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Stories

“It is our hope that the My Bladder Cancer Story campaign will be an avenue for those affected by bladder cancer to share their stories to be a voice for those who, for far too long, have felt alone in this fight against this disease.”

Andrea Maddox-Smith, BCAN CEO
Share Your Story

  • Meet a Chapel Hill Walk to End Bladder Cancer Ambassador, Leslie Watts

    The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network is pleased to welcome one of our two Chapel Hill Walk to End Bladder Cancer Ambassadors, Leslie Watts.  Dr. Matt Milowsky is also a Walk Ambassador.  The Chapel Hill Walk will take place on May 2, 2020. Leslie told BCAN: My husband and I… Read More

  • Jill’s Story – Diagnosed at 34

    I was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer in April 0f 2012.  I was 34 years old.  I had been in and out of the hospital prior to that because I could not urinate.  As it turned out, I had tumors wrapped around part of my bladder. When the doctor… Read More

  • Pamela’s Story About Her Daddy

    I remember when my mother turned to me and broke the news. Daddy has cancer. This news stung like news had never stung before. It was the news that my father could not bring himself to tell me. It was the news that ultimately turned our home into a hospital-like… Read More

  • Kimberly’s Story About Her Dad

    Kimberly and her mom at the 2018 Walk to End Bladder Cancer in Washington, DC. My father was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2012, just days after his 58th birthday. He lost his mother to the disease years before I was born. Right after his diagnosis, I remember telling myself,… Read More

  • Brenda and Jerry

    Tell us about your husband’s journey. My husband, Jerry, was asymptomatic. One day, his urine looked like pure blood. And was bright red. At the time, we thought it might be a bad kidney infection. The doctors ran tests, a CT scan. They told him he had a spot on… Read More

  • Sharing Stories to Advance Research – Anne’s Story

    Anne:    I was in the military between the reserves and active duty, for 40 years. I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. I began my career at 18 years old and the last 15 years I did several overseas combat tours. I was assigned to tours in Iraq, Afghanistan,… Read More

  • Lee’s Bladder Cancer Story

    I went to my primary care physician after I’d come back from an extensive Caribbean vacation. I put off whatever was going on with this little bit of blood I was seeing, until I got back from that special trip. While I was on vacation, the urgency and frequency to… Read More

  • Sharing Stories to Advance Research – Karen’s Story

    Karen’s  story: My story started 11 years ago when I was 51. I started to have frequent urinary tract infections about four to five times a year. They were very severe; I had a lot of pain with them and a lot of bleeding isolated to the UTI. Then after… Read More

  • Sharing Stories to Advance Research – Camille’s Story

    Camille’s Story:   I came to this meeting to start taking care of myself.  I realized that now that I’ve pushed all the way through the past three and a half years with bladder cancer, I am now at a point where I can help other people.   I was diagnosed in… Read More

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