Support Fatigue and Managing ExpectationsAs I was in the hospital recovering from my radical cystectomy, the flowers and cards from family, friends, and supporters covered every...reactionscomments
World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition SurveyIn March of 2020, I was invited to join the patient advisory board for the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition. The board...reactions2comments
No Evidence of DiseaseIt finally happened. Two years into treatment and I received the scan report I had been hoping for. The report read "no...reactions15comments
Swollen Ankles and Other Post-Op SymptomsThere is a lot I was prepared for after my radical cystectomy surgery. A big scar, an ostomy, a rigorous recovery, but...reactions6comments
Survivor's Guilt and Bladder Cancer: the Unseen WeightSurvivor's guilt: noun, a condition of mental and emotional stress experienced by someone who has survived an incident in which others died...reactions1comment
Reading Labs and Raising Red FlagsI am always emphasizing that cancer patients should make a point to be the most educated person in the room. I don't...reactionscomments
Living with Chronic CancerI was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic bladder cancer. The cancer had invaded my bladder muscle wall, I had a grapefruit-sized tumor...reactions1comment
I Was Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer at 28Bladder cancer should typically target older white men who have smoked. Outside of that usual range, it still tends to be diagnosed...reactions16comments
What to do When Treatment is Going WellMy latest set of CT scans have come back saying I’m still in good shape. My labs are great, I’m handling treatment...reactions1comment
What Is It Like Being on Immunotherapy?Immunotherapy feels like the new kid on the block when it comes to cancer treatment. And in the world of medicine, it...reactionscomments
Being Your Own AdvocatePatient advocacy is a cause near and dear to my heart. This task is most often handed to the patient’s caregiver, meaning...reactions1comment
Trying Holistic RemediesI am a 100% supporter of science-backed medicine. It is my medical team’s knowledge and care that has brought me back from...reactions1comment
Prioritizing My Mental HealthFighting cancer is usually seen as a physical fight. Your body is being attacked and through medicine, surgery, and sometimes brute strength...reactions1comment
Weird Symptoms and Documenting My ExperienceFor me, hindsight is 20/20. I can look back now and see some of the “weird” things I was experiencing as red...reactions1comment
One More Thing: Kidney Disease and Lifestyle ChangeI have gotten pretty good at rolling with the punches. I think any cancer patient has to be prepared to remain flexible...reactions1comment
Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine While on ImmunotherapyWhen the vaccine for COVID-19 was released, I immediately sat down with my oncologist to discuss the pros and cons of me...reactions1comment
Navigating Year 2As we celebrated the start of a new year, I began looking ahead and trying to make a plan for year 2...reactions1comment
What Is Grief Tourism?Grief tourist: someone who pretends to care about your chronic/serious illness on social media, but never offers their help in any real...reactions1comment
When It's a Bad DayMy mom has this quote she says whenever anyone in our family is just having a rotten, no good, awful day. “It's...reactions3comments
Planning for "The End"When I found out that I not only had cancer, but stage IV metastatic cancer, I knew that my life would not...reactions1comment
