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Newbie and stressed
Hi everyone. My name is Rick, I’m a 43yr old caucasion male who lives in Fresno, CA. I just found this site and would like to relate to you all my circumstances.
Back in Dec. of 2006 I noticed some blood in the toilet after having a bowel movement. I seemed to occur pretty regularly and I at first thought it must be all the Motrin I was taking as I had just had a shoulder surgery. After a week or so of this I go to my doc, who ends up referring me to a gastrointestinologist for further exam. I see him, he runs a couple of tests and asks if I have family history of colon cancer and I tell him I don’t know as I was adopted at birth. He seems to think it’s just probably a hemmoroid but schedules me for a colonoscopy just to be safe.
So bleeding is still continuing, but it wasn’t until the beginning of January that I realized I had diagnosed myself incorrectly. I was standing at a urinal at a hotel and visually saw the blood come out of my penis right after the urine was expelled, terminal hematuria I believe it’s called. I was quite shaken from this needless to say and back to my doctor who prescribes some antibiotics for a possible prostate infection and also refers me to a urologist. So this is about the 12th of January ok?Fresno has this great big Urology center with 9 different urologists and their own surgery center, I know, I was there 3 years ago for a vasectomy. I get an appointment for the 18th of January but it is only to be seen by a physician’s assistant as I would have to wait much longer to see a doc.
I see the PA, she checks me out, feels my prostrate, no it doesn’t hurt, takes a urine sample for cytology testing, and prescribes a different antibiotic than my doc had prescribed and said my doctor’s prescription was not good enough, only 3 days worth, I need to be on antibiotics for at least 2 weeks. So I get my meds and the blood episodes are slowly disappearing until finally after 2 weeks of meds, it has stopped completely. I called them and found out that urine came up negative for cancers. But since I had hematuria, they have to schedule the IVP and the Cytoscopy test to make sure. Well I can’t get scheduled until the very last day of February, typical with this place they’re so dammed busy.
A couple of days before these tests I’m told my doc will not be in that day and that only the IVP can be done and need to reschedule cytoscopy for later date. So I went in just for the IVP and was in and out in an hour.
So we reschedule cytoscopy for March 22nd and guess what? A couple of days before this date, I am again called and told I need to reschedule this test as doctor would not be in that day. Rescheduled for 27th of March now.
In the meantime I get a voice mail out of the blue from Advanced Medical Imaging calling for me to confirm an appointment for such and such date and I am perplexed as I was there a few months prior for a shoulder MRI so thought they just made a mistake. I called back and left message that I didn’t have no appointment with them and left it at that.
So the 27th of March comes, Doctor is in the house!!! yippeee!! The scheduler asked if I had gone to my Ultrasound appoint at Advance Medical Imaging and I looked at her finally adding 2 plus 2 and told her no I didn’t. Their darned overworked office never called me to let me know I needed to get this Ultrasound done as the IVP xray was inconclusive on a spot and thus the ultrasound.
So doctor starts cytoscopy (yikes@ it hurt), he immediately saw a mass and told me so and that we need to schedule surgery to take it out. His only description to me was that it was superficial. I was of course in a bit of shock and kind of wandered out of there in a daze.So last night, Apr 4th, I go to get ultrasound done. The tech lets me watch the screen as she’s doing it and I told her I had a surgery coming up soone for a bladder tumor, when she got to my bladder we could see clearly the tumor. It looked huge but she seemed to think it was less than an inch long. I guess the bladder is smaller than I thought as the tumor looked like it took up a decent sized portion of the bladder.
So here I am today, a sleepless night has just passed as I have been scouring the internet for any and all info on Bladder Cancer.
I go in tomorrow for the resection and not much else I can do now except wait.I have about 8 cigarette pack years on me, been smoking 1/3 of pack a day since I was 17, and I guess it’s finally caught up to me.
I have quit since the cytoscopy and never plan to start again, (Lord help me!!)Thank you for listening and I will try to keep you updated as well as join in with support for you.
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23 Replies
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Great news Ricky stick with the healthy lifestyle.
Love Claire x -
Thanks you guys. I feel like a man given a second chance. I’m not taken anything for granted anymore. Was a bad habit of mine.
Calling my primary doc this morning and request a full CT scan of my body.
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Hi Ricky,
All things being relative in the world of cancer-you are lucky, congrats! Your dx sounds much like the one my sister got 8 yrs ago, and she is fine.
Wendy
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That is good news, Ricky. Congratulations!! And, good luck on kicking the habit!!
