I have been reading this forum on and off for the pst 2 years as my 70 yr old dad has been battling bladder cancer. I understand he uses the forum. You all are very courageous and inspiring. My dad had a round of chemo when he first found out in April 2012, then had his bladder and prostate removed and received a neo-bladder. His post surgery chemo was horrible and almost killed him to the point he had to stop about 3/4 of the way through. He had a long recovery but the neo was doing well and he was cancer free and had a good summer in 2013 and was very active. Around Labor Day he started having discomfort when making a bowel movement, which progressively got worse over several weeks. He ended up in severe pain and was rushed to the ER. They had been doing all kinds of tests and thought Crohns, colitis, etc. About 8 weeks ago he had a colostomy bag done - they still could find no cancer and his pet scans were clear. Well, today he had exploratory surgery at Moffitt in Tampa and they confirmed his cancer has returned in the rectum. They took several biopsies to determine prognosis and treatment, but I am almost afraid to hear the next report.
As most of you know the battle with bladder cancer is horrible and an emotional roller coaster, but I am going to dig deep and support my dad whatever this next round may bring. I felt compelled to finally join the forum and I welcome any encouragement or thoughts from anyone who has been through a similar situation. Also, sorry if I do not have all the correct lingo on the procedures, etc.