SOme questions.

The top of the cath was a metal thing with a screw in the center. I had 2 bags of saline flowing from a gravity feed at the same time with 1 line going to a waste bag on the floor. I wonder how I could void any fluid at all as there is only the one path in and out. The spsms I was having actually felt like my bladder was filled to the bursting point. I dont see how it worked unless there were 3 seperate tubes. All I know is that the cat was by far the worst part of the entire experience. I truly dread going thru it again.
One other thing made it tough on me. Im a chronic pain sufferer. I take a high level of pain meds daily. It was on my records as my pain dr workes out of that hospital. The dr had me on a morphine pump for pain. What theygave max was less than 50% of my normal dose. They also gave me urapas. I was fortunate in that my pain dr happened to be at the hospital and saw I had been admitted. he was able to straighten them out. I still had to suffer needlessly for over a day.
I truly dread going thru that every 90 days. Thats a short time frame. If the cancer does come back, how much can it grow in 3 months?

Not sure why the 3 lines, but that may be because of a restriction where the urethra passes through the prostrate? Or other? After my TURB, I had only one tube going out to a leg bag and the Doc left it in a week to allow better healing of the bladder wall. I'm told 3-4 days may be the norm, but others can chime in here. It could be they needed to do something different 'cuz you were so restricted. At any rate, the thing you now may need is an enlargement of the urethra by reducing the prostrate size. This is done by different means, depending on individual patient needs.

Overall, it sure sounds like you need a second opinion. As I said before, if the GOV'T told me something, I'd sure get one. I found that out when I was in the Service myself. Even those on this board dealing with private physicians often benefit by a second set of eyes looking at a problem.

Im still worried about my prostrate. Having it enlarged is not uncommon in my age group. Im 55 now. Also do to health problems I havent been sexually active in years, The fact that he did get the probe past the prostrate make ant difference? Or would it have passed no matter what? I was knocked out so have no memory of any pain from it. Also I was really worried about problems once the catheter was withdrawn I had one years back after a MI. It was only in over nite. but it really hurt to urinate for weeks afterwards. This time I not only had that cath in, but it was huge with 2 lines in and one out. I suffered from acute spasms while they were irragating me. They would get so bad I would jump up and have to force the urine out, After evacuating my bladder I was Ok for an hour owr so. I was terrified it would continue.
As far as this turning more serious Im terrified. I have severe CHF and as such not a good candidate for extensive surgery.

Britt, I also had a staph infection some 12 months prior to discovery of the tumor...done through ultrasound. But your experiences remind me of what one can expect whenever the Gov't. becomes involved...not a welcome sight, I'm afraid.

As for your current "Urgency" issues. I, too have a bit of similar conditions, but if you're drinking a gallon of a caffeinated drink each day, you ARE going to need to pass all that liquid VERY often. The caffeine will be the greatest cause of your "urgency", so if you can switch to water, I think you'll have less urgency. And your diuretics will add to this urgency, of course. Seems like you also suffer from an enlarged prostrate...this will further add to these symptoms.

A urinalysis can suggest a UTI. The only test that can diagnose it is a urine culture. A CBC (blood test) might be useful to decide if a UTI is actually pyelonephritis (kidney infection).
All imaging studies have limitations on the size of tumors they can pick up. Imaging studies like CT scans have great resolution but could certainly miss bladder tumors that would be seen through a cystoscope. Ultrasounds are better than CT for some evaluations and worse for others. For a bladder tumor be visible on ultrasound it has to be large enough to stand out from the bladder wall.

When I did my 2 follow-ups with the uro. he showed me before and after pictures. I really dont know what I was looking at except that the 1st was darker colored on the lining and the next was a pink color. All that I know is that he informed me that it was noninvasive and that he was able to remove all of it. I have had nothing done since, not even blood work. Except for what was done while I was admitted. Thats begining to worrt me. With my history of bladder infections how suseptible would I be following the sr\\urgery? They did give me cipro when I was discharged. I havent seen anyone since my 2nd follow up in late Jan.
I have notice lately an increase in urinating. My bladder is usually fairly full when I need to go. I do have a "sense of urgency" every 2 hours or so. I do drink a lot of liquids. I go thru an average of 1 gallon of sweetened tea a day. On top of that I take 2 diuretics. Lasiz and spirolactone. At time my urine feels "thich" Almost syrupy comming out. There doesnt seem to be any abnormality ineither color or smell. Also since Nov of 07 I have had no more clots pass or tinged urine(except for a couple days after the procedure. Again all these thing keep comming to mind and after my waife told me our pharamists story about VA it really hit home. I had put it on the back burner and had almost forgotten about it!