Saying hi and trying to remain positive :-)

Hi Garthy and welcome to this friendly and supportive group. We know how you will be feeling at the moment. The early days of uncertainty and not knowing can be worrying, but be aware, bladder cancer can be treated successfully. I've no experience of private treatment, but in general, the next step would be a TURBT procedure to remove the offending cells. A fairly straightforward procedure, usually done in day surgery. Lots of experience here, so feel free to ask anything. Best wishes.

Hi Garthy,Welcome to our friendly group,I hope you will find it helpful and supportive.Best wishes 
Jane 

Thanks Rily, Much appreciated. Looks like there's a huge amount of info and also support on here.  I usually use NHS as I have a huge amount of respect for them and have a lot of friends in the NHS but I know how massively under pressure they are.  Thankfully my job comes with private medical cover (obvs I pay tax on that) and I have the chance to "fast track" as the waiting times are very long for follow up. Got follow up on Monday now and hoping to get in for TURBT asap after that. All sounds like it's straight forward.  Keeping fingers crossed.       

Thank you Jane, very much appreciated. :-) 

Hi Garthy , welcome to the group. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge of bladder issues on this forum. I hope you find us friendly and supportive

 Garthy  hi, welcome to the party that no one wishes to be at. Plenty of help, advice and support on here for you. We are all in this together. Leo

Hi Garthy, welcome to the group - we've all been where you are at some time in the past and have lots of experience and knowledge so you may find that useful - I have. And people are very kind as well. I'm like you, fairly positive so I get what you mean - I haven't 'lost it' yet, although I have lost my bladder along the way!

I've been treated at one of the big London teaching hospitals and the first thing I realised when I joined this forum is that we all have bladder problems but each hospital, or even each specialist - surgeon, oncologist etc - has their own process and ways of doing things. So you will see that things happen in different orders for different patients. And that seems to go for different parts of the country too. 

By the way, my husband initially wanted to pay for my treatment (starting 2022) thinking things would be quicker, but the surgeon who gave me my diagnosis after the TURBT said the NHS 2 week cancer pathway etc meant that things happen quickly for cancer patients. Maybe things have changed. I guess I'd have used my work cover if I hadn't retired. I have friends that have gone both ways, sometimes even at different stages of treatment. We're all still here, which I guess is what counts.

Good luck. 

Latestart 

Hi Garthy,

Welcome to this friendly group. It's good you're been seen to and have started the process.

I initially started on the NHS and they were pretty quick and on the ball for sure.

My corporate insurance kicked in and that's gone well also. Without a massive amount of experience using the NHS I would say the biggest bonus is the parking. It's atrocious at my local hospital so gives me peace of mind knowing I don't have to find a space.

Wishing you all the best and keep us posted.

Trevor 

Hi Garthy 

Sorry that you’ve found yourself here, but I’m sure you’ll find the forums informative and supportive. 

My experience is that your TURBT & histology results post-TURBT will definitely be faster via the private system rather than NHS. If you were to be diagnosed with bladder cancer you could then follow the local hospital NHS cancer track. Whilst our NHS is ‘on it’s knees’, cancer care / treatment is excellent & very regulated / regimented; once diagnosed the next step has to happen within a certain length of time, which is generally as fast / a faster timescale than the Private system can accommodate.

However, treatment options will have to be discussed at an MDT meeting at whichever NHS hospital your Private consultant works at. Private treatment does come with the advantage of free parking and possibly speedier treatment on the day. Certain more complicated treatment cannot be performed at smaller Private hospitals and needs to be carried out at the large NHS hospital.

Best wishes 

Gareth

Hi Gareth, 

Just to echo a little what you said, my TURBT was sorted faster privately. I only know this as for some reason the NHS still had me down to having a TURBT ( despite telling then).

Two weeks or so after my TURBT I got a pre assessment letter asking me to come in. So I guess my NHS TURBT was only about three to four weeks behind..

You're right, my hospital couldn't do a RC, so would have to go to a hospital in London if I ever needed that.

Had my MRI on the NHS as that was so quick, but my CT scan privately.

I can't really judge compare any other aspects of the treatment's. I do get my own room for each biopsy, plus they give me a menu to choose from...

My dealings with the insurance company has been fantastic, no issues at all (touch wood), plus it's quite interesting seeing how much things cost and there is no way I can afford that personally.

I'm very lucky, but I still feel I would have the same medical levels of care on the NHS.

Trevor