Signing My Life Away, Or Saving It?Surgery day was approaching. On October 31st, 2017, I was admitted to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow, Scotland, for my total pelvic exenteration surgery scheduled for the next day. Confirmation... By Laura MacKenzie4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The BeginningJuly 1st: Seeing very dark urine one morning and went to the doctor's office to have it checked. They said they saw microscopic blood in the sample I gave at... By Thomas G1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments20 comments
Living the 1 PercentFrom the day of my diagnosis, I have always been "different." I was too young (only 28 years old at diagnosis). I was a woman. I had never smoked or... By Brittney Tellekamp3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments8 comments
The Dawn of a New Year and a Fresh StartThe New Year means different things to different people. I live in Scotland. December 31 is known as Hogmanay. Historically Christmas day wasn't even a holiday in Scotland; however, New... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
My Caregiver AppreciationNovember is Caregiver Appreciation Month. I am writing this on the first day of December. On November 8th, election day in America, my wife went to vote and pick up... By Mac Howard3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
An Ostomy: The Gift That Keeps on Giving"All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth," sang Alvin and the Chipmunks, but what do we all really want for Christmas? Well, you could ask thousands of... By Laura MacKenzie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Tumors ReturnThis is "327" again. My name is Tom. "Unexpected/Unwelcome Surprise" is my first entry to this forum. Following my first surgery in January 2022, and 6-week BCG treatment, I had... By CommunityMember3271 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Caring for Your Mental HealthOnce faced with a cancer diagnosis, your entire focus tends to shift to caring for your body. Staying hydrated, eating well, prepping for procedures, dealing with treatment after effects, and... By Brittney Tellekamp3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Never Let Your Ostomy Hold You BackToday is a good day. No, today is a great day! This evening, I will head to Glasgow Airport, Scotland, and board a plane to Portugal. For anyone who knows... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Hope for a Happy New YearOn July 25th, 2019, everything stopped. It was like my world froze into place, and here we are now, and it feels in many ways like I am still frozen... By Brittney Tellekamp2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Life After SurgeryI’m 11 months after bladder and prostate removal. As of today, I have no sex life. It’s very simple- active before- now inactive. In a strange way, I think it’s... By KPAZ1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
Humor Is the Best Medicine: Finding Laughs Along the WayI was stuck in traffic heading home from the airport in the early hours last winter, having just returned from a trip to Mexico. I quickly realized there was a... By Linda Urbanski4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Behind the Door of an Ostomy OrganizationIt's Monday Morning. Back at work after two days away from my day job. E-mails to catch up on. Busy? Yes, however, I am buzzing from my trip during my... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Good Thing I LookedI have a 90-year-old friend that said she heard animals in her crawl space. She asked me to investigate, and reluctantly, I went down there and looked. The space was... By zack2chat1 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Medical Records and History - Are They Current and Accurate?When we put our lives in the hands of medical providers, the information gained from our conversations, tests, procedures, surgeries, and prescriptions are recorded. It is imperative that this medical... By Linda Urbanski4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
What Is the Social Health Network Community?Like our other Health Union condition communities, the Social Health Network brings people together to drive unique and impactful conversations about health. It also aims to expand opportunities for health... By Editorial Team 4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Radical Cystectomy in DecemberWow. This has happened so quickly. I'm a 67-year-old male, soon to be 68, healthy as a horse, a horse with arthritis. In July my local urologist detected blood in... By Stuyoung092 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
My First Experience with a Urinary Diversion Before Bladder RemovalFor most people, the words urostomy, stoma, ostomy, and ileal conduit are all foreign unless, of course, you have one or know someone who does. I readily admit that the... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Finding a Caregiver in the Most Unexpected PlacesMost humans put others before themselves. It is in our nature and part of our makeup. Many people find this very difficult when we are presented with a situation where... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Stepping Back on Board Post-PandemicThe sun setting as we took off from Faro Airport in Portugal was a sight to behold. The sun was also setting on our first holiday abroad since the pandemic... By Laura MacKenzie2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments18 comments