Angie’s Story: “I actually welcome the scans. I feel reassured by them.”

When Angie Glender noticed blood in her urine, she immediately feared it was bladder cancer — the same disease her husband had faced years earlier. What began as a concerning symptom quickly turned into a far more complex journey involving a rare diagnosis, difficult treatment decisions, and an unwavering support system. Today, she’s using her experience to raise awareness and help others feel less alone after diagnosis. This is her story:

In March 2021, I got the COVID vaccine booster. The next day, I saw blood in my urine. My husband even said maybe it was a side effect of the vaccine because there were so many strange side effects being reported at the time. But somehow, I knew it was bladder cancer. Part of that was because my husband, Carlos, had been diagnosed with bladder cancer four or five years earlier after seeing blood in his urine. I remember thinking, “Me too.” I honestly believed my cancer would be just like his.

Carlos and I had both lived and worked at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico while he was in the military. That was really the only base we both lived on together. Camp Lejeune is known for cancer exposure risks, but Roosevelt Roads is not on any official list. Still, we always thought it was strange that both of us developed bladder cancer.

I contacted my primary care doctor and was able to see her in just a few days. She thought it was probably a urinary tract infection (UTI) and gave me antibiotics. Even though I didn’t think it was a UTI, I took them, and I also asked for a referral to a urologist. Carlos had been seeing Dr. Riggs at the Levine Cancer Institute, so we called there and ended up speaking with him. That’s how everything started.

After a urogram, Dr. Riggs found a mass in my renal pelvis. The tumor was positioned very high in the renal pelvis, so Dr. Riggs wasn’t able to remove all of it, but he did perform a biopsy. That was when we learned it was actually cancer and not something like a kidney stone. From there, it was important to us to find the best care possible.

At first, I wasn’t overly frightened because Carlos had done very well. He had high-grade urothelial cancer, but it was caught early. He had a TURBT, then a second procedure to check the margins, followed by BCG treatments, and he has now gone nine years without recurrence. I thought my experience would be the same. I thought I’d go through treatment and then be fine.

But then I “one-upped” him by getting upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), a rarer form of bladder cancer. I joke with him about that all the time. Once I realized it was UTUC, things became scarier because we didn’t know as much about it. The statistics I found during my research were not nearly as reassuring, and that created more anxiety. We spent a lot of time researching, speaking with people through BCAN, and learning about the best treatment approaches. We even listened to a podcast entirely about UTUC, and it taught us so much.

Even though it was frightening, I felt reassured because we had BCAN. The organization gave us excellent, up-to-date information and guidance, and it truly helped me feel confident that I was making the right decisions.

At the time, Levine Cancer Center was not doing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and after speaking with people through BCAN and some of the doctors there, we learned that many still recommended that protocol. I wanted every percentage point I could get to improve my outcome. We ended up getting involved with UNC Chapel Hill after Carlos talked with Dr. Angie Smith and Dr. Florian Schroeck.

I live in Charlotte, so Chapel Hill was about a two and a half hour drive for us. We went there and met with Dr. William Kim, the oncologist, and did a video call with  Dr. Marc Bjurlin, the surgeon. Dr. Kim explained that neoadjuvant chemotherapy was not some magic guarantee that everything would be fine, but he also explained the statistics. At the time, I was 64, fairly young for bladder cancer, and I didn’t have any other major health problems. He explained how all of those factors added percentages in my favor, and then adding chemotherapy increased those odds even more. I felt like it gave me the best chance at a good outcome, so we chose Chapel Hill.

Carlos became my biggest support system. I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and it really takes a toll on you. Nothing tastes good, you feel exhausted, and most days you just want to stay in bed. I was already retired by then, and he completely stepped up. I’d ask him to get me yogurt or sushi or something cold that sounded appealing at the moment, and then once he brought it home, I suddenly wouldn’t want it anymore. He was endlessly patient with me through all of it.

We drove back and forth to Chapel Hill for treatment. Some chemotherapy days were shorter and involved only gemcitabine, while the long days included cisplatin and gemcitabine and lasted all day. In September 2021, I underwent a ureteronephrectomy (removal of my right ureter and kidney). Through everything, Carlos was my support.

If I could give advice to someone newly diagnosed, I would say to learn everything you can about your type of cancer and seek out second opinions right away. I’ve known people who simply accepted the first thing they were told and never explored other options. For women, especially, this matters so much. Through BCAN, I’ve met many younger women who were misdiagnosed for long periods of time. Some hadn’t even had children yet. Women’s symptoms are too often dismissed, or misdiagnosed, and treatment is then started late, and their cancer is more advanced.  I think it’s incredibly important to spread awareness because of that.

Today, I’m doing great. I have no evidence of disease and am now on yearly observation scans. Interestingly, I don’t experience “scan anxiety” the way some people do. Since my cancer was discovered through a CT urogram in my kidney, I actually welcome the scans. I feel reassured by them.

I also make a point of telling everyone about bladder cancer. It’s not only blood in the urine. It can also be flank pain, abdominal pain, urinary symptoms, and more. I’ve become a huge advocate for awareness. I’m now a BCAN ambassador, and at the last patient summit, I welcomed new attendees and helped direct them to the best resources for answers.