My husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer following a TURBT mid October,he had 2 tumours in his bladder. bladder cancer confirmed had involved bladder lining and membranes, thankfully had not invaded the muscle nor had it spread outside of the bladder. He’s been told Grade2 (low grade) pT1, muscle present and clear.He had a re-resection with blue light cystoscopy under general anaesthetic four days ago.surgeon took biopsy of scar tissue from previous TURBT and said results in 3 weeks. Been told he will be put on BCG programme 6 weeks on 4 weeks off over a period of 1-2 years. We are reeling from the length of time. Feeling overwhelmed, will we be allowed to go on holiday (have holidays booked) during the 6 week treatments does he have to avoid people, will he be able to play golf, we just don’t know what to ask
Hi Dorsetdays and a very warm welcome to the Macmillan Community but sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' cancer type and support challenges will help a lot (I have a totally different type of cancer)
The New to Community is like our reception desk where we look to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support. The Community is divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) but I do see that you have already joined and posted in our dedicated Bladder cancer support group. This is a safe place to talk to others who may have a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support from family members who are navigating the same support journey.
As for the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your husband you may benefit from joining and posting in our Carers only support group where you will connect with others navigating the exact same support challenges.
As for holidays everyone will be different as it all depends on how his immune system is and also the unfortunate challenges of getting travel Insurance. I know these problems well as I have been on my incurable cancer journey for 24 years now.
I had to be 2 years in remission and out from treatment for my type of blood cancer before I could get any price but these decisions are often all down to cancer types, treatment, prognosis and the resulting risk factor put on by the insurers risk assessment - I am very open to serious infections due to a reduced immune system so this is seen as a high risk factor for insurers.
The Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just a listening ear.
We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and support all the family.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
