Flat red mark on bladder

Hello Scorp111278 and welcome to the group. it is understandable the way you are feeling. Many of us know the anxiety of waiting for a diagnosis. There is a possibility it may not be cancer, but only the biopsy will confirm if it is cancer or not. If it does turn out to be bladder cancer, then be aware that bc can be treated successfully and many of us are here to tell the tale. A clear CT is a positive . Lots of support here, so feel free to ask any questions. Best wishes.

Dear Scorp111278, welcome to this most helpful group. Please do try to take a few deep breaths now. The majority of bladder cancer, even if it is cancer, can be treated most successfully by several different methods.

As regards the frequency, have you tried excluding certain foods or drinks that can be irritant? For many it is most citrus, for some, tomato or onion and so on. A weak stream can also be caused by an enlarged prostate and or urethral strictures, both of which can be treated or managed. Also drinking less causes the urine to be concentrated, which irritates the bladder, so you want to go actually MORE than if you drunk more so it would be more dilute urine. Many people find drinking properly diluted Robinson's Lemon Barley Water [not the fruit'n' kind] helps as it alters the urine pH in a helpful way. That was a tip from my old GP when I had the beginnings of cystitis.

I would definitely seek help with this as you must be run ragged by being up 8 times a night.

Best wishes, 

Denby

Since I started taking my blood pressure meds I've been going about 2 to 3 times per night. I only drink water and I've been on the keto diet for three months. Could cystitus cause a red patch like I described? I'm so worried I'm having trouble functioning right now. I'm worried that if it is bc that it might have spread in a year since it took me all that time to get my follow up. Can bc go from early stage to stage 4 In one years time? My last question is.. can a person live a full life after diagnosed? My main concern is that I need to be alive long enough for my 12 year old daughter to be able to be stable and survive on her own. My mom is so scared of even hearing the word cancer that she doesn't even want to hear my fears. I literally have no one to talk to about this. No outlet. 

Hi again. Bladder cancer is only likely to have spread if it has grown through the bladder wall and moved in to the body. This would have shown up on your scans. It is understandable to have dark thoughts, I know I did when I was diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer. That was nearly ten years ago and I am still here. When contained to the bladder, there are various different treatments. You can always let your thoughts out on here where people understand. One step at a time. Best wishes.

Dear Scorp111278, you have found your outlet, we are here to read all your fears and anxiety. Also from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week  tel:0808 808 0000 as the MacMillan helpline is excellent to talk to a human being and one who understands but will not be affected by your fears in the way family will. So you can let go and be truthful there as well as here. Don't be ashamed to call Samaritans either who are available 24/7 on 116 123

It's really common for the diagnosis and treatment journey to be strung out, but it does not necessarily mean dreadful things will happen. As rily wisely said a clear CT scan is positive. They routinely do them to check in case there is any cancer outside the bladder. If there is not, which appears to be you, then cancer limited to inside the bladder is much easier to treat - in fact for many it becomes a matter of ongoing management of any small recurrences while living a totally normal life.

I am afraid in my particular personal opinion [others may disagree], the drive to raise funds for people affected by cancer has understandably tended to dramatize and sensationalise tragedies. As do TV dramas. But like most topics, the good news does not make such effective impactful headlines or fiction, so we tend to have beliefs about the degree of threat from cancer that have may been blown out of proportion. I think this could be what has happened to your Mom.

As regards diet, were you advised by a medically qualified dietician to go on the keto diet? If not I would seek NHS specialist advice before continuing to be sure that it will help rather than harm your health. Might also be a good idea to ask your GP if they can refer you for some counselling to help you get things in perspective, as the level of stress you are expressing concerns me a bit. Meantime there are some good mindfulness and calming apps you can use on a phone that might help you too.

best wishes, 

Denby

Thank you for all of your replies. The reason I started keto is something I was kinda scared to mention. 4 or 5 months ago I started realizing I was eating bad for too long and gained too much weight. I'm 5'7 and got up to 216lbs. I started noticing that I was feeling very bloated like my abdomen was stretching. I started feeling the stretching feeling a little over a year ago and I was having strange gi symptoms. I went to a gastro enterologust and they did an upper gi scope and coloniscopy. They removed 2 polyps from my colon and said they were not cancer but were the kind that turn to cancer eventually. They also saw that I have diverticosus but didn't tell me. My urologist just told me last year after he saw the ct scan (the ct scan was a year ago that's why I was asking how much could the cancer grow in a year) Besides all of that they found two hemangeomas on my liver and verified them through Mri with contrast. But I started keto to see if I just had too much belly fat. So far I lost about 21 lbs and my stomach still feels bloated and feels as if it's causing me shortness of breath (the bloating is almost constant) I'm thinking the sob is because of anxiety. Oh and I have a small umbilical hernia because I have cough variant asthma. So maybe that causes bloating but who knows. Soon I started Google and wondering if I might possibly have ascities thinking that if I do have bladder cancer it may have evolved to my abdominal cavity or if they misdiagnosed my liver hemangeoma. ALOT on my mind. So this is where all my fear and stress and diet came from. I wasn't going to add all this but you asked about my diet and it's all connected. My gi appointment for the hernia is the 27th of this month. I don't feel unhealthy and I walk 30 min per day. My stomach feels soft when laying down but much more firm standing up and stcks out. I can hold it in but it just makes my shortness of breath worse. I have sway back so I know that can contribute. I don't drink or smoke. I did drink alot 20 years ago on the weekends. I'm rambling. I. Going to go for a walk thank you for being here for me.

Thank you

Hi Scorp111278,Welcome to this friendly supportive group.I hope you find it useful,we are all here to help.It is possible to have just one red patch with Interstitial cystitis.I had it for 34 years and some years there would be lots of patches and other’s only one.Until you have your biopsy you won’t know if it’s cancer or inflammation.It is good that you have had a clear CT though.We all know what a worrying time it must be for you but if it is cancer it will be treatable.Best wishes Jane 

I just found out that I can't get in for a biopsy until the 22nd of next month. If I do have something bad could waiting that long possibly be disastrous for me. Or would even high grade BC not grow too much in that time? And if I can't wait because it would be dangerous should I go to the hospital and get it done?

Scorp111278, have you tried calling MacMillan for advice? I'm not a doctor but people often wait several weeks as you are without ill effect. Even if it is cancer and high grade, given it is not outside the bladder as you know from the CT scan, it should not be difficult to treat it.  

Best wishes, 

Denby