Sorry to have to welcome you here, and we will be keeping good thoughts that you won't stay!
HOWEVER, you need to read the following:
menshealthnetwork.org/library/What_firefighters_need_to_Know.pdf
There are very few absolutely "known" things that carry an increased risk of bladder cancer...smoking is one...and a career as a firefighter is another,.
That being said, it is also important to remember that bladder cancer, caught early, is highly curable.
If you are having cystoscopy next week, that is not such a big deal (of course, I am female....men tend to complain about it more than women.) The urologist will place a very small camera-tip into the bladder and examine it. If he sees any signs of abnormality, he will schedule you for a TURB (transurethral resection of the bladder) where he will basically do the same thing but will cut out samples to be sent to a pathologist for analysis. Only after the pathologist sends back his report will you know for sure what you might be facing. This report will tell the urologist and you whether the tissue is indeed malignant, if so whether it is high grade (rapidly growing) or low grade (slow growing) and how far it has gone into the bladder lining or muscle.
Only after your and your doctor review the results will you know for sure that you do or do not have bladder cancer and if so, start to plan your treatment.
We will be keeping our fingers crossed for you,
Sara Anne
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