Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

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  • David’s Story: Never Give Up and Try to Stay Active

    In 2008, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Before my initial diagnosis, I had just started a new job and did not have health insurance when my symptoms appeared. I eventually went to the emergency room, where I received an ultrasound and the ER doctor informed me that they found… Read More
  • Alan’s Story: Celebrating My One Year “Stomaversary”

    In 1980, I was diagnosed with Reiter’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease consisting of a triad of symptoms, iritis, urethritis, and arthritis. Over the years, individual symptoms would occasionally flare up. My eyes would burn, or my joints would hurt, and if all three flared up simultaneously, I would have… Read More
  • Melanie’s Story: I Was Shocked to Learn I Had Bladder Cancer

    Although I worked in healthcare for 30 years as a genetic counselor, Melanie was shocked to learn that she had bladder cancer. She told BCAN: Melanie and her husband In 2018, a year before my diagnosis I was having heaviness of the pelvic floor that prompted me to schedule… Read More
  • “Guess what, Jim? You have some urine in your blood.”

    Vietnam Veteran and BCAN volunteer, Jim Scott shares his bladder cancer story at the 2018 Bladder Cancer Think Tank Read Jim’s interview with the American Homefront Project, “More Vietnam vets now qualify for disability benefits, but it may be years before they see the money.” My name is… Read More
  • Alice’s Story: Be Positive About Your Diagnosis

    It was summer of 2018, one night in late July, about two o’clock in the morning. I woke up with this horrific pain in my back on my right side, but I did not think too much of it. Maybe I slept wrong. So, I turned over hoping it would… Read More
  • Wendy’s Story: My Dad Was the Sun and the Moon and the Stars

    My dad, Simon Lowy, was born July 3, 1929, in the Bronx, NY, to Helen and David Lowy. He had one brother. My dad played ball on the streets—stick ball—they used the sewer tops as the bases. My dad had many friends growing up. Wendy Sloane and her dad, Simon… Read More
  • Annmarie’s Story: I don’t have a bag, I have a prosthetic bladder

    A very happy Annmarie with her grandson I am a schoolteacher at a high school in Mashpee, Massachusetts. I started to have symptoms in May 2018. I was at school and I got a sharp pain in my kidney area and I thought, “Oh, kidney stones.” I knew something wasn’t… Read More
  • Burt’s Story: When I heard the words “You have bladder cancer,” it was a gut punch

    I am a nephrologist and have been practicing medicine since 1976, so I look at my bladder cancer journey somewhat differently than others might.  I was having some difficulty urinating and in the process of having my prostate looked at, my doctor came out afterwards and said, “Oh, by the… 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