Just Diagnosed

It has been great to hear from all of you, and I really appreciate the support. I'm hoping to get the pathology report some time this week.

It has been great to hear from all of you, and I really appreciate the support. I'm hoping to get the pathology report some time this week.

I do not have much to add to what other members have already stated. You now have a very knowledgeable group to assist you with questions you might have. Getting the 2nd opinion by a bladder cancer specialist at Penn is a very important step.
Staying proactive and positive is extremely important at this point. Just follow the advice you have been given.
I wish you all the best,
Jack

Hello Margellen, We are happy you found us, and as said earlier, Pat, Mike and Cynthia are a wealth of information.
We have all been where you are right now, and know exactly how you feel! You are certainly on the right path - just take a deep breath, gather all the information and move forward.
You have a lot of people in your corner to help you through this diagnosis.
Finding the right/best doctor is the most important issue, and you have already achieved that!
Keeping you in my thoughts,

Nancy

Welcome to this forum. Patricia, Cynthia and Mike are very knowledgeable - they have had wonderful advice for many here on this forum. Bladder cancer affects us all in different ways and everyone has their own story. I have been cancer free now for 4 years and get on this site sporadically, but i do go through maintenance treatments. The cancer diagnosis has affected me less and less over the years and I hope this continues. Best wishes for you on your journey and hopefully you'll experience the same after a short time.

Ross

Margellen,

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis but glad you found us! It is scary time but the good news is that bladder cancer is VERY treatable.

You are already taking the most important first step after being diagnosed, and that is getting to a top bladder cancer specialist! GOOD JOB!

Pat already explained what you need to do to prepare for that. Once you get your pathology report, let us know what it says and we can help you understand the implications.

Some of us were mistakenly thought to have intermittent UTIs for YEARS so if was a few months for you, you may be ahead of the game.

Knowledge is power. You want to be an advocate for yourself during this process. One thing that may help is to keep a log book of your tests, your doctor visits, the questions you want to ask the doctor (and the answers he gives). I used to take notes in the doctor's office so I wouldn't forget things. Once you first hear the "cancer" word, you only hear about everything 5th word and none of it makes sense because the cancer word just keeps bouncing around your head, blocking out everything else.

There are many of us here who have been through various types of treatments (depending on what stage/grade we were diagnosed with).
We've been there and done that and are happy to help you in any way we can.

Your husband is also welcome to join and post questions or the two of you can team up with your posts and questions. While it may be you with the diagnosis, he is certainly part of it.

You two are not alone! We are here to help.

All the best to both of you!
Mike