Post Operation Appointment

Three weeks and two days later, it was time for my post-op appointment with an Urology Specialist, the purpose of which was to inform me of the outcome of the surgery.  Those three weeks seemed an eternity, tempers become frayed (well mine did), Denise just humoured me.  Day to day tasks become more difficult to deal with.

I am lucky to have in Denise a wife of very similar character, what will be, will be.  Life needs to go on, whatever it throws up.  During this time there were a few tears, a few tantrums from me but lots of support in an unspoken way from Denise.  We (I think) are both of a positive mind-set and believed that things would be okay!  Until she reads this, I do not think she was aware of some of the issues I was dealing with in the background – just in case!

Denise & I arrived at QA on the 11^thJuly for my 14.05 appointment we were both apprehensive as to the outcome. We again spoke about my general health, no weight loss, no pain, appetite normal and the ability to deal with everyday life without problems.

The specialist asked what I understood of my recent surgery, he corrected me where necessary.  The result of my surgery was fully explained, including all the ‘what-ifs, maybe’s etc.’  This was done in a re-assuring calm manner without the use of medical jargon. Bladder Cancer is not that high on the list of most common – depending what article is read, it is between number 4 and number 10 on the list of cancers.  It normally affects men aged 55 and over but can occur in men age 40 and in some cases even younger. Diagnosis is not normally made until a person is about 73 years of age.

My diagnosis was that I had been treated for a Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer which was removed from the inner layer of the bladder lining.  The tumour had been graded at level 2 which results in the cancerous cells looking less like normal cells and slightly faster growing.  Although a 5 cm tumour is quite large it had been contained within the inner lining of the bladder and had not broken through the muscle lining of the bladder and therefore unable to spread to nearby organs such as the bowel or prostrate.

Eventually we were told about the future, I would require further treatments of up to 6 with Mitomycin C being fed into the bladder, this is to ensure that any remaining cancer cells are ‘killed off.’  After 6 weeks another inspection of the bladder will ascertain what further treatment will be required.  Whatever the outcome I will require check-ups for the next five years to ensure that the cancer does not return.

A great sense of relief came over both Denise and I with the specialist’s words of:

‘You will now be in the care of one of our Urology Nursing Specialists and I will not need to see you again. Life can return to normal.  

My first question was can I start my cycle training again and his response was ‘Why Not?’

I make an assumption that the information that I have received from the ‘team’ at QA is also available at all Urology Units throughout the UK, if this is correct then the information and guidance can only be described as excellent.  If you find yourself in my position then please read these very informative documents that should be available at ALL Urology units.

I can only re-iterate how well informed I have been throughout these past few months.

Denise and I both shed a few tears but left the hospital as a very relieved couple.  I had the night off from training and celebrated with a takeaway and a couple of bottles of wine!

The hardest part of the past 3 months was having to cope and deal with the waiting, waiting for the results of a CT scan, waiting for an appointment to have surgery; with hindsight these factors did affect me, although at the time I thought I was just carrying on as normal?  

I would stress that if any of my readers experience any symptoms, no matter how innocuous they may seem – get yourself checked out, remember I did not have any other symptoms.