Bladder Cancer support

Do you feel that having a counselor that has dealt with your particular issue/s increases your success in therapy?

I think it might well be helpful if someone has some- first hand familiarity with a disease or condition, but it depends on the particular issues therapy would be addressing. If the issues are unrelated to a medical issue, there's no reason to think they would be more helpful. On this support group site it would seem that people have concerns relevant to their medical issue. But they could also have unrelated ones as well.

I also have been been diagnosed with the low-grade form of bladder cancer and recently underwent surgery. However, I found it extremely difficult to recover from due to a stent that stayed in for 3 1/2 weeks. Am now looking at another surgery in another 3 weeks to be sure they got everything in the ureter. I was told that I had good news because it is the low-grade cancer, but that I would have to have these procedures done a few times a year. I am so depressed about that because it takes a long time to feel half-way back to normal. Have you had this same experience. Does it get easier?

Ellen

It gets more familiar and anything that becomes routine becomes a bit easier to deal with. I'm not sure exactly what you had done, but i assume it was Turbt. I am unfamiliar with stents, so perhaps your surgery was a bit more complicated at some point.

One thing I would recommend is that if there is a recuurence...and low grade tend to recur..that you find a urologist who uses laser instead of TURBT. Instead of a recovery lasting several weeks it is no different in terms of painful urination than having a cystoscopy exam which finds no recurrence. In other words, a day or two of discomfort. The effectiveness of laser is just the same as that of Turbt, but not all doctors are trained in laser technology even though it's been around for more than a decade.

I have also been diagnoised with bladder cancer 3 years ago. I have had so many surgeries to remove tumors that I can't keep count. This year I had a interstim implant put it. It has really helped with the frequent urination. I just don't know what to do about the pain in my bladder all the time. I am going this week for a cysto. I am just really tired of the pain, being uncomfortable and depression is really setting in. Does anyone have any advice for me.

My step dad has is in a lot of pain, recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. Had his first round of chemo, went great no nausea or vomiting. But he still has the pain, he's lost over 60 lbs. Is their any relief for him to come? When do you consider it to much pain. He has had a stent put in to one side of the bladder but the tumor prevented them from putting it in on the other side. Stent is from bladder tube to kidney. He was told that he will have to have his bladder taken out. After they shrink the tumor enough. Its just sad to see him in so much pain he is the rock of our family.

i have been recently diagnosed. it sucks... not sure what stage or type yet.