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Scared! Looking for advice!
Hello everyone! I am sure by now you all are sick of people like me coming here for advice. I do not have a diagnosis. I am a 31 year old female and have had burning during urination and a frequent urge to urinate more than normal for about 6 months now. I’ve been treated for UTI (even though no bacteria or infection found in urine) and the symptoms keep coming back. They have found blood in my urine the last 2 urine samples I gave. I had my first appointment with the urologist today. He has scheduled me for a CT scan and a cystoscopy. I am just looking for advice, or support during this waiting period because I am not sure what else it could be. I’ve also had a dull ache in my right side below my rib cage on and off and just assumed it was gallbladder issues and planned on having it looked at. Now I am freaking out thinking that I do in fact have bladder cancer and it has spread to the liver… causing that pain.
Thank you for reading this.
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6 Replies
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THAT is great news! Now go and enjoy the rest of your life!
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
Thank you all for the responses. I thought I should come on and update you all. I had my cystoscope today and got the results of the Ct scan. Bladder cancer free. He didn’t see any issues in that area! He did, however, see a spot on my liver that he wants me to have an MRI on. He said he believes it is just a hemangioma but wants to be sure.
Thank you, all!
I know it is a cliche but, in almost everything, especially medical unknowns it is “one day at a time”! That is all we can control. Lot’s of survivors here and we all support you!
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
Thank you both for your responses! They did help a little to calm me down. I have anxiety as it is so this has just shot it through the roof. I am already thinking the worst…and every other symptom big or small I think is now cancer that has spread to other places. I have my Ct scan tomorrow and the cystoscopy is Tuesday. I don’t know how I will make it until then! I also have an appnt with my regular dr tomorrow as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed!
Flower,
Many have come here as you just have. I did. Welcome.
Far and away, the odds are you do NOT have bladder cancer. There is a long list of more likely causes.
The doc is doing the right thing, working you up to rule out bladder cancer (or other cancer) – caught early, bladder cancer has a good chance of being cured or controlled.
You are already doing all you can – you made the appointment and you have a plan to find the cause of your symptoms. *IF* it is bladder cancer, you can expect nothing is going to change over a few weeks. Work with the Doc.
Easy for me to say – RELAX, you will know much more after the CT and cystoscope. In the mean time, read the positive reports of treatment in the forum.
Best,
Jack
6/2015 HG Papillary & CIS
3 Years and 30 BCG/BCG+Inf
Tis CIS comes back.
BC clear as of 5/17 !
RCC found in my one & only kidney 10/17
Begin Chemo; Cisplatin and Gemzar
8/18 begin Chemo# 3
Begin year 4 with cis
2/19 Chemo #4
9/19 NED again :)
1/2020 CIS is back
Tried Keytruda, stopped by side effects
Workin on a new plan for 2021
First, I am going to give you our “Standard Forum Beginner’s Advice”…which is “take a deep breath.” Until you have the results of further tests…especially the cystocopy…
you don’t have any idea that you might have bladder cancer. IF the CT scan and the cystoscopy are suspicious, the urologist will schedule you for a TURB (transurethral resection of the bladder) where he will take samples to be sent to a pathologist and remove any tumors he sees. Only after the pathologist’s report is in-hand will you know for sure if you have bladder cancer or not. And even if it IS cancer, it would be extremely unlikely that it could have spread as far as your liver. You are also on the young end of the spectrum for having bladder cancer…not that people your age don’t get it, but it is much less likely than for an older person. And also remember that in most cases bladder cancer is highly treatable.I realize that I can’t answer your BIG question, but hope that I have given you a little breathing room so that you can put off the panic for a bit.
Please remember that we are here and will try to answer your questions as they come up…and they will. Wishing you all the best
Sara Anne
Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
BCG; BCG maintenance
Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
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