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Hi Everyone:
Although it’s a bit early, I’m posting this. Cheryl had her cysto date moved up because of possible concerns but I took the hint that things maybe be skewed for some since we have Thanksgiving just around the corner and decided to get this going. So, here we are again thinking about the start of a new month. 10 months in and 2015 is on the wind down. Where did the year go? At any rate all the best to all of you needing “stuff” done this month. Let’s all hold hands, pray, cheer and give each other virtual hugs as we continue on this wild roller coaster ride with bladder cancer. A big ((((((((((HUG))))))))))) to you all.
Hi everyone, great news here for a change! I had a cysto this morning and I’m still in disbelief. No tumors!! This is the first since I was first diagnosed almost 3 years ago. I’m still in awe about this. As a result, I won’t be having another cysto for 6 months – oh joy, oh joy! I’m having a lot of discomfort from the cysto, but with this good news, its’ amazing how it takes the edge off of the discomfort. I guess I’m getting a little greedy here too; I would like to hear that the tumors in my lung were gone too! Not to be.
Wishing everyone all the best for anyone having stuff done! Hearing good news sure does a lot for a person’s peace of mind.
Thanks for all the support and encouragement to everyone here on the forum. I wish all the best for all of you.
Lorraine
Congrats on the clear cysto, Lorraine!! May they all be clear from now on. And yeah, if I could wave a magic wand I’d make those lung tumours vanish too but here’s to hoping that things will improve there too. Party time for you!! (((((HUGS))))
Thanks people for all your good wishes on my clear cysto. I’m still on cloud nine. The way I look at it, this is a step in the right direction and I certainly hope that the tumors in my lung are shrinking also. Having said that, my lung cancer is a different cancer all together. It is a spinoff from my colorectal cancer. (So far. no recurrence in my colon cancer.) I’ll take any improvements I can get. As a reward, I bought myself an I Pad and now I have to learn how to use it. I’m not all that tech savvy, although I do use my computer for a lot of things, one being coming on to this forum. This I Pad is a whole different ball game though. It will give me something different to focus on besides cancer though, so that’s a good thing. Its’ also compact and will come in handy while waiting for apts. in doctor/hospital waiting rooms. Most them now have WiFi so that’s helpful.
Thanks again everyone for your good wishes. I hope this is a good month for everyone.
Lorraine
I have yet to try an IPAD. I have a friend who is 88 and has learned how to use one. She amazes me with her tech ability at her age! So I look at it, if she can learn, so can I. I do most things from my laptop which I treated myself to 3 years ago. I love Youtube for listening to favourite music. I often want to listen to songs that you can’t get here so its great. I’m glad for Cloud 9 for you! ((((HUGS)))) and enjoy your IPAD!
Hi everyone.
I’m feeling kind of down. I start my round 2 of BCG and I was really hoping to avoid it. I was hoping I would be pregnant and not have to do it. It’s kind of scary. These days, my moods have been like on a rollercoaster, one minute I’m happy and on top of the world and the next I don’t see the point to living anymore. It’s really scary. I know that I’ve had to take hormones following the fibroid removal in my uterus and that might have an affect on my moods. But I’ve been dreading the Bcg and now I have no choice. It is booked to begin on October 7. Only 3 weeks this time, but I feel so frustrated. Yes, the tumor they removed was a non invasive papillary high grade carcinoma… But it was really small and the treatment after it is just so draining… I guess I’m still going between the anger, denial and depression stage. I’m sorry that I can’t be very supportive for others. It has just felt like such a difficult year… Not to mention that we moved in a new community and I feel useless in my job.
I know I need help and I have an appointment with a counselor on Monday… I just have to get there.
Hi Az:
I’m sorry to learn that pregnancy didn’t happen and that you are feeling down. I too, have a history of fibroids and have done 21 BCGs to combat BC. I also was non-invasive high grade. I’m not a gynecologist by any stretch of the imagination but I do know that fibroids can interfere with fertility because I was told by my OB/GYN that if they are present it can make it difficult for a fertilized ovum to attach to the uterine wall. Whether that contributed to your difficulties I wouldn’t know, only your doc could say for sure.
First off, you are right in that the emotional roller coaster of bladder cancer is a tough one. I found while doing BCG I was very moody and it had nothing to do with babies, fibroids or the like but I was going through the start of menopause and hot flashes like crazy. I was told I had to ride it out since any HRT could conflict with BCG. I’ve never liked the idea of artificial hormones so I did just that. It is behind me now and I don’t regret it. I did have a hysterectomy 6 years prior to the start of being diagnosed with BC. Funny enough, even though I do have four kids I still grieved the loss of my uterus and the finality of not having any more but the weird part of it was that didn’t occur until I was dealing with BC and doing BCG. So maybe your right after all and BCG does aggravate female hormones.
