tinytown7 a question of diversions

Hi, tinytown!

I am thinking about you. I am 4 weeks ahead of you; just had my RC six weeks ago. I, too, have kept a pretty positive attitude and have a lot of support from family and friends. I am a female with the external bag as my diversion, though. Anyway, I was glad to see you are a patient person as I feel that is an important characteristic as you heal over the next several weeks. I hope you aren't struggling too much with the transition to solid foods.

Best of luck to you and keep in touch with this forum. No matter how much support you hae, it is the people on this board that truly understand what you are going through.

There is a ways to go before you get back to normal or what will be a new normal with that neo.

I am about 18 months into my neo now and still improving. Remember, if something doesn't seem right or it seems to take too long or some other symptom that is a problem for you, let us know.

Chances are one or all of us have had it

Lee H

yea thanks for your response i do beleive ill be ok through all this i've had a pretty positive attitude so far and a lot of support from family and friends and i am pretty patient so we'll be ok if theres any thing i can think of to help others going through the same thing i will post it again thank every one for listening and being supportive see ya all soon

Yay for Tinytown!!!! I hope things go well and that you will share some of your experiences and you go through the learning process of dealing with and training the neobladder.

Also, post all the questions you can think of. A lot of us here have been through what you are going through and can share our experiences. They aren't all the same so you do get some diversity in that there are different things that are pretty much "normal".

Keep doing your kegels regularly as that will help with the continence thing. If being wet at night ticks you off then consider condom catheters occasionally. Down side of them is that it's so nice you may put off night time continence training indefinately. That can be a real down side but may every now and then wouldn't be so bad.

It does take a while to get control during the day so try not to get too frustrated (although it is normal be frustrated).

Best of luck on your recovery. Glad the surgery went well.

Mike

Just to let you know i heard from tinytown7 and he is now 14 days out from a successful neobladder surgery at the U. of Chicago.
Continued success...you made a good decision.
Pat

Hello tinytown, Glad you are with us, too bad for you. We are truly a Weird bunch. Soon, you will be too. You will love our warped sense of the world.

I cannot express the need for a second opinion by a urologist that KNOWS Bladder cancer. Run...Do NOT walk.. to the nearist urology oncology bladder specialist. I too, come from a very small town, and thought I was lost in a sea of small hospitalitis.

What you need is an ASSEMBLY LINE WORKER to take care of you. Your doctor should be a person who can do this job in his sleep he has done it so many times! My surgeon did not give me a choice of diversions. He said he would choose the best one for my situation when he was in doing his Plumbing work.

I have a neo bladder; It has it's own issues, as they all do. But I have easily learned to live with them. And work on them. I am soooo happy to be here writing to you either way they fixed my pipes. You need a great surgeon and you deserve the best. I thought my surgeon in Albany N.Y. was unfamilier with such specialties, but he informed me that he was trained for years at M D Anderson. End of search. He's done this surgery at least 500 times. He stopped counting. You need and deserve a surgeon like this.

Take it from me. If a used car (and new) salesman got the best, so can you! Don't let them treat you like a number either. Let them know who you are and let them know you have a LOT to live for! They want to do their best when they know you have a zest for life. I saw my surgeons notes, and he made mention of my "Refuse To Lose Attitude" I firmly believe he took that extra step because I demanded so much from him.

Please follow my Father in Laws rules of surgery ( he lives in a tiny town in Mich; Linden)
1) Get a GREAT Positive ATTITUDE
2) Get a great Surgeon
3) Get a Great Anesthesialogist
4) Get a Great Nursing and Post op Care
5) Get Your family Involved.. Don't push them away. They need you as much you need them! Don't push them away! Bring them in big time!

6) Get to know this site and these people! They have been there and they do not Judge. They help, and they are there for you!

Sorry for the Crushing word count!

George Kline