Articles

I was diagnosed with stage 4, muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the fall of 2017. In November 2017, I underwent a total pelvic exenteration (TPE) with an aim to cure the...

From weeks to months to years, each bladder cancer diagnosis is unique. It feels like a long slog, regardless of the length of time. Curious about the process in this...

It finally happened. Two years into treatment and I received the scan report I had been hoping for. The report read "no evidence of disease recurrence or progression". This means...

In March of 2020, I was invited to join the patient advisory board for the World Bladder Cancer Patient Coalition. The board consists of members across the globe, with various...

When I first started patient advocacy I was told I needed to find my "why." My reason for advocacy is what would make my work genuine and ensure others would...

I've heard many cancer survivors say that they remember exactly where they were or what they were doing when they found out they had cancer. I imagine this has to be...

My name is Laura. I live with two stomas - a colostomy and a urostomy. A colostomy for the removal of feces and a urostomy for the removal of urine...

Today my husband and I planted the bulbs in our pots in the garden which will bloom in spring. For many, this is a yearly activity which is probably just...

A bladder cancer diagnosis can come about in different ways. You may have symptoms that lead to testing. Your doctor may find signs during a routine exam. Other times, treating...

The weather has finally turned chilly and the leaves are putting on their best show of fall colors. With the great outdoors calling my name I decided to take back...

I often talk to others in the bladder cancer communities and people are always curious how I became a bladder cancer advocate. The answer is a lot simpler than one...

Having lived with my urostomy for over two years I'm pretty confident in all aspects of ostomy life. My bag change routine is down to a science and nothing about...

I finally had my follow-up cystoscopy a month ago. Yes, it was about six months overdue. I wasn't nervous, at first. But the longer I went without an exam, the...

I love to travel and explore any chance I get, and even before COVID, this came in the form of long road trips. When air travel became more restricted and...

I am just writing this after getting up this morning. My morning is probably very similar to anyone else's: having a shower, breakfast and as it is a weekday, getting...

Since the first diagnosis, the burning question has been, "How did I get this disease?" No, I do not smoke. No, I don't drink alcohol. No, I don't abuse drugs...

Recently we asked our BladderCancer.net advocates some questions around their pivotal decision to have a radical cystectomy and opt for a urinary diversion. It can be one of the most...

This time of year is a difficult one for me. It is full of mixed emotions and a roller coaster of hours that became days. On the 29th of October...

I am going to start this by being brutally honest. I have struggled over the last year and a half with depression, low mood, and anxiety. I felt like I...

In June, an email popped up with the subject line, "Congratulations, you've been nominated!" The first thing I thought was, nominated for what? Well, I was nominated in a category...