First Signs of Something isn't Right...
My Bladder Cancer First Sign....
I'm 62, Male, Single Routine Type of Guy..
My First Sign was My Urine had a Pinkish Red Tint to it,..I didnt think much about it,
By the Second Week in Last Oct. it was Now Turning into a Red Blood Color...
I didnt know what to Think, No Back Pain or Front Pain, No Pain while Going to the Bathroom, Number 1 or 2....I felt Fine....
The 3rd Week...I am Peeing Coke Cola Brown Color, Now I'm Kinda of Freak'in Out....Went to Urgent Care for a Urine Test, had that, this isnt Normal..Set up a Ultra Sound, had that, they Spotted a Mass in my Bladder, Set up a CT Scan...
Well, there it was, a Tumor the Size of a Walnut in my Bladder, 2nd Stage Bladder Cancer...Surgery Time, My First Surgery,
Everything went Fine, He Removed the Tumor, I walked out of the Hospital, went out to eat with my Mother, Drove Home,
That Night was the Worst Experience, the Doctor Forgot to Tell Me...First, that Sensation to Pee was Happening every 10 Minutes,..The Urge, No Pee, and when I went,...it Burned like Bigtime....I was Up All Night with this, finally I went to the ER,
My Symptoms were Normal after Surgery,
I Did not know this,..and Started Peeing Blood again,..ER gave me some Pills for the Burning and I picked up a Bladder Infection because of the Catheter Used,
Pills for that....Now, The Second Surgery is Scheduled a Week Later....A Biopsy is taken from the Bladder and Muscle Tissue to Determine if it had Spread...Great News,
The Surgeon got Everything and The Cancer was not Present....I think its Over,
I was Wrong....Its Maintence Treatment Time,..First, I needed another Surgery to Remove any Kidney Stones that have been Spotted on the CT Scan...Surgery Number 3,...Kidney Stone Removal,...Everything is Done thru Your Penis, I mean Everything, there is No more Cutting You Open, The Penis is the Gateway to You Bladder and Nothing can be in the Path of that...So I had that Done....This is getting Very Expensive,..I have Insurance, but its Climbing to Over $200 thousand and its not Over....Now, after all of this,...I feel Great, Know more Peeing Red, No Pain Anywhere, I'm back to Work,..Everythings Great...Until its time to Schedule the Treatment Plan...Once a Week, for 6 Weeks, A Catheter is inserted again and the Drug BCG Is injected into my Bladder, I have to Hold it for up to 2 ours, then Pee it Out....2 1/2 Months of Stress, 3 Operations, and Now more Treatment, all thru my Penis....Well, after Careful Thinking, I Declined the Treatment, The Catheter Insertion was the Worst thing I have Ever Experienced,...I will Never have that Done as many times as I have had it Happen....Its My Choice and I have had Enough....
I am Currently Cancer Free, and Will Notify my Doctor if I Experience Blood or Pain While Peeing or Anything like this, I will Tell Someone....I will not Wait or Second Guess Anything....NO MORE CATHETER TREATMENTS WHILE I'M AWAKE...I WILL NEVER HAVE THAT DONE AGAIN....
Thats my Story,
Thank You for Reading....🤗🇺🇸
Hi
thank you for sharing with us. You have been through A LOT. I am so glad to hear you are cancer free and will carefully watch if any symptoms show up. We appreciate you sharing openly and freely. Jill (Team Member) Yes,...Today would of Started my 6 Week, Once a Week BCG Treatment, I had to CANCEL, I have been so Stressed out with this Process...CATHETER INSERT....I can't do it, with 3 Surgeries and Everything Running through The Penis Gateway, in a 2 month Process, I'm Done...This Catheter Insertion was the Worst Experience, I have Ever Experienced...My Stage 2 Tumor was Removed,
The Biopsy Confirmed there is No Cancer Cells in that Area or the Muscle Surrounding Area...I am VERY GREATFUL FOR THIS...The Surgeon/Urologist got it all,..The Tumor was the Size of a Walnut, so I did catch it Early...The Key is to not ignor the Signs,
My Signs were Peeing Pink/ Red, a Week later went to All Red and the Big One was my Pee was as Dark as Coke Cola...I went in....
After all that,...These 6 Treatments with BCG is a Preventive Measure, which could Prevent Future Tumors, I Understand that....and it was my Choice to Pass....Reguardless of How Quick the insertion of the Catheter is and the Injection of the BCG into the Bladder...
is a Very Uncomfortable Session,...then there is the Side Effects they dont tell You till after this Process is Done...
Burning while Peeing, The Urge to Pee every 10 minutes because Your Bladder is being Irrated, then its the Peeing out of the 2 hour BCG HOLD, While All this is going on....NO,....I had enough of the Catheters put into my Penis while I was Put Under,...and Know this is Done while I'm Awake....Absolutely NOT....I will Risk it of any kind of Return, I will Report a Color Change in my Urine Color Immediately if Symptoms Return....
I'm 62,...I am NOT GONNA LIVE A LIFE OF THIS KIND OF TREATMENT OPTION,
I feel Good Today and Will Tomorrow,
I am Prepared to be taken Down by Cancer,...I will keep my Routined Life till things Change, I am Not Suffering by these Daily Symptoms or Treatments just to Breathe and Extra Day of a Cancer Surviving....Come Up with the CURE, instead of Putting a Bandaid on a Bleeding Cut....🤗This is a decision every once of us who lies with cancer has to make for ourselves and no one can tell you it's right or wrong! Deciding what the quality of life is worth for you is difficult but it is ultimately our own choice! Glad to see that you decided that for yourself - I can understand completely not wanting to go through all that baloney for a mild return. Just know you are not alone no matter what happens and if there's anything we can do to help please ask! Keep on keepin' on, DPM
