I Got Bladder Cancer at 22 Years of Age with Kristen S.

In Episode 45 of Bladder Cancer Matters, host Rick Bangs talks with a very special guest, Kristen. She was diagnosed with bladder cancer at 22 years of age (the average age at diagnosis is 73). She had to fight for a correct diagnosis, including when one of her doctors told her that she was just “getting fat.”

Rick and and Kristen chat about her journey and how she struggled to get her doctors to take her seriously. They talk about:

• Her symptoms and how she bounced around between doctors before she finally got her diagnosis
• How a urologist told her in passing that she had bladder cancer (and then left the room)
• How she decided to talk with others about her bladder cancer – who to tell and when
• The role that her mom (a nurse) played in Kristen’s journey
• The crippling financial impact of bladder cancer on AYAs – adolescent and young adults
• The advice that she would give to someone else who is young and receives a bladder cancer diagnosis