Hi,
1)I have never had to give a urine sample prior to instillation to check for infection.( I am not saying that it is right orwrong, just that my doc never thought it necessary to check). I always have emptied the bladder immediately prior to the instillation. As regards refraining from drinking , I think a couple of hours before to stop is ok, and important that you do not drink anything which has a diuretic effect ( that means tea, coffee,or any drinks containing caffeine), the idea being that you can hold in the medication for the prescribed length of time if at all possible.
I think the bcg is pretty much flushed out after the first 3 or 4 voids, but to be on the safe side you keep using the bleach to be sure there is no risk .
My main tip regards drinking plenty of water from about half an hour before you first void, and continuing until any pain or discomfort is eased- My schedule that worked for me is basically - trip to loo, drink a large glass of water, etc etc The more dilute the urine is ,and the stronger the flow, the less it hurts to pass it.Of course that means you will have to be prepared to make a lot of trips to the bathroom. Ask your doctor for some meds to have on standby in case you need them for bladder spasms, you may not need anything, particularly with early treatments, but it is no good trying to run around to pharmacies if you find you do need them, particularly if you are needing to make frequent bathroom trips!!
I can·t remember how long after completion of bcg I had cystoscopy, but I think they leave time for the bladder to recover as it is difficult visually to distinguish between post bcg inflammation and abnormal lesions.
Diane
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