Home › Forums › All Categories › Women and Bladder Cancer › Not diagnosed but overwhelmed… advice?

  • Women and Bladder Cancer

    Not diagnosed but overwhelmed… advice?

    Posted by coleenoz on May 1, 2015 at 8:21 am

    Start of Discussion
    0 of 0 replies June 2018
    Now

    I am 64 yr. old female. Had cyst removed from spine in March (relatively basic) but could not leave the hospital until I could go to the bathroom. Ended up staying in hospital overnight and sent home with Foley catheter for one week. Thought all was fine but had pain and found out urine showed blood and ecoli infection. Medicine for a week and follow up urine test was clear. Waited a week with still pain when going. Two days ago PC found blood in urine again. Can’t get into uroligist til the 12th. I have read so much information and anxiety is off the charts. Another 3 a.m. sleepless night. Can anyone offer info on what will be done on first visit to uroligist? Of course I want diagnosis now! Did anyone experience itching skin? I thought mine was overly dry skin but research showed that is another symptom. Strange. Just need to “vent”… Thanks

    sara.anne replied 9 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
  • 1 Reply

  • sara.anne

    Member
    May 1, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    First thing….slow down and take a deep breath!! You have NOT been diagnosed with bladder cancer yet! There are lots of things that can cause blood in the urine, especially in women….but your PC was very good to refer you to a urologist. Too often blood in the urine in women is ignored.

    During your visit to the urologist he/she will probably do a “cystoscopy.” This is a procedure where he will insert a very tiny camera into the bladder so that he can see whatever might be there. This is a slightly uncomfortable thing, very much like a pelvic exam at the gyno. Not bad at all.

    IF he sees something suspicious he will schedule you for a biopsy of the bladder tissue. This is a similar procedure, although it is done under general anesthesia (usually an outpatient procedure) so that he can take multiple samples. These are sent to a pathologist who will examine them under a microscope. ONLY AFTER THE PATHOLOGIST’S REPORT IS BACK CAN A DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS be made. The urologist may have lots of experience and have a pretty good idea of what the diagnosis might be, but he/she cannot be sure without the path report.

    Once the uro has the report, he can disucss with you whether or not you might have bladder cancer or something else, and set out a treatment plan.

    Hope this helps. I do understand the panic you are feeling, but even IF it is bladder cancer, most cases are very treatable,.

    Please let us know what happens! We care about you.

    Sara Anne

    Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
    BCG; BCG maintenance
    Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
    Forum Moderator

Sign In to reply.