Bladder Cancer Choices

reverse_side · Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:06 am Post subject: Bladder Cancer Choices

My 72yr old dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer a week ago; the surgeon's narrowed his options down to 2 operations within an overall intention of removing the whole bladder (complete cystectomy) and he's asked me to find out some pro's/con's and experiences of both ops...

1. Urostomy (external bag) or
2. Bladder Reconstruction (new one made out of with existing intestines)

If you've had either then I'd be eager to hear your experiences; it seems the more he knows then the more confident he becomes, me too I feel, he's positivity can only be a good thing.

Thanks for reading and I'll pass on what I find out… his op's this Friday (Paddy's Day) 17th March.

reverse_side · Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: Bladder Cancer Choices

hi everyone, even though there wasn't a reply on this forum, another offered support and advice and I've suddenly realised that an update might be in order; especially as it's good news.

Obviously this pernicious illness can return, but we're at the stage where my Dad's had his operation which involved a new bladder being re-constructed after the old cancerous one was removed and all's going well.

The procedure was successful (the biggest operation the hospital performs apparently) and the cancer has been removed. There's been a little leakage overnight that's reducing all the time; no external stoma so more convenient. So better than other alternatives if it wasn't operable.

Something I found utterly astounding, it happened on the day of the {6hr op} we went to see him in the evening and although he was hooked up to many machines that shocked some pre-warned relatives, we were relieved to find out that the op went well.... my sister was holding his hand and after being told that he could probably hear what we were saying, she explained who was there for him huddled round the bed, through his laboured breathing and anaesthetic induced puffy complecxion, it was understandable that we were all emotionally going through things. Mixtures of relief at being told the Op was a success, not knowing if the cancer was banished and the amount of equipment he was hooked up to. A monumental moment was after sis was chatting to him and after being told that his partner was at his side..... he smiled, he was deeply sedated and still recovering from the anaesthetic but managed to even open his eyes briefly with sis not more than a few inches away to hold a stare. Non of this does he remember to this day; not even the index finger messages he was writing out on my palm to tell us the oxygen tube down his throat was causing him discomfort, or the jok he told about the nurses comicly berating us for not wearing aprons... I'd said that they were giving us the yellow card and he said that he was giving us another because HE was the ref... uk football rules say 2 yellow cards equate to being punished with being removed from the field of play.
This was all astonishing for us because the nurses were previously telling us that he was a distance off from coming round; he never fully regained consciousness while we were there, but by the next day we went to vist, he was looking fantastic.
The team at Leighton Hospital are unbelievable and they provide care day-in day-out all the time - heroes.

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