DECISION TIME

well, i'm full of it (questions, i mean). like, when you got out of the hospital, how disabled were you, and for how long? i know hospitals these days roll you out onto the loading dock and send you home at the earliest possible moment. so, when you got home, were you bedridden? or could you sort of get around. i ask in part because i live alone and don't know how much help i'll need (will i even be able to feed the cat?) stuff like that. any experience you can relate will help.

Lustron; Sorry, in my original post i ment to say "can't tell you" not can tell you which surgery to have. Big differents without the 't. Hope you didn't run out late last night and grab the neo:).
As for daily maintenance, I do nothing different now then I ever did. Once again this is just my experience with the neo and even that could change tomorrow. We never know. Knowledge is power. Read all you can on the subject.
Duke

Yes, but I'm one of the few that have complications. For MANY (as in the majority) there is either no or only occasional self catheterization and most (over 90%) achieve night time continence as well. So even though I have the complications, it is still no big deal. If you land in the majority, it is even better.

Mike

PS: Radiation can cause all sorts of complications if surgery is required later. It is a more difficult surgery for the surgeon and you. Chemo before surgery is sometimes done and other times it is after surgery. I required neither and I'm over 2.5 years post surgery and still cancer free and doing great!

Mike

as for my doc seeming to steer me away from a neo -- maybe she was just making sure i'm aware of the amount of daily maintenance it requires; not sure. it seems that you have found the daily routine no big deal, yes?

THANX, MIKE. if this site wasn't here, i'd be going into this totally blind. and now that i have a diagnosis of "transitional cell carcinoma, grade 2 - 3 / 3, with invasion of lamina propria and deep detrusor muscle," i guess i'm shopping for a surgeon who does lots of these ectomies (w/ neo) -- rather than grasping at straws for some alternative, like radio + chemo without radical surgery; i'm getting the idea that it may be toolate for that. tho they tell me i'll be evaluated for pre-op chemo.

Lustron,

Here is a link that explains the kegel exercises (and a few other recommended exercises) for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. If you get a neo, these are important for regaining control/continence.

medicalcenter.osu.edu/PatientEd/Materials/PDFDocs/exer-reh/physical/IncontinenceExerProg.pdf .

At your stage/grade, getting the RC is the gold standard of treatment. MANY of us here have had RC (and for the men that also includes a prostatectomy) and our quality of life is pretty darn great. I'm one of the guys that had some complications so I have to catheterize every time I go. I didn't in the beginning but ran into issues later. I have the neo. I never did get night time continence either so I have to wear a condom catheter at night hooked up to a catheter bag. Even with that, it is no big deal. I wouldn't have done anything any differently.

Unless I tell someone, nobody would know that I had my bladder out. I can still scuba dive and do anything else I could before.

I want to second (or third or fourth) what has been said here already. It is important to understand exactly why your doctor is recommending against the neobladder for you.

Also, the MOST important thing with this surgery is to get to the best/top bladder cancer cancer hospital that you can with the top surgeons. Should be a surgeon that does this surgery 50 or more (and the more the better) a year. Better outcomes.

Best of luck and please keep us posted.

Mike