THANKFUL

Hi Mark,

Tis a great wakening when your life turns on a sixpence.. 

Used to hit the gym also, remember cancelling my membership after a number of years, was a sad day but was told that I couldn't train after my TURBTs and biopsies.

I now do weights and jog a bit at home, but miss the gym which was good for my mental health also.

Thankfully I don't eat chocolate, but do like a beer, but my weight has gone up unfortunately... Time to do something about it this year lol.

I'm also grateful to all on here.

Take care 

Trevor 

(Ps can't beat an afternoon nap lol)

Brilliant your still doing something at home Trevor keep it up and look forward.

Best wishes Trevor 

Mark

You're welcome Mark.

I've been significantly put off chocolate by the recent radio4 documentary on the evils of emulsifiers such as 'soya lecithin' and more chemical-sounding ones, found in almost every chocolate bar, coating etc. Never mind other processed 'foods'. Apparently not great for gut biome and hence for brain and other systems... was in Tesco tonight, other shops are available. Only one I saw without was a justifiably expensive organic 85% I think it was, dark chocolate. The only non-cocoa ingredients were sugar and vanilla, but I can't imaging most of us would even like the taste much. The emulsifiers create the mouth feel we are used to.

My secret weapon is crispbread with sesame seeds, which give it more flavour to my mind than other varieties [I don't have any allergies]. Late afternoon I make a cup of tea, get out say a piece of shortbread but also a slice of the crispbread. The high fibre balances out the lack of it in most sweet treats.

Hi Denby

You have touched on an issue here I find interesting. 

Let me give you a brief history if I may on my diet.

When I began the gym a year and a half ago I cut out all chocolate, tea, coffee, sugar processed foods, biscuits etc and put myself on a high protein diet. I was consuming around 80 grams of protein more per day than I was before. This may sound a lot but is well within the safe limits. After my diagnosis in November this all went up in the air 

As I sat wondering what was going to happen I began to look at ways in which I could reduce any strain or irritability on the bladder. I found that tea and coffee were not bladder friendly because of the caffeine. This of course was not a problem because I had been off tea and coffee for the year and a half.

On the day of my TURBT I lay waiting on the ward for the power to return to my legs after the spinal. The tea and coffee trolley came and iam sure by now you know were this going. There were three other gentlemen on my ward and all had TURBT's that day the tea and coffee was in abundance. I declined and took the water instead.

But the point is this. How can the left hand advocate no caffeine for the bladder when the right hand offers it freely after bladder surgery? Who is right, who is wrong?

I listen like yourself Denby to radio 4 and the world service. There are some really interesting health programmes but feel that we must not take every report that contains recommendations as a true and unchallangable fact.

Anyway I've went on enough suffice to say iam back on the tea and coffee if it's good enough straight after a TURBT is good enough in the morning  

Best wishes Denby 

Mark

Hi all, been using the gym for 35 years, doing pilates  including reformer) for 20 years or so lost 7 stones in 2005  after taking early retirement (via Weightwatchers) also had a spontaneous hip fracture  in 2016 because of osteoporosis. I was the fittest I've ever been when diagnosed with bladder cancer aged 69.

I used to do  egym resistance circuits at the gym until mid 2024 when they found an aneurysm in my shoulder and told me no 'violent' arm movements. I walk a lot and still do matwork pilates at home with some resistance bands.

And I love chocolate, though try to restrict myself so as not to put on too much weight. I drink black tea with breakfast and have 1 milky coffee before that while listening to the Today programme and chatting with my husband. Caffeine is bad for bones and cancer treatment has probably weakened them somewhat.

I'm getting fitter again and losing some flab and all in all enjoying what I eat and drink (very little alcohol though).

5 items of fruit with breakfast - wholemeal pitta and feta cheese with walnuts mainly,  keep me regular, vegetables at dinner too and 2 litres of water daily (thank goodness for the night bag!).

And if I fancy a treat I have it - life's too short to care too much about additives etc, especially after serious illness.

All the best, 

Latestart

Ah latestart that's fantastic. It's all about enjoying what you want to eat and drink. I'll hopefully get back someday to the gym and start were I left off. Iam determined that a stoma won't put me off doing the best I can.

When iam back I'll be a qualified level 2 instructor. The cancer and future operation has made me look at this in a whole different way.

Iam now saying to myself how in maybe a year from now can I help others like myself to stay fit and active?

Maybe iam jumping too far ahead but it's just a thought.

Best wishes latestart 

Mark

Great goal Mark, sounds like a great Idea helping others if you can.

I need to get back to the gym also, but I'm not sure I can trust myself not to over do it, if you know what I mean.

I do ask my consultant about it and he just say's don't over do it. I need more actual specifics..

I mean can I do deadlifts and leg squats etc. if my bladder is getting scrapped every three months could I cause damage..  Sorry these aren't questions but I'm just thinking out loud..

I'm the heaviest and unfit I've ever been and I hate it. I've gave up chocolate during lockdown. Processed meats about 2 years ago. Basically really only eat chicken and fish now ( do miss a sausage roll or bacon sarnie, but get over it quite quickly). Although I get most of my protein from beans, lentils, mushrooms, nuts etc these days. I only eat cheese at Christmas now so one week a year.

I've also given up tea and coffee. Now just have herbal, fruit teas and Rooibos (as recommended on here). October last year I gave up biscuits and cakes. 

I know life's too short to give up what you enjoy, but I don't miss any of these things really. My only real treat these days is a couple of pints of Guinness or real ale a week.

I do need to move more, desk job WFH doesn't help lol.

Take care.

Trevor 

Hi Trevor 

Wow squats and deadlifts two great exercises for strength and muscle building although deadlifts need to be performed with perfection it's so easy to damage the back but iam sure you know this already lol. 

Iam eating practically anything at the moment don't know if it's the chemotherapy or the accompanying steroids but my appetite is through the roof, can't fill me.

Not over doing at the gym is more important than not doing enough it's finding the right balance and most importantly leaving the gym and saying to yourself 'I enjoyed that '

Best wishes Trevor 

Mark

I think we bladder patients all need to focus on our core muscles whether we still have our bladders or not and most gym moves do nothing for those. I really suggest building up core work with a good pilates trainer. I used to be able to do moves my daughter's boyfriend couldn't do even though he'd been lifting heavy weights in the gym for years. Of course I only want muscle to help metabolism, not bulk.

One of my rehab pilates teachers used to train the local firemen - one hurt his back at work, went to her to help protect it in future then brought all his mates. They were doing really advanced stuff on reformer machines while I was still intermediate. (It's not like yoga but works on movements within the natural range so improving abs back and posture.)

I found a pilates teacher online who has a stoma and she gave me great advice. (Can't remember her name but Google). She does Zoom classes but I like in-person as I have lots of back issues and want the Instructor focusing on my positioning. I'm still re-building core strength and pelvic floor since my cancer  treatment then will look for 1 to 1 classes with physios who do pilates near me preferably those who have done APPI (I think) training I know it's short for Australian... Instructor.

Good luck with your workouts. It takes a while but we'll get there.

ps steroids increased my appetite but on the other hand gave me lots of energy to get things done. I could do with some of that now!

That's it latestart we'll get there in the end. Keeping active is the key whether it's walking, home based or gym based exercise. 

Thanks for you input 

Best wishes 

Mark