladder-cancer-7/

Keep your questions coming, @formydad. We're all here to help.