Hello everyone

Welcome sing158 to the forum. There are lots of people here with experience of BCG although I am not one of them they will be only too willing to help and advise.

Best of luck 

Mark

Hi sing158 and a warm welcome from me. Hopefully you will find the group helpful going forward. Best wishes.

Hi sing158,Welcome to our friendly group.Best wishes Jane 

Hi sing158,

Welcome to this group.

Yeah BCG can be a long haul treatment for sure. I'm scheduled for 27 instillations with my 16th starting in February 2025  all being well. If all goes to plan it'll be August 2026 when I have my last one.

However remember the gap between instillations goes to 6 Months so although a long journey, the maintenance treatment's will go to 6 a year.

I've been lucky enough to just have the treatment day off work, thankfully my company are very supportive and I can WFH.

Wishing you all the best on your journey.

Trevor 

Thanks everyone for your replies, it's nice to feel welcomed. 

BFG yes I've just been discussing with work and will be doing the same thing for all the treatments after the first 6. I'm currently signed off work until after these, combination of this treatment and mental health issues (both from work and from the cancer). I too have 27 total planned. I guess the good think is that you are very closely followed so any tumor recurrence will be seen quickly. 

It's great you're having conversations with your company. 

I fully understand how work and cancer can play on your mental health, so wishing you all the best on this front also.

I know this sounds hard to believe at the moment, but things for me got better mentally as the treatment plan started. I'm not saying it's a walk in the park, but mentally my mind set changed.

Without wanting to tempt fate, but so far everything seems to be working with no signs of cancer since 2023.

I hope your induction goes well and keep us all posted with your journey as this group helped me massively and still does. They're such a lovely bunch here.

Take care.

Trevor 

Thank you! That's great to hear things are going so well, hope that continues for you. Yes I plan to be active on here, I know well the value of support from others with similar journeys, from other life issues I've had to deal with. 

 Hi Sing158 

 Welcome to the group just in relation to your thoughts on work I personally returned to work after my second TURBT but discussions and agreements with my employer where had regarding bladder installations as when I returned my next steps where still unclear and they understood that I might need time out each week to attend appointments never had to have installations eg Mitomycin BCG as of yet anyway if you feel you want to return to work and feel upto it  so you can get back to some normality I have found it beneficial for me being in a routine 

Ste 

Thanks Ste

To be honest I'd like to leave the job I'm going back to (busy & stressful management position) but that's not financially viable yet. I am waiting on a life insurance claim which may help that. And I do have very supportive and understanding managers, so we've done some planning this week to account for all the BCG upcoming. And as it happens a hernia repair I'm also waiting on!

Hi Sing158 

I certainly agree with you on the management position having a negative effect stress wise was one myself for a good long while but once my boys went off to university and started to lead their own lives I took a step down best thing I did just a employee these Days clock in and out and forget about the place the minute I go through the gates in the evening 

Ste