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...reactions1comment
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions6comments
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...reactions4comments
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...reactions2comments
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...reactions5comments
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...reactions10comments
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...reactions6comments
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions3comments
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...reactions1comment
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions5comments
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...reactionscomments
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...reactions1comment
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...reactions18comments
That Could Have Been 2 BitesI am sure every parent had had those times when a child inserted more food in their mouth than they thought possible. When that happened at our table, the child...reactions1comment
Preparing for My Annual ScopeOn the 18th of October, I will submit to my annual cystectomy. I believe this will be my 16th yearly check-up. Last week, Thursday, I decided what I really needed...reactions4comments
Bladder Cancer JourneyI am on my third chemo, just to get rid of any lingering cells if any. I have Bladder cancer 60yrs young. The only thing I find is not getting...reactions8comments
Health Insurance in the US - What to ConsiderInsurance can be confusing. Recently I have seen posts regarding the high costs related to bladder cancer. I hope that this information will be beneficial to many of you. For...reactionscomments
