side effects of BCG v. chemo

When you think about luck sara.anne...you may want to reconsider Irish luck. We've fought each other for over 800 yrs, no body can hold a grudge like a Paddy and as once said by...I can't remember..O'neil? "Being Irish, he had a profound sense of tragedy that sustained him thru brief periods of joy"

Thank you all and there is no doubt in my mind I'll be dropping in again and maybe next time I won't be so lucky. The Fairy Godmother usually exacts her price.

Well, today was my big day with the CT scan and cystoscopy (sp?), and I am happy to report that nothing was found on either test. Didn't much like that cystoscope or what ever it was but it wasn't any thing that was more than somewhat uncomfortable and I got to see the inside of my bladder on a TV screen which was kinda neat. Many years ago a VA Dr. who was actually a friend of mine on the out side performed a colonoscopy on me. They didn't have that tv screen in those days but the scope had an eye piece that the Dr. looked thru to see what was going on. We were talking and joking well it was performed and towards the end he asked me if I wanted to looks so yeah I did. Ithought it was going to be all dark and gloomy but it was all bright and pink. It occurred to me that there were not to many people in this world, I don't think, who actually looked up there own ass.

Anyway, I am very grateful to those of you who responded to my questions about possible treatment modalities and thankful I'm not going to be needing and today, and today is all we got.

I will be checking in here occasionally and encourage those who need encouragement and happily talk to any body who wishes to. There are many people here who are kind and can give good advice. I wish you all well.

Michael/shamrock

Hello every one!

I'm not a computer person except for email and search and apparently no as observant as I should be. I want to thank Allen and Sara as well as yourself Jack, for being so kind as to respond immediately. Much more than I expected.

I get great care at the VA altho I have to change my Dr. of 20+ yrs for a new one. Unfortunately, I believe, up here , Alaska, where I live the VA is farming us out to local Drs. I'm nt sure how I feel about that. I think the VA is trying to privatize and I don't even like that. They privatized the Iraq War and there were as many contractors as troops; eg. BlackWater, KBR, Dyincorpset al. Businesses here like Halliburton et al. made a bundle. For the Bush yrs, the bases were guarded by civilian personel and so was much of the base.like snoplowing etc. WTF! What about Mps? many Moses were taken over by privateers. Well, the Mps et al are back on the jobs and not as much is contracted out.

Sorry..I just get on a role about that. Anyway today Is my Big Day to get my 1sy cysostomy and need to leave in about 5 min cuz it's an hour and a half to town where I am to see a civilian Dr. at a clinic. I expect to come home with a lot to think about. That's why I sought you guys out.

I 'will sure keep in touch and let you know about at least my thoughts about the beginning of my journey and I very much want to hear from any one who can tell me of their trip thru this...what? Ordeal.

Thank you all for your time, compassion and advice...it's a beautiful Alaska summer day....Michael