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I was cautiously optomistic (what other way is there to approach such a thing) that my bladder would be found cancer-free.  When I got to the office, the nurse ushered me into the room for me to disrobe, then left to prepare my sample for testing.  A few seconds later she opened the door just a crack and said, "I am assuming that you are 'Charles Bronson', since his is the only sample that has been left since you came in?..."  <sheepish grin>

I endured this cystoscopy MUCH better than my first; in part because I knew what to expect, in part because the scope is the same diameter as the BCG

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In the weeks after the initial treatment, my bladder has settled down, and there is little (if any) discomfort in urination.  I have found, however, that it takes more patience to fully drain my bladder -- concentrated relaxation of those muscles, and a little coaxing (you may be the only folks who can relate).  I also find that my bladder capacity, and the time between urinations, is very unpredictable.  Sometimes it will be a few hours, while at other times I will get a sudden urge to urinate less than an hour later.  This is NOT anything I am worried about, just an

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The fifth and sixth instillments went much like the fourth.  This has become very routine now, though it still puts me out for a day due mostly to the flu-like symptoms and the need for a dedicated bathroom.  Resting on the day of the treatment has helped me to recover fully, more

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The fourth instillment was very smooth.  I did a couple things differently.  First, I asked the nurse if I could lie on my stomach for a few minutes before leaving the office (to try and get the BCG up into the "bubble" area in my bladder early).  Once home, I followed my usual routine, but this time pushed past the "bladder spasms" as long as possible.  This was the first day that I had blood (not clots) in my urine, but it was only a very small amount.  I am realizing a pattern: soon after the treament (within the first two hours) I begin to get an unusual feeling in my nose, and begin to

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During the third instillment, I started to "loosen up" during the office visit.  As the nurse reached down to wash me off, I jumped just a bit and cried "OUCH!!"  After being started, she laughed, almost as hard as I did.  It took a bit for me to prepare myself for the treatment, but it helped build repoire with her.  She mentioned later that it is nice to work with someone who shows humor, and is relaxed during the visits.  This instillment resulted in an intense headache by evening.  I also found that I urinated much more often (I guess that is what they call "bladder spasms").  I went to

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My wife joins me in the room while I have my instillments, and she has been wonderful in reminding me to breath (funny how you forget that part when someone is shoving a tube up your penis, and through your tightly clenched sphincter).  This has also helped me discover a couple of tricks to reducing the pain and discomfort.  Though it is hard to relax my legs and buttocks, I have found that breathing deeply helps relax the muscles just a bit.  In fact, taking a deep breath through my nose just as she reaches my sphincter reduces the discomfort substantially.  The second instillment resulted

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The first instillation of BCG went well. After reading all the information on the BLCWebCafe, I took NO food or drink for a couple hours before, then made sure to drink plenty of water afterward (over 8 ounces each hour). Later in the day I began to feel feverish (without an actual fever), and a bit achy. The next morning I woke feeling much the same, but that feeling intensified through the day, and by midday I couldn't even concentrate. After a good nap things began to subside, until evening when I felt much better. I passed a couple of blood clots late at

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When I went to hear the diagnosis from the doctor, my wife and my mother (20-yr RN in oncology) came along.  I was prepared for anything, but hoping for the best.  It turned out that I had a Ta tumor, low-grade and early-stage.  The tumor was completely removed, and the tissue samples from the bladder lining and wall came back negative.  Because of my age it was decided that I would undergo an initial 6-week BCG treatment, and a quarterly cystoscopy for the forseeable future.  This was VERY good news, and I thank God for the outcome.  This diagnosis caused a lot of introspection during a time

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I have the attitude that "if I can't change the current situation, I'm going to find a way to enjoy the journey." My wife's motto is, "If your NOT living on the edge, then you are taking up too much room." Combined, we tend to have a lot of fun with life.

Of course I often go out of my way to think about what people LEAST expect, and make just that thing happen. So the day before my surgery, I took a trip to the hardware store, and purchased a sign, along with some sticky letters (I wanted the message to be perfect). At pre-Op, after everyone had finished checking me out and left the room, I

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My GP was unavailable, so I saw one of the other doctors from her practice.  He took blood and urine samples, and though he saw discoloration, there was NO indication of blood in the urine at the time of my visit.  He consulted with a urologist, and determined that it could have been the niproxin that caused the blood (he NOT knowing the volume involved), and said we should just keep an eye on things.

During the Holidays last year (2007), I had another episode of blood in my urine.  This time, the urine was brighter orange -- nearly red.  After a visit with the same doctor, he set me up

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