Beginning BCG

Hey JAY!

I'm waiting till June to start my maintenance BCG and hope next scope is as clear as the last. still feeling stinging at the end when I void but nothing like in the beginning. Let me know how your doing!!!!

Wow, tabasco sauce and razor blades, not that far off! Everyone sounds like they're tolerating the BCG treatments okay. I just started my 3rd month of 3 week treatments today. The 2 hours went okay and now the start of tabasco sauce and razor blades. I'm overdosing in chicken soup again along with water hoping to ease things a bit, seemed to work the last few times. Such a psychological thing between treatments. I didn't start to get "freaky" until about 3 days ago, can't wait for another 2 weeks and then the cysto! Then I'm thinking I may have the BCG every 6 months:-) Take care all, Jay

Okay 2 days out since my 6th BCG feeling great, hardly any sting at all!

Jeff,

Per my husband, the good news is the BCG catheter is much smaller in diameter than what's used for cystoscopy or TURBT procedures. The bad news for him, even with lidocaine, the insertion was uncomfortable. The volume of BCG is relatively small and he has been able to retain the BCG for 2 hours each time. We'd drive home right after the instillation with a lunch break at the 2 hour mark. He'd void the BCG into a travel urinal and carry that home to empty into the toilet for the bleach treatment.

Before BCG treatments, I worried unnecessarily about extreme fatigue or other severe side effects my husband might experience. Other than one night of a low grade fever, his side effects have been frequency and burning/discomfort for a day or so after BCG.

Best wishes on your treatment.

Jeffrx

I will have my bladder scoped in 4 weeks to see if I have to get another TURBT or to see how well the BCG worked! I am prepared for either. If you were to ask me how I was doing back in the beginning I was terrified! But you start to develope a steely grit and just want to get rid of the cancer!

Jeffrx,

Unfortunately a catheter through the penis is the only way it can be administered. If you've had any TURBT's near the urethra or enlargement of the prostate it can be uncomfortable. The big thing is you have to stay relaxed the urge to tense up will make it more uncomfortable. My nurse at the urologists office always puts in lidocaine before the insertion of the catheter. She lets it sit for a full minute. you don't feel anything really till it passes the urethra, if your relaxed it is quick and more of an annoyance. the BCG is mixed with sterile saline at room temp so it feels cold inside your bladder. thats just a strange feeling but not painful. it takes less than 5 minutes to put the BCG in and take out the catheter. then you go home roll around in different positions, Back, stomach, left side, right side. after 2 hrs you empty your bladder and drink lots of water to expel it all. I usually stop drinking any water the night before at midnight. I go in the morning before treatment then what little I have left I put in the specimen jar for a urinalysis.

You don't get used to it but it gets more and more tolerable