Bladder Cancer...the little sneak

Your Bladder. That tiny little organ just below your stomach. A pouch, or, resevior, it holds the
urine waiting to be expelled, the method of exit depending on if you are male or female. Like a balloon, it expands to hold the waste, and signaling the body when it needs to be emptied.

It is also another body part that can be affected by Cancer. The subject of Bladder Cancer seems to be a little discussed topic, yet there are 65,000 cases reported every year. And 12-14,000 reported deaths. It affects more men than women. If lack of awareness is an issue, then that's the purpose of this post. Because Bladder Cancer is a sneaky little devil. It seems to avoid its presence to make a person concerned that something is wrong, and seek medical attention. Symptons can include abdominal pain, discomfort in urinating, or blood in the urine (even microscopic blood, not visible to the eye). The symptons may be dismissed as nothing major, or not even associated with the Bladder. Depending when action is taken, the result may be early detection, removal of a tumor and treatment, or major cysectomy (removal of the bladder).

If any of the above symptons raises questions, your doctor should recommend that you see a Urologist for further evaluation.  This is your starting point to DO SOMETHING. Don't ignore it. The Urologist may recommend a Cystoscopy, an in-office procedure (no sedation), where they actually go up into your bladder with a camera and look around. An amazing tool, to find things that shouldn't be there. You can watch the  monitor with the doctor. They may see spots (tumors) inside your bladder. Now you know, something is wrong, and needs attention. But you're only at the halfway point of identifying the issue. The doctor will probably schedule surgery, usually a one day out-patient procedure. There is no local anethestic for this operation. Using the same Cystoscopy camera, they will include tools to burn away, or cut away the tumor(s). Slicing off deeper samples will also help reveal if the tumor has invaded the bladder walls or not. These will all be sent off for the biopsy report to examine the tumor/tissue. (not all tumors are cancer)

The waiting game will test your emotions, and sanity.  The ugly "C" word has entered your vocabulary, and it is frightening. A common ploy today is to hop on the internet and start searching. Hold off on this if you can, the results will further send your emotions sky high with thousands of sources for Bladder Cancer.

The day of the doctor visit to discuss the biopsy report has arrived. Cancerous Tumors. Not exactly what you wanted to hear. Learn the stage of your cancer, and some of the options. So far, you have done everything right. A problem/sympton prompted further evaluation. A Cystoscopy (or maybe a CT scan) located something wrong. A surgery helped remove and identify the problem. The biopsy confirmed the results. Congratulations for doing SOMETHING.

But now, consider yourself back at Square One. With all this on the table, it's now time to consider what, where, who and why is the best way to proceed with your specific condition. Yes, it can be a big decision. If your case is serious enough, one of the many Bladder Cancer Specialists may be for you. Or getting 2nd opinions on the biopsy report. What are the treamnent options, based on your case? It's time to zero in on YOU, not thousands of others, and determine how to proceed. Remember seeing the word "sneaky" above? They found a tumor, and removed it. You're healed, right? NO. Bladder Cancer has a high rate of reoccurence, and sad to say, you are probably going to be on a lifelong system of monitoring the situation, usually via Cystoscopies and the camera. And, again depending on your case, treatments and follow up maintenance treatment. From early detection to radical cyscetomy, you can stay alive and be a survivor. Death is more frequent for patients whose cancer has gotten out of the bladder and spread to other organs, such as the kidney, liver and lungs.

I am NOT a medical professional by any means. The discussion here stems from being a first hand bladder cancer patient. The searching option drove me nuts, reading all kinds of horrible things, before I even knew exactly what I had. (Wait for those specific results.) But the effort did bump me into a forum. There, I found down to earth, intelligent discussions about bladder cancer, directly from people who had been there/done that. Free to look and read, I kept going back to lurk around, finding some qualified answers. I eventually joined to talk with others, ask questions, and share my story. For anyone entering the Bladder Cancer scenario and seeking support, I recommend the forum. You're welcome to stop in as a Guest and read the various forums topics. Lots of good information.
http://bladdercancersupport.org/bladder-cancer-forum

Sorry to anyone who joins the Club. Hope you get the support, help, and qualified medical attention needed on this journey. It's quite a life altering adventure.