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Hi, please excuse what I can only describe as catharsis.

A Short History: 1999, I passed blood in my urine, went to hosptial, and had a urogram that revealled a poorly functioning right kindey (as I recall). I was diagnosed as having a kidney stone that had broken up in/near the kidney. Despite weeing through a sieve for a week I saw no stone (fragments). Followup urogram revealled a well functioning kidney. At no point do I remember the Urologist looking at my bladder.

In February 2010, following ambulatory monitoring for hypertension, I was referred by my Cardiologist for a urinary tract

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Been a whole since I updated here.  I'm now 42 (41 when for Turb) and always been a non-smoker.  Had surgery Jan 22, 2009.  Ran through 6 weeks of BCG.
Started maintenance BCG in November.  We're going to do that every 6 months (or 3 months after every scope for two years then re-evaluate).  My tumor was classed as large, aggressive and high-grade.

About to do my last quarterly scope today.  We'll go to every six months after that.

 So far its been clean.

 Issues:

The scope has become a non-event.  I get a bit worked up before-hand, but the procedure is nothing to me.  I know when to relax, take

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I have created a flow chart for bladder cancer patients.  It can pretty much be used at any time from initial concern about the potential of having bladder cancer through various stages of treatment.

 My hope is that people will find this useful.  Rather than posting it everywhere and having to try to maintain version control on a number of sites, I am putting the link to ABLCS forum where I originally posted it.

I am not a doctor but I do have a good bit of experience as a bladder cancer patient.  This guide has been reviewed by a number of other bladder cancer survivors as well.

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No abnormal cells detected.  Doc said everything inside looked good.  We opted to start BCG maintenance in 6 weeks and every 6 months after that till we determine it's not needed.

 It's amazing how I've gotten used to the procedure.  Only thing that bothers me now is the injection of the numbing jell.  When the scope gets close to the prostate I take a deep breath and slowly let it out and I barely feel it.  That's a FAR cry from how it felt the first few times.  Gets to be less and less as I go through this process.

 The after affects are lessening too.  I still get some spasms following the

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My husband had neobladder surgery June 15. All was going well until an infection July 16. He was admitted back to the hospital for 4 days, he still had the malacot tube. He was voiding on schedule (only 20 to 50 cc from the tube after voiding normally) and didn't seem to have a problem. When he had the infection they told him to use the bag for the first week to keep the bladder as empty as possible and restart voiding normally and finish emptying with the malacot the second week. This is when he noticed that voiding normally wasn't going as well as before. He either urinated very little or

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Had my 1st scope post-turb and BCG.  Clear.  ;-)

Still waiting on labs from the wash, but there is no new growth.  Mine was aggressive and good-sized so we weren't too sure about it.

 So....3 months and we'll do it again.

 Weird thing....it wasn't bad.  Took longer than the initial, but on that one he saw the tumor right away and there was no point in looking around much.  I might be getting used to this.  Wow....of all things.....  The scope was merely uncomfortable for the passing of the prostate and that's it.  If anything, my bladder bothered me more as it still seems to be tender post-BCG

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Seems to be this stuff is on the rise.  Also....I see that it doesn't seem to be as much of an 'older person's' or 'smoker's' disease.

 BC still doesn't garner much national attention and there are no specific drives for cure, awareness events, or otherwise.

 The more I read accounts and new postings....the more I am convinced the incidence of this is higher and higher.  This is supported by the comment from my urologist during my initial BCG regimine.  He said - 'you're my 4th BCG today.  Seems like I am doing an awful lot of these lately.'.

 Anyway....I have my 1st 6month scope tomorrow. 

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So, last week (that'd be #3) sucked big time.  So I expected the same or worse this week.

 Nope.  Catheter was about like week #2 and side effects are (so far) on par with that week as well.  No blood.  Haven't passed much of anything (some light tissue) in over a week.

 My urologist will be off next week for a much-needed vacation with his family (spring break) so a partner of his will take care of this for me next week.  I plan to ask a BUNCH of questions.

 I have no explanation as to why last week was brutal and this week has been almost nothing.

I AM tired.  My bladder is having some cramps,

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Periodic slight bleeding and soreness of the lower abdominal region started just a couple of months after hurricanes Charley, Francis and Jean blew over our home here in central Florida. Although we suffered minimal wind damage the rain came in around the windows as if we had left them open. This started the refurnishing and remodeling project and contributed to my delaying seeing a doctor. Prior to this I had not seen a doctor in some thirty odd years except for pre-hire examinations. So assuming I knew best everything was blamed on what I preferred to think of as a

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 Fall 2008 GP perscribes 81mg asprin after physical due to slightly elevated triglycerides, not requiring medication.  December 2008, 41yr-old male,otherwise healthy non-smoker, notices hematuria and seeks cause.  CT scan shows nothing.  Scheduled for IVP followed by Cystoscopy on Jan 8th after visit with Urologist.

 Jan 5th.  Mother flown to UW @ Madison after collapsing at home.  Mother was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2005, has had TURB and multiple BCG and repeated suspicious cytologies.  Blood pressure dropped very low several times before reaching UW.  Brain activity was minimal and

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