Hello - Waiting for biopsy results

Hello Minie321 and welcome to this friendly group. It must be hard for you after your previous experience but you will get plenty of support here going forward. Firstly, be aware that bladder cancer can be treated successfully. Waiting for results is always an anxious time. Results take about 2/3weeks to come through but we are seeing longer waiting times lately. When you have your consultation you should be given a stage and grade and a proposed treatment plan. Always best to have some with you to help remember what you have been told. Lots of experience here so usually someone with answers to any questions. I hope all goes well. Best wishes.

Hi Minie321, 

I'm in the same "waiting to know" position - TURBT over 2 weeks ago and still waiting for biopsy results to get the stage and grade.  The anxiety / sense of dread has been creeping up steadily to the point where it's hard to focus on anything for more than an hour or two.  I returned to work (I'm "only" 56) a few days after my TURBT and the distraction of this is welcome, and my partner, family, and selected work colleagues all know the score and they're all being very supportive.  However, for me, it's that period at the end of the day, usually after about 7 or 8pm, when all work / meal prep / household jobs are finished, that the anxiety sets in with a vengeance and I start to feel very isolated / alone until I get tired enough to finally sleep sometime after midnight.  Then it's awake at 5am the next morning and the whole process repeats! I'm assuming you're going through something similar - but you are not alone!   

A year ago just now I was in exactly the same position as you and Minnie 321. It’s terrifying. My doctor prescribed medication as I was so anxious and at times felt a rising panic. Work really helped as for those hours I could forget. Socially I didn’t want to see people and I couldn’t talk about the cancer without crying. It’s a scary road. The people on here have helped through two TURBTS  a lot of waiting and to date 11 BCG treatments. Something that rang a bell with me was a girl saying to her mum that she was scared (of skateboarding!) and the mum said ‘well do it scared’. And that’s what I do. I accept that it’s scary but I do it anyway.  
Sending you both lots of positive thoughts and hoping for good outcomes for you xx

What a cruel juxtapostion, an all clear, then a new diagnosis. I recall the feeling when I had a suspect mammogram while recovering from bladder removal - too much to manage. (Luckily my recall was OK.)

When you see the consultant, you may well be faced with more tests, including possible second TURBT before they advise on most appropriate treatment option(s). Try to keep an open mind and don't jump to conclusions. I expect by now you have some techniques to cope with the anxiety of waiting. I listen to speech podcasts when I can't sleep. Hope all goes well for you.

Sending love and support to you as you wait. I experienced this last year around this time with a diagnosis of colon cancer.

Thankfully, there was a plan and surgery and I am hopefully through the worst.

Now as a family, we face another challenge. My sister has bladder cancer and has   

just started pre-operation chemo with a bladder removal scheduled in a few months.

Wishing you well. You are not alone. This forum helped me enormously last year

and now with this latest news, I have sought comfort from those on here who are

also sharing their journey. It has helped myself and my sister enormously. Take care.

Hi Minie321,

Hopefully you'll soon get your results and a treatment plan and will find some calm from that. My cancer was muscle-invasive so my way forward was clear - chemo plus bladder removal.

Maybe it helped to know I had a way forward and I grabbed that (because my mother who also had bladder cancer left it too late for treatment, though perhaps there wasn't much available in the 1970s). She died less than 6 weeks after I drove her to the GP after finding her in pain). 

So having a plan that could work for me cheered me a great deal and I have never suffered any anxiety. Not even when things got complicated and my op was delayed. Even when awaiting my post op CT results over the last 3 years I remain optimistic.

People ask how come and I say 'worry doesn't cure cancer'. But it would steal my enjoyment of life if I let it.

I know the worst already - watched my mother face it bravely. I hope never to need to do it, but if I have to I'll face it then.

All the best,

Latestart

Hello, thank you for your reply. Apologies, it’s a bit late

As you can imagine I’ve had a lot going on in the last two months

how are you doing? I’ve just finished my six BCG’s had a biopsy yesterday to check inside the bladder no visible cancer scene but biopsy is taken from red thickening on the wall yet again another two weeks of waiting but fingers crossed I am being looked after by the Nhs. Hope your treatment is going well. Best wishes Minnie

Hello thank you for your reply although it a little late I just finished six BCG treatments now waiting results to see if it’s worked. I wish you well thank you for your advice. I’m looking at doing the Podcasts as I’m awake most nights and pretty early in the morning sometimes best wishes Minnie

Hello many thanks for your reply. I was sorry to hear the loss of your mum. I hope you’re doing well and sending my best wishes
My cancer at the moment is non-muscle invasive. I’ve just had six BCG and awaiting results to see if they worked. I agree with you. I don’t let the cancer make me unhappy. I’ve put it to a little box in the back of my mind and I’m coping with it is just an illness and going through the motions but I enjoy my everyday life. Have lots going on continue with my hobbies book holidays when I can see friends life goes on otherwise if we let it eat away, we will be sad all the time

I hope you’re doing well. I hope your treatment has worked out well for you. Best wishes, Minnie

Hello Riley many thanks for your reply most welcoming and refreshing. I appreciate your kind words sorry it’s a bit late. I’ve been undergoing treatment. Just had six BCG now waiting for the results

Best wishes, Minnie