My TURBC is over

I got a phone call with my pathology results today: Stage TaNxMx, Grade 1. Some biopsies were done of the rest of the bladder and there were no signs of Tis. There was a second tumor just getting started next to the first, but otherwise I guess things couldn't be much better. I was told to come back in three months. The doctor does not recommend a repeat TURBT or intravesical therapy under these circumstances. I would be interested if anyone regards this as unsound advice with low-grade non-invasive disease, but two adjacent tumors. It sounds like Maryland_Mike's doctor would agree with mine about BCG because the tumors were in one area.

This is all great news and I ought to be elated, but I feel strangely down, maybe because I psyched myself up to get through this and have deflated a bit now that the crisis is over.

It sure is nice to have people to tell who understand what you're saying.

PST - BCG was recommended for me by two oncologists because I had multiple areas with tumors, even though they were all non-invasive Ta (low-grade). My urologist said that if there would have only been one area in my bladder with the carcinoma, he would have recommended "scoping and waiting" after the TURBT instead of going straight to BCG. I would have done that; no use to undergo BCG unless it's deemed necessary.

Cheers - Maryland Mike

Mike in Maryland,

I'm going to be very interested in reading your posts and others about BCG. It looks like there are differences of opinion about BCG for non-invasive low-grade tumors, so if I am lucky enough to end up in that group, I will have to make a decision.

PST

Everything continues to go well. I got out of the hospital yesterday in time for lunch, so I had a glass of wine in lieu of Vicodin and never had to fill the prescription. I wasn't trying to be a tough guy about painkillers -- I was hugely grateful for opiates after my colon resection -- but I haven't had any pain from this. The catheter came out this morning, and urinating stung a bit the first couple of times afterwards, but at least I'm urinating. I'm supposed to walk over to the doctor's office now for a quick ultrasound to make sure I'm emptying completely.

When I got home yesterday I figured I should drink a lot of water. I forgot that I had been getting IV fluids for six hours, so between the water and the saline I drained and drained and drained. About 9:30 it turned from pink to yellow and never turned back. All in all, this went better than I expected.

Like most people, I have delayed following up with a doctor when I had symptoms I knew should have warranted a visit. Whatever I may have told myself, the reason was fear that the news would be bad and apprehension about the consequences to follow. It's not always so bad, and it takes a load off your mind to know that you are taking the proper steps to deal with the problem. So if anyone is lurking here trying to decide whether to see a urologist, don't hesitate.

Congrats on getting through the TURBC - that's an important step. Hopefully, your biopsy report will be negative.
I, too, had a very pink (closer to red) urine bag after the TURBC, and my urine stayed red even after I removed the Foley catheter the next day. I can't say this was simply a TURBC reaction, because I had a HoLAP (Holmium Laser Ablation of the Prostate)and a bladder stone ablation at the same time, and my uro says the bleeding after the 2nd day was a result of the HoLAP (blood was early in urine stream). Hang in there - if the biopsy comes back positive and you undergo BCG treatment, I have progress reports on my BCG treatments in another thread ("I'm a newbie....")

Cheers - Mike in Maryland