New guy, new story, new questions...

D61.....Welcome! I have really enjoyed your story....You sound like quite the Indiana Jones type, except older and more experienced. Sorry to learn that someone in such terrific shape as yourself has to make this journey. But based on your great outlook and being so healthy otherwise, I'm sure you will do just fine.

I was diagnosed in early March as a T2 B, invasive into the muscle tissue. I didn't like the news I got from the first two doctors and so made appointments with three more....all agreed I should have four months of chemo and have the bladder removed. I was hoping to have a partial removal but was told flat out , "no".
Fortunately for me, since they suggested 4 mo. of chemo, I have plently of time to ask questions. You sound like a very smart and very tough guy so I'm sure you will take time to find out all you need to know before moving into surgery too quickly. And as my surgeon told me, (mine is to happen in Sept.) "it's just another great adventure in the story of your life." Take care and keep us updated. Melodie

Jerry, you said "That said...things can still go wrong and I have wondered exactly what took place in the OR." Also other things like a statement from your doctor about a "mess" in your bladder. YOU NEED to get the OR hospital write up, the written physician notes from the TURB, the written physician's note from the initial cystoscopy, the written pathology report and read them carefully. Anything you don't understand ask the doctor or us. It is good to have confidence in your doctor and staff but you need to base it on facts of your particular case. That can best be ascertained through those written records. There are often times many surprises when we read over the written reports and many times much information we did not glean from a conversation. I wish you the best.
Rosie Ambs

I just want to wish you the best. Glad you joined the group.
This is a site that I visit often just to see if anything is new.

My husband is the BC patient in our family and it is a very trying time but love, friends, family and most of all, faith keep us going.

Hang in there!

It is Jerry, Zachary...nice ta meet cha...

Nurses were super, and it is a major hospital...
no complaints there except for the food...

My last meal was at 8PM Tuesday prior to the surgery the next day...
no liquids from midnight on,
then the procedure at 2:30 PM,
then to recovery ( 2X's ),
finally in a private room at about 1:00 PM on Thursday.
I had gone 41-hours without a bite of food...
For a skinney guy, I'm a big eater anyway,
I was still half dopey...but cleaned the tray and could have eaten more...


Patricia,
This is where I need to be taken...
Down the road to the right questions.

( Please bear with me, and in a week or so, when with your help and others, I really begin to understand what all is going on...I'll list the hospital and doctors name if relevent ). ( I have shared his name and that of the hospital with Wendy privately ).

He does come highly reccomended and is well known as one of the best...
but,
I have worked with professionals all of my life and we all step in it now and then...

The TURP started at 2:30 PM, his preferred time slot it seems, with an hour and a half of 'cutting' planned per what he had told me. Perhaps once he got started, and found me 'a mess', and then the second go round eating up so much time...who knows, maybe he got in a hurry because the granddaughter had a recital or something...

I really don't know.

Tomorrow after the visit with him,
I intend to go to the hospital and hug a few nurses...
A couple were very friendly and shared some good info.

One nurse, her father-in-law, went through the complete bladder removal so she shared a few tips to recovery.
Another, is a 'cancer survivor' ( colon ) as she likes to say. Great attitude !

I do know that every nurse on the floor, and being there five days I met several shifts...everyone of them bragged on the doctor.
To me, seems that should be meaningful.

I also intend to speak with both shifts in the Recovery Room, that's where I went through hell...but again, both RN's over me were super ladies and very concerned with my situation. Perhaps they will share some insight into what took place while I was so out of it...

What about my anesthesiologist ?
He too, was extremely friendly and a big cut-up, we share the same last name, and he joked about that, etc. Perhaps I can track him down for a question or two.

OR,
do these folks stick together on things like this and clam up... ?

Just a quick story that reinforces this.

A week after my big surgery at USC, I ended up back in our local hospital (500 bed--a real hospital, and highly regarded) for some kind-of-unrelated GI bleeding.

My catheter was still in, and my bladder needed to be irrigated every few hours. I asked the nurse if she knew how to do it, and she indignantly replied, "of course I do. I'm a nurse!"

When the time actually came, she looked at the big syringe and saline solution and catheter set-up and said, "well, I guess I don't know how to do this after all." Keep in mind that I was recuperating in the oncology ward of the hospital I *wanted* to go to before my urologist suggested USC. Everyone at USC knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Everyone.

Go where they're experienced. Not just the doctors, but the nurses and support staff.

D61--what is your first name? I assume it's not "Danger," since that's probably your middle name.

D61......ok where do i start.......What exactly did your doctor mean by "a mess"......multiple tumors that he did not see with the cystoscope?? How many...what were the locations? I've never heard of anyone losing that much blood with a simple TURB with a very experienced doctor. This physician may be sought out by many in your particular area and a friend of your internist but is he an expert on bladder cancer or does he mainly deal with prostate problems? How many TURBS has he done....has he done any cystectomys at all....HOw Many? If he doesn't want to answer those questions you have the wrong doctor. And a second or even third or fourth opinion is not out of the question when you have a cancer diagnosis. Wendy is right...since you're in Texas seek out an experienced uro/oncologist surgeon at MD Anderson. Where you go and the experience of the surgeon is paramount to success. Pat