New to board- spouse had recent recurrence

12 years 11 months ago #37352 by mmc
When I had my TURBTs, I came home with a catheter a couple of times. He needs to use KY jelly on the tube near where it enters the body. That helps a lot.

There are a few things that can be prescribed for the spasms. Be sure to ask for that for him.

Now that you've taken a Foley catheter out, you should be able to do it again. It's pretty easy and typical to remove yourself even. Just be sure to drain the balloon before pulling it out. :)

Mike

Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results....distant mets
2/2014 ct result...spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph...

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12 years 11 months ago #37318 by CatherineH
Replied by CatherineH on topic New to board- spouse had recent recurrence
After my surgery I had a catheter for 3.5 weeks and was given Oxybutynin (generic for Ditropan) 5 mg to relieve bladder spasms. Only needed it for the first few days.

Best wishes... Catherine

TURBT 1/21/10 at age 55
Dx: T2aN0M0 Primary Bladder Adenocarcinoma
Partial Cystectomy 2/25/10
Vanderbilt Medical Center
Nashville, TN

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12 years 11 months ago #37317 by jimswife
Replied by jimswife on topic New to board- spouse had recent recurrence
Hi, I am in the same sort of situation with my husband Jim. He isn't in denial at all but lets me do the forums etc as he knows it gives me extra support and info I feel I need. He is amazing in his strength and has done very well. Some of us it works well this way. You will find this forum very helpful and with extremely nice and informed people. Good luck with your journey!

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12 years 11 months ago #37284 by Bambi
Replied by Bambi on topic New to board- spouse had recent recurrence
No we don't know that yet. I think that will be as a result of the biopsies during his resection on the 18th. We certainly hope he doesn't need that, but I appreciate knowing about her. I did look up information about her- she sounds great and someone mentioned she is also kind and has a good bedside manner. It is nice when someone great also has those skills as well and you can feel better about asking all your questions. I see she is a specialist in oncology/urology and that would certainly make sense. But it will probably be a couple of weeks until we know more- I'm thinking a few days after surgery to get results back? I can't remember how quickly that happened before.
For those of you who have gone through this more recently, I have a question.
The last surgery my husband had, they actually sent him home with the catheter still in. He was very uncomfortable and ended up calling his urologist who said he left it in to help avoid spasms, but that if he wanted to take it out, he would tell me how to do it(over the phone!). Something I never expected to do, that's for sure. In retrospect, I think we should have insisted that he meet us at the ER of something. Anyway, we took it out and then my husband was in terrible pain- from the spasms.
Did you go home with a catheter in and if you had spasms, what are the best medications to help with that? Things like Valium? I have most recently been hanging out on an anal fissures support forum and sometimes they prescribe Valium for anal spasms. Is that the case with those involving the bladder as well?
Thanks! Just trying to prepare to advocate for him better than last time- I'm pretty sick of Drs at this point from my own experience this year!
Bambi

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12 years 11 months ago #37282 by mmc
If he winds up needing a cystectomy, Shandra Wilson is the top doc in the area. She performs 2-3 a week.
www.coloradourologists.com/urologists/wilson_shandra.htm .

A lot depends on stage and grade in terms of what the next steps are. Do you know that yet?

Mike

Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results....distant mets
2/2014 ct result...spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph...

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12 years 11 months ago #37280 by Bambi
Replied by Bambi on topic New to board- spouse had recent recurrence
Thank you Catherine and Mike-
Actually my husband sees a urologist in Boulder, but I know that the University Hospital in Denver is known as excellent in cancer care in general. When this first occurred more than 10 years ago, my sister in Texas tried to get us to come down to MD Anderson (where my Dad traveled for his many and lengthy treatments for lymphoma.
I would have a hard time convincing my husband to change Drs at this point I think. I may start doing a little research of my own and should the results not be that this takes care of things for a while or if things start coming back after a few months, we would have the info ready. So I really appreciate knowing the name of a good Dr. there. It is so hard to find those things out- I know that from recent surgery with a colorectal surgeon and trying to find a good one of those :blush: )I will read the link from the person who had the recurrence after 10 years. Once again, my husband is the type who is out building a fence and I'm the one researching things. That's just the way we operate and it seems to work. The less we talk about it at first the better but then he appreciates it that I've gotten the information together. .. After 33 years, that seems to work well.
Hoping for another 33!
Thanks-
Bambi

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