Albyone, I just wrote the most complete and wonderful reply to your post....then had a power glitch (having big rain storms here) and it disappeared into the ether! OK...I will try again, but I am sure it won't be so wonderful!
It appears that you have a preliminary diagnosis of a type of cancer that grows sort of like a little mushroom out from the lining of the bladder. The urologist removed this and has sent it to the pathologist for a complete analysis and diagnosis. If this diagnosis holds up, you are a very lucky man as far as bladder cancer goes! And yes, you will need to have cystoscopy (the office procedure, where a miniature camera is inserted so that the urologist can see the inside of the bladder...takes about 10 minutes) about every three months...usually for two years. Then, if everything goes well, every six months until five years have passed.
Then every year...forever. The reason for this is that bladder cancer has a nasty habit of recurring.
On occasion, when the pathology report comes back, it will say that there wasn't enough of the surrounding tissue to be sure that the tumor had not gone into the muscle. This is not an uncommon finding, and it is not unusual to have to have the TURB procedure done again in a few weeks. If this occurs, it is not a reason to panic, but a reason to be happy that the doctors are being so thorough.
I was diagnosed in 2009 and just had my second 6-month checkup this week. I mentioned to my urologist some of the work I am doing with the American Bladder Cancer Society and he laughingly said "why are you doing that? You don't have bladder cancer any more" So, I am not sure what the answer is to your question about whether you "still have bladder cancer." You DO have the possibility of it returning, which is why you need to be "religious" about your checkups.
There is a LOT of material on our web site about this disease, which you may wish to digest in small pieces. Those of us who have "been there, done that" or "been there, still doing that" are here to support you and answer your questions and concerns, as best we are able.
Sara Anne
