Not Another Coloring BookLet's get in the time machine and go back to September 2019. I was freshly healed from my radical cystectomy, starting to get acquainted with having a urostomy and grappling...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
26 Year Old with Bladder CancerStarting in early October of 2022 I had a bout of hematuria which mostly presented itself as blood clots in my urine and orange pee at the end of my...Reactions0reactionsComments34 comments
Happy to Still Be Alive!In Jan 2017, I turned 68. In 68 years, I was pretty healthy, with 4 operations in all those years (3 after age 65), nothing out of the ordinary. In...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
5 Years Clear!The 1st of November 2017. This is a date I will never forget. A date that will always have great significance in my life. A day I will continue to...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Cold Weather Ostomy HacksThere I stood at my bathroom counter, a third failed bag in the trash, and staring daggers at my stoma. Nothing I did could get my ostomy bag to stick...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
High Grade Urothelial CarcinomaI slipped on the ice (Christmas Eve) and fell hard. Within the hour, I noticed blood in my urine. The blood was present for 2 days. I went to the...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
Living With a Retracted StomaToday I am looking at the impact of living with a retracted stoma. If your bladder cancer treatment plan includes surgery to remove your bladder, known as a radical cystectomy...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Cancer: A Hereditary HangoverA cancer diagnosis in the family, I've come to learn, has long-term effects for more than just the patient. In the beginning, when I first received the news that my...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 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...Reactions0reactionsComments3 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...Reactions0reactionsComments3 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...Reactions0reactionsComments20 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...Reactions0reactionsComments1 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments6 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...Reactions0reactionsComments9 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:...Reactions0reactionsComments6 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...Reactions0reactionsComments2 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...Reactions0reactionsComments0 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...Reactions0reactionsComments22 comments
