Living

Do you remember hearing the words ostomy, stoma, urostomy, or ileal conduit? I can bet many of you, like me, had never heard of them or knew what they were...

When my mother was diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer, I was studying abroad. Being so far apart when receiving the news of her diagnosis was definitely a challenging time...

Empowerment. What does it mean? At its core, empowerment enables individuals or groups to gain greater control over their lives, making decisions that positively affect their well-being. But for someone...

After my radical cystectomy (RC), I experienced quite a few complications and spent a significant amount of time in a rehab facility. Due to staffing issues, I could not get...

As a family we’ve always been a pretty positive bunch. Growing up, our house was always one filled with laughter and jokes, sarcasm and satire. No one was exempt from...

The night before, my wife and I talked a little about my visit today. I told her this was the most humiliating of all my follow-ups, and I've had a...

We all need support and to not feel alone. When I read of cancer patients who feel alone because they are not comfortable sharing their story with others, or because...

I am finally going on my first big trip since being diagnosed with bladder cancer - a 1-week cruise to the Virgin Islands. I am so excited, but also very...

Having been an ostomate for 6 and a half years now and very active in the bladder cancer and ostomy communities, I know that even within the US, wound, ostomy...

As winter turns to spring and thoughts turn from spring to summer, many of us will start to think of vacations. If you are new to life with an ostomy...

I am officially a year and a half cancer free and I really don't know how to feel. Part of me wants to jump for joy and celebrate every day...

My bladder cancer journey began almost 6 years ago. I have developed and grown in this time - grown in many ways. Grown as a patient, grown as an advocate...

By the time I got to the front desk and said, "Hey, my hip hurts," my husband was calling me. "Did you just leave the house?"... "Yes"... "Did you tell...

Being a patient - it is not a title we choose or something we choose to enter into. It is forced upon us when our amazing human body stops working...

Today was a good day. Through a UK Bladder Cancer Charity, I was approached to do a talk, and that talk was today. It was to talk to a patient...

Being a young woman diagnosed with bladder cancer, the thing I'm most often asked is, "How did it happen?". I've told my diagnosis story many times, and each time I...

Social media has changed our lives in many ways. Many for the good but, of course, in other ways less positively. On the one hand, it is a great way...

Most of us can probably say that we had never heard of bladder cancer before being diagnosed. Why is that? We constantly hear about other forms of cancer - breast...