Your friend,
Rosemary
Rosemary
Age – 55
T1 G3 – Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006
That is absolutely fantastic news!
“Standing on my Head”––my chemo journal
T3a Grade 4 N+M0
RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein
Thanks Tim. That’s what my doctor says. I would have to agree that my life has been a bit stressful lately.
Anyways, I just got back from my checkup from TURB last week.
The surgeon’s report read:
anterior urethra within normal limits. Prostatic urethra, mild elevation of the bladder neck. Nonobstructive prostatic urethra. UOs within normal limits as to size, shape and anatomic location. Marked cystitis throughout is noted, pedunculated lesion, lateral and proximal to the right UO is noted. Biopsies are taken of the midline floor and right floor of the bladder along the removal of the majority of volume of bladder tumor, approx. 2.5×2.5×2.5 cm. This appeared to be on a thin stalk, which is fulgurated, taking care not to injure the right UO.
The pathology report read:
Received 3 specimans: tissue from the midline floor of my bladder, tissue from the right floor of my bladder, and the bladder tumor itself.
The 2 tissue samples came back as benign urothelial mucosa with edema, congestion and mild chronic inflammation. No dysplasia or malignancy identified.
The tumor came back as inverted papilloma. No malignancy identified.
It’s been a couple of hours now and I’m still in a state of shock. I was so sure that I had a carcinoma as I was told 95% of bladder tumors are cancerous. I had alot of people praying for me and while I’ve grown away from God over the years, I have some rethinking to do now. I have been blessed.
I’m taking this as a wake up call, have not had a cigarette in 10 days and don’t plan to start again. I’ve quit before and it’s been tough, but these last 10 days have been quite easy, with the knowledge that it indeed could kill me one day.
Will get a 3 month cystoscopy to recheck.
I don’t plan on hitting and running neither. You folks have a good thing going here and although I have to admit that reading the volumes of posts and literature here only increased my stress regarding possible BC, it also educated me and got me thinking straight about the reality I’d have to deal with. Though I’m still not a BC “guru” here, I hope to further educate myself and offer encouragement to fellow posters.
We’re all in this together.
ricky
eyelid spasms; ive had the twitchy eyelid for sure. it lasted for a month or two and was absoloutely stress related. i remember thinking it would be like that forever. sometimes it looked like i was winking at someone while talking to them! it would come on with no warning; at the bus stop, in the dinner queue at work, in meetings, nightclubs…everywhere! it was a few years ago and I was overworked at the time and not getting enough sleep. it went away of its own accord. I woulddn’t worry about it. I’m guessing its linked to the stress of your situation.tim
Oh, quick question.
If I choose to get a second opinion on my pathology, can anybody recommend a good place to get this?
Well today is the day. It has been 1 week since my TURB and now I go in and review the pathology report. I did call yesterday to confirm that it is in and it is.
Prepared for the worst hoping for the best.
Hey, have any of you ever experienced eyelid spasms? For the last 2 months now, my lower right eyelid spasms uncontrollably.
I’ve seen a opthamologist, who seems to think it’s not a big deal. Gave me some expensive steroid drops that have done nothing to alleviate the problem. He said only other cure would be a botox injection, and that is only temporary.
Stress is said to be one probable cause and Lord knows I’ve experienced more than my fair share of it these last few months.
Just wondering if any fellow BC people have ever had this malady.
It seemed like I was almost in the throws of spasms when the pain was its worst.
I;m happy to say this morning, after waking up with a full bladder, that the pain has subsided substantially while urinating.
The great pain actually came after expelling the urine and I think the residual that was still in my urethra was like fire in there.
Much betta now. Thank you Rosemary.
Ricky,
I wonder if you are having spasms? It might be a good idea to put a call in to the Doctor. It sounds like it might be spasms.
Good luck,
Rosemary
Rosemary
Age – 55
T1 G3 – Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006
Any tips on dealing with the excruciating pain while urinating? It is 5 minutes of the most agonizing burning and cramping feeling there is. I’m even on Vicodin and phenazopydine which is supposed to alleviate bladder pain, also makes your urine a deep orange color. Pain is not in bladder though, it’s in urethra.
Okay, Buddie,
Play the waiting game it is. I actually had to play Sudoku puzzles day and night to keep from spinning mentally out of control.
You sound so much better.
I’m glad you checked in.
Your friend,
Rosemary
Rosemary
Age – 55
T1 G3 – Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006
Hi again. Just got back a couple of hours ago from my Turb. The procedure went fine, still a bit groggy and just taking it easy.
I dread urinating, it hurts like the bejesus!
Now for the waiting game.
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