Shirley Norris

It's been over two years now since my life changed forever. Two years since the birth of "Winnie," my stoma. You would think that I would be used to "her" by...

Having gone through a number of cystoscopies, TURBTs, and ultimately, a radical cystectomy (complete bladder removal), I began to think of all the people that have been involved in my...

Given today's scary statistics that 1 in 2 of us are expected to get cancer at some point in our lifetime, it comes as no surprise that we are all...

When I found out I was going to have to have my bladder removed and have a stoma and a bag, I had no idea what would be needed to...

Well, it's coming to that time of year again for me...the annual checkup! This will be my second checkup since I had my bladder removed in 2017. As the time...

As a person who is in remission from bladder cancer, I find that even now two years later I can still suffer from quite severe fatigue. I also seem to...

Prior to having my bladder removed, I never gave "disabled" toilets a second thought. In fact, I would walk past them and assume that they were for use only by...

I’ve been supporting and advocating for bladder cancer patients for over a year now, after I myself went through bladder cancer in 2016-2017. My experience resulting in a Radical Cystectomy...

I’ve had my stoma, “my Winnie”, coming up on two years now. Having my stoma hasn’t stopped me from doing anything: traveling, spa days, swimming, etc. In fact, I have...

I was diagnosed with a high grade, aggressive bladder tumor. This was totally unexpected, although I had known for quite some time that something “wasn’t quite right”. What it was...

As the holiday season approaches and the party invites begin to arrive, many of us who have a “stoma” might start to worry about “leaks”. So, here are some tips...

So this is the 2nd Christmas that I’m about to share with my little stoma, “Winnie”. Last year was quite daunting as everything was “new”. The holiday season and all...

As someone who was fully employed in a professional, full-time role before my bladder cancer diagnosis, I’ve been very disheartened by stories I have heard from other cancer patients and...

So I’d been diagnosed with bladder cancer. It was probably the most shocking news I had ever received. I never thought at 53 years of age I would be doing...

I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in September 2017. I underwent 2 TURBTs and eventually had a radical cystectomy in January of 2017. Recovery was normal and pretty uneventful apart...

After being diagnosed with bladder cancer, it quickly became apparent that my cancer was classed as “very aggressive”. It all seemed to happen very quickly. My life became a whirlwind...

So my eldest son had returned to our family home just a few months before my cancer diagnosis. I was feeling pretty rotten - no appetite, weak, poor sleep pattern...

Before I was even diagnosed with bladder cancer, I was suffering from fatigue. I used to “beat” myself up about it. I began to think, “is this part of the...

I’ve had my stoma whom I lovingly named “Winnie” for just over eighteen months now. We have done much traveling together, mainly around South and Southeast Asia. Before beginning my...

So I received my bladder cancer diagnosis in September of 2017, and by February 2018 I’d had a Radical Cystectomy. I now had my “bag for life” and a stoma...