Reclaiming My NormalI have declared 2023 as the year I will reclaim my normal. In 2019 I was diagnosed with what should have been terminal bladder cancer. 2020 brought about COVID. 2021... By Brittney Tellekamp2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Truly Loving My Birthday Once AgainTo anyone who knows me well, I have always loved birthdays. I am writing this a few days before my 46th birthday. In fact, I always liked to think I... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
My New BirthdayI am calling today my new birth date because on this day last year (2022) I was “snatched from the jaws of death”. I went to the emergency room complaining... By zip3161 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Urostomies: Sharing Our Knowledge with Each OtherI have often wondered if a urostomy is something that most healthcare professionals - doctors, nurses, physician's assistants, techs - know and understand. From the information I have gleaned from... By Linda Urbanski4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments20 comments
Community Views: Your Bladder Cancer VictoriesLiving with bladder cancer is never easy. But, thankfully, there can be wins and milestones worth celebrating along the way. As last year came to a close, we wanted to... By Editorial Team2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Dealing With Illness and Ostomies: Late Night ThoughtsDo you have late-night thoughts? I think we all do at some point. There is always a night you can't sleep for one reason or another. It could be a... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Your Mindset Determines Your FutureBladder Cancer... When did it start? I am 63 and started smoking at age 17. It was about March 2021 that I experience some blood in my urine, but it... By Archie6 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Supporting an Ostomy Bag: Adhesive Removal Spray and Barrier FilmI am back for my final part to take a look at another couple of additional ostomy products which may help you on your ostomy journey. Today I am going... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Offering Support: Being There When You Can't Be ThereIf someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, you'll obviously want to support them in every way possible. If you live locally, you can offer support in many ways:... By Phil Norris3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
It Has Been a While!It has been a while since I last wrote anything, and that has been due to my physical and mental health. I found life so overwhelming that I retreated into... By Anita Brown4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
COVID With an OstomyAfter 3.5 years of managing to avoid COVID-19 - it finally got me. Having avoided contracting COVID-19 up until now was probably partly due to luck. However, for the most... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Five Years No RecurrenceMy bladder cancer journey started five years ago. I'm an avid bicyclist riding my Trek road bike 40 miles a week. After a strenuous 30-mile ride, I had blood in... By biscuit531 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments22 comments
Getting the Bladder Cancer Message to CongressAs you may have read, I had many plans for Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. One of these was reaching out to my local member of parliament (the UK's rough equivalent... By Laura MacKenzie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Well, They Didn't Tell Me THATMaybe we can blame it on the emergency surrounding my surgery, and maybe we can say the post-op complications were taking precedence. But before and even after my surgery, I... By Brittney Tellekamp3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
Self-Care: Acceptable and NecessaryFor me, self-care was never a thought. I was so caught up in taking care of everyone around me that taking care of myself was relegated to having hot coffee... By Mac Howard2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Bladder Cancer In America Survey: What's That?A bladder cancer diagnosis is a shock, but what can make it more difficult is the lack of information and research available for patients and their loved ones. Many people... By Editorial Team2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Supporting an Ostomy Bag: Flange Extenders and Ostomy PowderHi again. I am back to look at another couple of additional ostomy products that may help you on your journey. Some people need support in the early days while... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
Coping With MusicMusic has always been an integral part of my life. Even as a baby, my parents said I was always dancing and bouncing whenever there was a tune playing. As... By Brittney Tellekamp3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
SadnessI lost my husband of 34 years on October 31st of this year, just over 2 years after him receiving a cancer diagnosis on September 29th, 2020. Our world was... By Margy521 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
Being OpenIsolation is debilitating. Be it physical or emotional. Feeling like you are alone or the only one going through what you are going through is brutal. Being open about your... By Mac Howard2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments