Three Time Winner - Happy to help!
I am a 80 year old white male who has had bladder cancer 3 times since 2016. It returned in 2020 and again in 2022 and I have been clear since then.
Tumor removal and BCG treatments is what I have had so far. My VA doctor spotted something she didn't like in some blood work, had me do more labs that came out normal, but she still wasn't happy and had it done again - which is when they decided to go in and check. Three days later I was at the local VA hospital where they removed the cancer. I went through several BCG treatments both at the VA, and then when BCG was hard to get they got me scheduled for treatment at a branch of the local MD Anderson Cancer Center that did have it.
Four years clean and it popped up again, this time 2 tumors and one was high grade. Removed and more BCG.
Then in 2022, two years later it popped up again - another surgery and more BCG. I never had any issues with the surgery or the BCG - other than the sheer embarrassment of finding out there isn't one male nurse that does BCG treatments 😀
In my military group (I was Air Force for 30 years) I am the third one to have bladder cancer, the only one who didn't smoke or have any of the other causes they look at, and the only one who had it come back. Because of the "high grade" cancer in 2020 they had me do a scope every 3months for a year and a half (although I went every 3 months the first year and a half after the first occurrence, then 6 and finally got to a year when it came back again.
When I went for my 6 month scope a couple of months ago the doc said if the next one was clean I would go to scopes every 12 months. He also said that considering it hasn't come back in 4 years it was unlikely to in the future. I reminded him it was 4 years before it came back the first time. But I like the way he thinks!!! 😀 So for me, other than the surgeries and treatments, I have had it pretty easy. But if I can answer any questions someone might have I will be happy to respond. Best wishes to all!!! Brian
Hi
thanks so much for sharing with us and offering to help our community. I am so glad to hear things are going so well for you. Jill (Team Member) Thank you Brian, I appreciate your journey. I was diagnosed with high grade, noninvasive bladder cancer in 2022. That’s when I had my first surgery. I continued to have my bladder scoped every 3 months only for another to have two more surgeries (noninvasive tumors) in 2023 and 2024. In 2024 I went through the BCG treatment. I was then in remission until April 2026 and had to have another surgery to remove the cancer and inserted a form of chemo called Germ something. My follow up appointment is coming up on July 15. Fingers crossed that I’m cancer free once again.
Just an FYI: My urologist and the nurses are all female, but early on they put me at ease and have been excellent to work with.I hope you can stay clear! I am at 4 years since the last time - but it was 4 years between the first and second - but I'm optomistic.
You mentioned the "Germ" something treatment. After the last surgery they were supposed to do what they had done previously and put some kind of chemo in while I was in recovery. Never knew about it the first 2 times. But the last time they forgot to put in the order for the stuff until I had woke up. I had to lay there a couple of hours while they got it made up and delivered, and when they gave it to me (and I knew I had to stay another 2 hours while it was in there) about 10 minutes later I started feeling bad, started shaking and told my wife something was very wrong. She had a problem getting anyone to respond an in the mean times I was shaking really bad and felt like I could die. Someone finally came by and took my BP which was like 250/150 and told me to let it out - which I did quickly. Then they gave me something to stabilize me and I felt better almost immediately - but I was plenty scared! Then we had to stay another hour so they could be sure my BP didn't get too low after whatever they gave me. I guess it's like the BCG. 9 out of 10 times I had no issues - but now and then.... 😀
Best wishes!
