I know I'm jumping the gun here, and I hope I don't offend anyone by posting when my husband is still waiting for test results.
He is 46 years old, and had his first episode of bright red blood in urine about a year and a half ago. I took him to the doctor (kicking and screaming!), who tested his urine for infection, and when it came up negative, he dismissed us. Just as a side note, this was the same doc who dismissed my husband's horrible, stabbing, lightening bolt tingling headache symptoms last year, which we found out 2 months later were symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia (it's a horrible nerve condition in the brain). He was successfully treated for the TN, and it is in remission, and the neurologist is hoping my husband's symptoms will never come back, with any luck!
Anyway, last week my husband woke up in the middle of the night and used the bathroom, and when he happened to turn the light on, he saw the bright red blood, with a little burning at the end of the stream. He told me about it (I'm a night owl, and was still awake), and the next morning blood was still present, and he told me later that he also had "stuff" in the pee/blood.
I called the doctor right away for an appointment, as now I was really worried! For the past several months, he has had major issues with frequency/urgency, especially urgency. To the point where he has had a few accidents because he hasn't made it to a bathroom. He started carrying an empty container with him in his vehicle, in case he's driving and can't make it. I've been telling him that he needs to see someone about that, but he hates going to the doctor. He's always been a pretty healthy and active healthy person- good blood pressure, no blood sugar issues, low cholesterol, (all this despite his horrible diet and the fact that he's smoked cigars for 20 years!). The Trigemnial Neuralgia diagnosis was the first real medical issue he's ever had.
But, I know better, and made him go to the doctor this past Friday (4 days ago). We've never seen this doc, since my husband's health insurance changed. He tested the urine for infection first (negative) and took a thorough history. He said the "stuff" my husband saw were clots. He ordered a CT scan with contrast for Monday (yesterday), and referred him to a Urologist. Both were marked urgent on the papers. His Urology appointment is Thursday.
I know they're not as big of a risk factor as cigarettes, but my husband has been a cigar smoker for 20 years, fairly heavily in the past couple years. In his twenties he worked at a silk screening place (obviously where they use inks and dyes) for a few years, but that was only part time, and would be the only chemical exposure I can think of.
Can you tell I've done my homework and am prepared for the worst? My husband is in complete denial and is irritated at me for "wasting his time" by making him go to the doctor.
I don't even know why I'm posting here, really, since we don't have any results yet, and it could be nothing. I hope it's nothing.
I guess I'm just extremely worried it's bladder cancer, and I just needed to get this all off my chest, since I promised my husband I wouldn't tell anyone anything until we know what's going on.
Coincidentally, my brother had bladder cancer about 13 years ago, diagnosed at age 46. After about a year and a half of treatments, he's been clear ever since!
Thanks for listening. I will keep you posted.
