Preparing for BCG

10 years 2 weeks ago #46043 by raider
Replied by raider on topic Preparing for BCG
I've recently been diagnosed with CIS high grade noninvasive bladder cancer. The tumor that showed positive for CIS was not removed and about ¾ of my bladder is red and angry. I have had urgency & frequency issues for 4 years and it has always’ s been treated as OAB (over active bladder). In the past year I have had lots of pain with urination at times and when I’m really active or sitting for long periods of time it irritates my bladder and causes pain.

I start my first treatment of BCG tomorrow and have read a lot on the forums on how folks react. I’m hopeful that these treatments will help me and that my body responds well.

Thanks for all your post and information as it has helped me understand what to expect.

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10 years 1 month ago - 10 years 1 month ago #45834 by rbmc
Replied by rbmc on topic Preparing for BCG
Hey RH, glad to hear you're such a "trooper", and congrats on the BCG. Enjoy a well deserved break from those weekly fill ups. We'll be hearing from you in about 3 months, and hope that the report remains positive.
edit: start a new post to keep us on our toes.

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10 years 1 month ago #45833 by RHWilgus
Replied by RHWilgus on topic Preparing for BCG
It has been awhile since I wrote. When I last wrote I was half way through my treatments. On January 10th, I completed my six treatments. Over the past few weeks, I have had different side effects from each treatment. The one side effect from each one has been fatigue. Between drinking fruit juices, water, coffee, and going to the bathroom, I spent much time in bed sleeping. On one occasion, I did have a fever and chills. A couple of Tylenol and I was good as new.

After treatment #6, the doctor sat down with me and discussed what was next. In a couple of months I will go in for cystoscopic examination. We will do these every three months for a year. After the third one, if all looks good, I will get three more treatments for preventive maintenance. After a year, we will continue with exams every six months and then every year after that. He did remind me of what happens if the tumors should come back. But, we are not going to think about that.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and is looking forward to a healthy 2014.

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10 years 3 months ago #45620 by Alan
Replied by Alan on topic Preparing for BCG
Sounds all about "normal". Fatigue and a few other side effects are a good sign that the BCG should be working. When about after? Your URO will let your bladder quiet down-probably 6 weeks and he'll do another cysto to be sure no tumors are visible. Assuming there are none you'll probably be on 3 month cycle and maybe BCG? The reason I say maybe because on low grade BCG is often not prescribed. Glad you are doing well! Merry Christmas to all!

DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.

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10 years 3 months ago #45619 by RHWilgus
Replied by RHWilgus on topic Preparing for BCG
You're right rbmc, it has been a few weeks and they have been hectic as always at this time of the year. I had my first treatment back on 6 Dec and I took along my wife. She went in case there any special instructions that she needed to know about. I ran into one problem at the doctor's office. Before my treatment they sent me a pamphlet about the treatments. I followed the instructions to include making sure my bladder was empty before my appointment. The first thing the nurse does is hand be a bottle for a sample. I managed to wet the bottom of the bottle and it was enough. I learned my lesson. To me, the hardest part was the numbing, after that I was done in no time. The side effects didn't hit me until Saturday morning. I started with chills, and then a slight fever and a dry throat. A couple of Tylenol and I was fine by Sunday morning. The next two treatments, both on Fridays, went without a problem. The only side effect that I've noticed is that I am very tired. That might be from getting up many times at night during the week.

Besides, getting the treatments done, I am still a high school teacher and I am getting my students ready for their final exams. We are now on Christmas break until 2 Jan. Then back to school for a week of review and then the finals.

I am currently half way through my first 6 treatments. I have not seen the doctor since my last TURBT. So, I don't know what will be coming up next. I guess I will wait and see.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy and Healthy 2014!

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10 years 3 months ago #45618 by rbmc
Replied by rbmc on topic Preparing for BCG
Hi RH......how ya doing out there? How about an update, now that you're experienced with the BCG routine. Hope there were no out of the ordinary effects. I just got a 12 month scope, all clear, but they are doing a Maintenance BCG (3X) to keep it that way. When done, will you have another Cysto in 3 months to check? You're in the club, and the door is always open for a visit.

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