I think you have given yourself an extra mental battle with hoping that pregnancy would cancel out or at least delay the need for BCG. My reoccurrence was a single high grade tumour and now looking back on it I too, wondered why I had to do 15 BCGs for one little tumour. I only did 6 for the first go round that was several tumours. However once I got into the second part of my journey I began to see the additional treatments as an insurance package against further occurrences. I’ve been cancer free now for nearly 6 years. I have no regrets except for the fact that I wonder had I done the 15 treatments initially would I even have had a reoccurrence?
Az, I can’t tell you what to do obviously but I think you need to consider your personal health first ahead of getting pregnant. If you were to get pregnant and then the cancer reoccurred what would you do? Any surgery would prove risky for the baby right? If you delayed surgery or treatment because of the pregnancy then the cancer might have a chance to advance before the baby arrived assuming that the pregnancy went full term making it tougher for you to enjoy your experience as a new mom because you’d be worried about your survival. I applaud you for seeking professional help because if you are able to work through your issues then the journey will get easier. I should have gone for help but didn’t and I think that I suffered more because of it.
I don’t know of anyone who would say that BCG treatments would make their list of favourite things to do – not mine that’s for sure. Getting a catheter shoved up the urethra especially after it is still sore from previous treatments is no walk in the park but until they find something better to me it was preferable to losing my bladder.
You say that your cancer was high grade like mine. My uro explained to me that high grade cancer has a real risk of going more invasive (30-40%) should it reoccur. I didn’t like those odds and decided to buckle down and get the BCG done. I hope that you’ll consider the same and see that it will give you a shot at a better future.
Life isn’t fair and we do have to deal with a lot of s*** at times. My heart does go out to you because I’ve been there emotionally where you are now. I wish you the best getting help and hope that you feel better soon. (((((HUGS)))))
Ok, so I finally saw a counselor today. She suggested that I go on antidepressants. I’m not too sure how I feel about this, but I was wondering if it would work against the BCG treatment or not. Has anyone ever taking antidepressants while going for localized BCG.
Hello
Scheduled for BCG starting Oct 23. Uro wanted this scheduled ahead of time to ensure BCG is in stock.
I have no problem doing BCG treatments. I don’t react to the treatment and have no discomfort other than the 90 yard dash to the bathroom for the rest of the day. As a result, I pencil that in as my exercise for the day and don’t worry about getting any other physical activity for the day. Heh, multi-tasking!
Early on in the BCG treatments I decided to look forward to the treatments based on what they do for me. The actual physical part of getting the BCG instilled is such a small part of the process that I decided to make it exactly that: a small thing. I hate to even think what kind of pickle I could be in if there wasn’t BCG treatments.
So, hooray for BCG treatments! I know, my family thinks I am a little weird, too.
Take care
Hello Az
Depression is definitely a part of the BC process. Don’t beat yourself up about this. Also, don’t get stuck there.
I have no idea about anti-depressants and BCG. Check with your uro.
As far as trying to get pregnant goes, if it was me, I wouldn’t want to get pregnant while having BC. I couldn’t live with the possibility of somehow passing the cancer on to my baby and trust me, I would be very paranoid about this.
Where am I going with this? Be patient about the pregnancy and, for now, focus on yourself and beating the BC. Think about it: what would life be like if you were pregnant then found out you had cancer? Bet your stress levels would be way worse than they are now.
A move to a new community is always a tough one and it takes time to get settled in. If the job is really frustrating, have you thought about taking a leave of absence or looking for a different job? What about talking to the boss about job responsibilities that would be more challenging for you? Also, the feeling of uselessness could be coming from the depression.
You have a lot on your plate so focus on some of the simple things: go hug your hubby; cry; talk; hug again; take a deep breath or two or three or four and then find something to laugh about but be sure to laugh together.
Most of all, stop beating yourself up. It is not your fault you have BC and it is not your fault that you are not pregnant. It is “just” life circumstances.
As someone else on this forum frequently points out: BCG = bladder cancer gone.
Take care
Congrats Lorraine…
Hang In there AZ…your Uro should be advised of new your new meds pending or otherwise…not a MED expert but guess the BCG treatments should not pose an issue.
I have a cysto scheduled for Oct 22…it’s my first on 6 month interval.hoping/fingers crossed for another “all clear”.
All the best to everyone having something/anything done in Oct.
Rick
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