Bladder Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

We have an appt. on the 22nd of April to get the pathology report on whether it is cancer & the stage.
Praying for your husband, thank you for replying.

Hi all,

I am new to the group and wish I had known about this 7 years ago. I am an avid biker and after a long bike ride back in 2018, I saw blood in my urine. The local urologist I went to said he saw a tumor in my bladder. I was shocked as this does not run in family and am very healthy.
The surgeon removed the tumor which was a high grade but had not gotten into the bladder wall. I can thank the lord that it was detected early. Another month and it could have been a different recovery. I started BCG treatments for the next few months and made it through 90% until my body started to reject them.
Bladder was monitored via cystoscopy over the next 7 years, every 3 months , then 6 months and last 2 years it was yearly, all negative. It was starting to feel like I had gotten past this and my dr felt the same.
However, this last month, the scope revealed a small growth on the back wall of my bladder. After 7 years!!!
The surgery was yesterday and we are waiting on the pathology report to determine the next steps, bCG or other immunotherapy.
I wonder if there are any case studies or data to support using bCG as a preventive. The prior year, the scope was clean.
Has anyone had similar experiences?

I am about to turn 80 and was diagnosed with high grade bladder cancer about three months ago. Had TURBT initially to remove a 5cm tumor. Just completed my sixth BCG treatment today and have had some side effects starting with the fourth treatment, headaches, body soreness, cough and congestion, but nothing I could not manage. Will have a cystoscopic evaluation in two to three weeks.
After reading through many of the entries at this site I think I have very little to complain about. There are so many folks with problems much more serious than mine. My health is generally good and I am optimistic about my condition. My doc says my prognosis is excellent and I can’t ask for a better opinion. I’ll post again after the evaluation. Fingers and toes crossed.

I am about to turn 80 and was diagnosed with high grade bladder cancer about three months ago. Had TURBT initially to remove a 5cm tumor. Just completed my sixth BCG treatment today and have had some side effects starting with the fourth treatment, headaches, body soreness, cough and congestion, but nothing I could not manage. Will have a cystoscopic evaluation in two to three weeks.
After reading through many of the entries at this site I think I have very little to complain about. There are so many folks with problems much more serious than mine. My health is generally good and I am optimistic about my condition. My doc says my prognosis is excellent and I can’t ask for a better opinion. I’ll post again after the evaluation. Fingers and toes crossed.

Hi,
My name is Irene & my husband had a procedure to
check a 2 cmm tumor for bladder cancer. I talked to
the dr. after the procedure & she says it looked like
cancer, but will have to wait until the pathology report.
Very nervous, I am having trouble waiting for the results

I

Hi. My name is Ron. I was diagnosed with invasive, high grade, cancer in my right utterer 9 months ago. It became high grade bladder cancer before I could have it removed. I have had Turbt surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. After that, I had 4 rounds of chemo in preparation for a radical cystectomy. That is scheduled for May 8th.

Luckily, the original cancer was found totally by accident. So, I’m hoping to be cancer free after my surgery. I plan on having an ileal conduit with a stoma.

Hi all,

I am new to the group and wish I had known about this 7 years ago. I am an avid biker and after a long bike ride back in 2018, I saw blood in my urine. The local urologist I went to said he saw a tumor in my bladder. I was shocked as this does not run in family and am very healthy.
The surgeon removed the tumor which was a high grade but had not gotten into the bladder wall. I can thank the lord that it was detected early. Another month and it could have been a different recovery. I started BCG treatments for the next few months and made it through 90% until my body started to reject them.
Bladder was monitored via cystoscopy over the next 7 years, every 3 months , then 6 months and last 2 years it was yearly, all negative. It was starting to feel like I had gotten past this and my dr felt the same.
However, this last month, the scope revealed a small growth on the back wall of my bladder. After 7 years!!!
The surgery was yesterday and we are waiting on the pathology report to determine the next steps, bCG or other immunotherapy.
I wonder if there are any case studies or data to support using bCG as a preventive. The prior year, the scope was clean.
Has anyone had similar experiences?

So sorry to hear about your mother's diagnosis and anxiety. I began BCG treatments last Monday. Insertion and removal of the catheter were briefly uncomfortable, but insertion of the small amount of BCG involved no discomfort. I'm incontinent, so needed to remain in the treatment room for an hour. A pillow, warm blanket and a tv remote made the hour speed by. After treatment, I had a slight burning sensation during urination for two days, a tiny amount of blood in my urine, but none of the potential side effects noted in the literature. Prior to treatment, I had anxiety; after all it's unfamiliar territory. But there's no need for exceptional anxiety. I do have a supportive wife, family and friends, many of whom prayed for me. If you understand that professionals implementing your care are highly trained, capable, kind and experienced, it helps moderate anxiety. But there's no substitute for prayer because you need God's help for healing. I'm 84 years old with an aggressive form of bladder cancer. With BCG treatments planned for the next five weeks, I've been wondering if I'd be able to play golf now that the weather is moderating here in Minnesota. Well, my first BCG is behind me with no side effects. So I'm planning to make a tee time next week. For that I'm grateful to Mayo Clinic for professional help. I'm certain God will eliminate the cancer if that's what He has in mind for me. But I know God will walk with me either way. My bottom line recommendation: Pray for your mom, but also seek help from family or friends who may be able to provide on-site support to help her through this unfamiliar valley and ease her anxiety. I'm not a physician, but my doctor tells me he is confident my aggressive bladder cancer can be controlled with non-surgical measures. BCG may be all that's needed. From your description of your mother's diagnosis, I suspect my doctor would pass along to her the same prediction.