Bladder Removal Was the Best Decision (for Me)

In April of 2005 I noticed two very small specs of blood in my urine. I called my urologist and he wanted me to see him right away. After a short discussion the decision was made to scope my bladder that same day. During the procedure a small tumor was discovered and a biopsy was taken at that time.

Choosing the most aggressive approach

Three days later my doctor called me to inform me that the tumor was cancer. My wife and I went in the next day to discuss the situation with my doctor. We talked about options and my question was "What's the most aggressive approach?". The doctor said "that's easy: remove the bladder" and that was our decision.

One week later I had a radical cystectomy. It was determined that I had stage 1 cancer. I had CT and PT scans over the next year and no cancer was ever detected after the operation.

Healthy and happy with my decision

That was 14 years ago and I'm healthy now, and happy with my decision. I wear an appliance (barrier and pouch system) and have experienced no problems with it.

What led to your treatment decision?