Bladder Cancer Comic: Help Around the HouseWhile recovering from a bladder cancer treatment or surgery, taking time to rest is important. Having a partner or friend who can help around the house and take care of...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Bladder Cancer Saved My Life6 years ago, I was told I had bladder cancer. Chemo and neobladder surgery followed. Then, I started taking my health seriously. See, I was your typical 50-year-old man. Invincible...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Neuropathic Pain and Bladder CancerAfter treatment for bladder cancer, while the experience of cancer treatment might be over, it is not uncommon to still be dealing with neuropathic pain long after treatment ends. The...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
The Aftermath of My Annual ScopeThe scope procedure took the usual 10 minutes, maybe. The doctor was professional and courteous. The nurse was new to me, and I cannot say I would choose her if...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
The True Hero on Your Cancer JourneyIf you tell someone you’re a cancer survivor, they pat your back and say “good show!” Or they’ll congratulate you on your effort and perseverance. Some might say you’re a...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Scope Week 2019: Accepting My EmotionsIf you are just joining me, please read “The Prelude: Learning to Cope with Anxiety and Panic Attacks” and then come back here. There is some important backstory that will...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Struggling with How Cancer Has Changed My BodyIt's been over two years now since my life changed forever. Two years since the birth of "Winnie," my stoma. You would think that I would be used to "her" by...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
The Prelude: Learning to Cope with Anxiety and Panic AttacksAnxiety begins to manifest itself, in earnest, about a month out. It starts with the automated call confirming the upcoming appointment. It may be three weeks prior. I just know...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Cheeemo! Cheee-eee-ee mo!My rounds done and me wan' go home (Apologies to Harry Belafonte.) I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy before I had my cystectomy and prostatectomy. Neoadjuvant therapy means I had chemo administered...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
What Does a Bladder Tumor Look Like?Many people in the bladder cancer community have described coming face to face with their bladder tumor in the exam room during a cystoscopy. One survivor described the moment by...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Bladder Cancer Fatigue: How to be UntiredOne of the worst underlying symptoms of cancer is the unmitigated fatigue it brings. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a problem with multiple causes: the effect of your immune system trying...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Things They Tell You That You Don’t RememberImportant background info: 6-year bladder cancer survivor, neobladder, no need to catheterize, continent during the day – pretty good at night with a 3.5-hour schedule. No other issues for all...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Bladder Cancer and DatingIn this article, I want to discuss dating and bladder cancer. A few months ago, I wrote a companion article on this topic for ProstateCancer.net. I suggest you take a...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
FaithFaith (noun): Let me say, here, at the beginning, I am not trying to convert or proselytize anyone. I am not trying to tell you my way is right and...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The "New Normal": When the Battle Armor Comes OffMy “new normal,” a phrase often used in cancer circles to describe life in survivorship, completely took me by surprise when I exited treatment. It happened both times I experienced cancer! I...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
All It Takes Is a TriggerI hadn't been thinking about bladder cancer a lot until recently. During treatment, that's all I thought about. I thought about it for the next several months every time I'd...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Can Bladder Cancer Return After Bladder Removal?While there are several different treatments for bladder cancer available, many patients with high-risk or muscle-invasive cancer will undergo a procedure known as a radical cystectomy - total removal of...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
Handling Awkward Questions from Children About an OstomyI became a Nana this year to the gorgeous Jackson James, but I have been a step-Nana for over a year, and in that time, there have been a few...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
What’s the Cost of the BCG Shortage?Bladder cancer is newly diagnosed in approximately 71,000 Americans each year. There are several treatments for bladder cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Many patients depend on medications being...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Get Me Off This Rollercoaster - NOW!For those of you who don't know me or my journey, my name is Anita, and at the grand old age of 45, I was diagnosed with terminal small cell bladder...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments