Kimberly,
OF COURSE it's ok if you cry awhile!
CIS is MOST susceptible to BCG. More so than any of the other kinds of bladder cancer according to Dr. Lamm.
You might want to read up on BCG here and at Dr. Lamm's site:
Dr Lamm
The maintenance dosing is important and it makes a huge difference as you will see when you read the statistics and studies.
The treatment is just once a week. Depending on how it affects you, it could be that you are just fine the next day. Ask your uro about starting with reduced dose. According to Dr Lamm, the dose can be significantly reduced right from the start without reduced efficacy.
Typically, the reaction to BCG can get stronger over time. Some people fail BCG just because they start off with too high of a dose.
Many folks on the site here have had BCG for years and are doing great without recurrence or progression.
Was this your second TURB? If not, you are going to need a 2nd. If not at a major bladder cancer center, you should also get a 2nd opinion from one. Send the slides and the reports. It's important that they got good margins ALL THE WAY AROUND the tumor.
Crying is good for you. Great emotional release. If you're not diabetic, having some chocolate about an hour or so after crying is also quite therapeutic.
We're here for you!
Mike
