2nd opinions and research

The best thing I did after I found what I had bladder cancer, was research the heck out of it. All kinds of sites and hospitals and clinics. So when I sat down with my doc I had a good idea of what was happening to me.

It's ok to disagree with a treatment option

He was all for taking out my bladder, but, according to my research that did not look good to me. This was 23 yrs. ago, and the problems folks were having then did not look like my cup of tea. After a number of bcg treatments, and a number of turbt's, things looked a little better for a while. Sadly, then the cancer came back with a vengeance.

Getting a second opinion

My doctor suggested a second opinion as far as removing the bladder and sent me to the Siteman Center in St. Louis to one of the leading urologists in the Midwest. He agreed with me, not to remove the bladder, keep up with what we were doing. He said, "You have a good doc, but do not remove your bladder".

Why knowledge was so important

That was 10 years ago, and right now I have been cancer-free for 2 years. The info I got from the web was fantastic as far as helping me understand what was going on in my body. Get as much info as you can, and if it is needed, get a second opinion.