What Urologists Don't Tell Bladder Cancer Patients?

By Neil MacDonald

I find Urologists, especially mine, to be very competent in all technical aspects of removing your bladder when it is discovered that you have bladder cancer. In my case, I was told that the bladder needed to be removed because the cancer was very aggressive and it was growing back as faster than he could remove it from the bladder. He also stated that there was some cancer growth very close to the mouth of the bladder.

Therefore, it would be necessary to do a Radical Cystectomy He went on to say that this would also mean removing my prostrate, seminal vesicles and the lymph nodes in the groin. At that time, I was not well educated in what this would al mean to me after I recovered from the surgery. I was offered the opportunity to watch a video about what this procedure would entail. I refused to watch the video as it was based on the methodology of the operation.

We also discussed the different methods available for getting the urine from the kidneys to the outside. I chose the Urostomy pouch as it was the only one that did not involve some incontinence.

Nothing was mentioned about what my life would be like after my prostrate was removed. At that time I did not have the faintest idea. I was too wrapped up in the shock of having a very aggressive cancer.

All I can say is thank goodness I was 61 years old when this surgery took place. Had I have been in my 20’s to 40’s, I would have been devastated after the surgery. My deepest sympathy goes out to those men who happen to be in that age range when they have to have their prostrate removed for any reason what so ever. I really don’t think that I cold have handled the situation without a great deal of help from someone.

When your prostrate is removed, in most cases, you can no longer get an erection. Therefore intercourse is out the window. Also with the seminal vesicles gone, you are sterile. At 61 not too bad but still a shocker.

Yes, I know that there are some artificial means out there to for erectile dysfunction but who wants to have a pump installed in your ….. Pills, such as Viagra and cialis, do not work for me and do not work for a lot of other bladder cancer patients.

Some Urology Surgeons will take the time during the operation to make sure that the nerves are left intact but most do not. I would hope that in the lower age group that they would take the time.

My beef here is that at a time when we are very vulnerable, because of the cancer news, the surgeon can not take the time to make sure we understand completely the way our life will change after the surgery. We are not in any shape mentally to even think about these questions let alone do any research to find out the answers.

Don’t forget, that even at sixty, we just might have been having a very active sex life before this disaster happened.

Eight years after my surgery, I am still having situations, occurring from this surgery, that are new. Trying to get answers from the Medical Establishment is almost impossible. They just do not have the answers. But there is a group out there who have the answers to most of the problems that can ever occur. These are the Urostomy patients themselves who communicate to each other through blogs and forums.

Bless us all.

Just a final thought to those men who have recently been diagnosed with bladder cancer and have not yet had there surgery. Make sure that the Urologist explains to you how your life will change after the surgery. If you are still sexually active, make sure that you understand that intercourse may be over.

It would be interesting to read an article from a women who has survived bladder cancer and how the change has affected her life.

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