Homepage – Forum › Forums › Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer › Follow up to intro post and advice › Reply To: Follow up to intro post and advice
G:
Congrats on the “all clear” everywhere except your bladder. Similar to what they said when they x-rayed my brain: “We could find nothing!”
The TURBT is by definition a resection so I expect they are taking tissue (tumour or otherwise) to determine stage and grade of remaining cells. Others may have other info. I had a TURBT a couple of months prior to my RC to remove additional tumours, which in retrospect seems like taking out the old transmission and then junking the car. However, they are likely interested in how the cancer has responded to the chemo.
I never “enjoyed” the eleven cystos and 34 caths I had either. The sharp corner at the prostate gets in the way of clear sailing. Of course, once the prostate is gone it is not so much of an issue. As well, I expect if you do it enough times, you discover which size is best for you. This is not a one size fits all instrument! Catheters come is different thicknesses (as do urethras, as it turns out).
Many, indeed most, men who have RCs and neos do not need to catheterize. Those who do seem to get used to it quite quickly. They can comment better about that though. Your uro-onc will also have recs about which diversion method he thinks is suitable based on your presentation, your age, activity, general health, etc. None is ideal; all are fairly quickly gotten used to.
Ask Magnum his views. He is a strong silent type but might assist in this discussion!!