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 I am a 53 year old female. Very healthy and very fit. I was diagnosed with upper tract bladder cancer in late March 2007 and had a nephrouterectomy a few weeks later in mid-April 2007. The kidney mass was 6 cm, Grade III, with some spread into the adjacent uterter. I was "all-clear" until my one year check-up, when "spots" were discovered in my bladder. Since then I have had an office visit procedure at 15 months with a cysto/fulgration/electrocautery with two small tumors removed, and an outpatient surgery at 18 months with a cysto/fulgration/laser with two more apparently larger tumors

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In January 2007, the bleeding became continuous. I went to my present primary care doctor and was told that I should take antibiotics and see if it improved. I called back when the big clots started coming but was told (by a nurse) to just keep my regular appointment. I didn't get to that appointment because I had to go to the hospital with "frank bleeding."  I got a referral to a urologist while hospitalized and had a tur after being transferred to a hospital repaired enough to do it. Pathology: Stage 3 high grade tcc with sarcomatoid features. Some tumor remained after tur. The tumor has

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Part IV

My urologist returned in January. He was unaware of what had happened until I spoke to him. His response was that he was not concerned about the stricture. "The important thing was to be sure that there was no cancer." I fully understood his focus on the cancer but was unhappy that that focus appeared to be distracting him from dealing with a problem that made me miserable and which I wanted to be sure would not recur. I answered, "I'm glad you're not worried about the stricture, but I am!" He assured me that he would treat the stricture with laser at the next cystoscopy. A urine

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Part III

When you learn that you have cancer, it changes you for ever. Every clean bill of health is a celebration, and an invitation to go back to living, but... waiting once more for the ticking time bomb, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And then, there are complications of treatment that never let you forget.
I thought that my bladder cancer was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but I was wrong. Two years ago, just after my mother's 83 birthday, she developed leukemia. She quickly went from an independent woman with her own apartment and car to assisted living. Her doctors were

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Part II

I took my catheter out and prepared to enjoy my recovery with all my problems behind me. I had my first Christmas celebration with gifts and stockings since my daughter's boyfriend wasn't Jewish and the kids wanted to do it. Of course, we threw a little Hanukkah Gelt into the stockings to make it ecumenical. The hooks for the stockings are still screwed into the mantle. Then we went out to the movies. I almost drove us into some wrong way traffic - maybe still under the influence of anesthesia. I made it through the movie without having to go to the rest room, but afterwards, I had a

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I got my initial path reports today from 2006, initial diagnosis.

This is what I would have to describe as "pathology whiplash".

That is where you go from Point A to Point Z too quickly for your body and mind to catch up with you.

As an epilogue to these pathologies, when I went for muscle biopsy at UNC in May 2006, my cancer was [i]"POOF[/i]"  [b]GONE[/b].  I began BCG treatments in June 2006.  No recurrances.

When I was at Chapel Hill in May for biopsy, I was told that there were two muscle biopsies performed by my Doctor that day for T1 G3 bladder cancer.  The other guy wasn't as "lucky".  He

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I hope this helps someone.
I am 41.
In May I thought I had my first ever dose of cystitis I congratulated myself on never having it before and being a pharmaceutical rep instead of going to my Gp or pharmacy for treatment pinched samples from a fellow rep to treat it.It didnt work and two weeks later I went to my Gp by now I was pretty uncomfortable with symptoms of retention and bladder fullness.He gave me antibiotics and sent me away.
This seemed to work we went on holiday discussed having another baby and carried on with life.At the end of June the symptoms returned this time I had blood in

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I returned to my Uro on 8 June for the results of the biopsies I had taken in mid May and I have to say the pathology report and the Uro interpretation has confused me even further. They both say the pathology is inconclusive and I have to have more biopsies taken under GA in about 6 weeks then more pathology. So the wait continues but I have learned you have to be patient with this beast. I had thought about getting a second opinion at this stage but I do have a good rapport and I trust my current Uro in whom I have the utmost faith. The following are some excerpts from my latest pathology

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I am newly diagnosed with Bladder CA albeit low grade although I don't know much about the grading. I have learned heaps already by reading tales from the trenches and lots of background info on this site. I had bowel CA 10 years ago which was cured by surgery and chemo with no recurrences to date (touch wood). I have a gene mutation which predisposes me to bowel CA so hoping this does not reoccur. Every year I have a whole series of tests to make sure any recurrence is detected early and treated.

Last September one of these tests (urine) proved positive to an abnormality in the bladder and

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5 years treating for overactive bladder; and then October 2005 Bladder Cancer; grade 3; stage T-1; multi-focal

I was being treated for over-active bladder for about five years by a urologist.

The weekend of 9/23/05 I noticed blood in my urine; I immediately phoned my urologist who saw me in his office that Tuesday. On 9/27/05 did a scope of the inside of my bladder that showed a tumor about the size of a cherry and other inflammed areas.

The urologist had been treating me for an "over active bladder" and slightly enlarged prostate for about five (5) years. He had tried different medications like

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