Jan 27, 2011.
I meet Dr Busby for the first time after seeing his PA, with my PA daughter, wife and son with me. Having people with you are important because 1 can take notes because you cannot remember everything he says. Be sure write down questions to ask ahead of time and make him write down the answers if you don't understand.
Basically, he goes over all the information with us from the records and images I had brought with me from the 1st doctor. He tells us that he is not ready to a RC based on the information he has and he wants to do another TURB or even 2 more to try and get all of the tumor out of the bladder. Based on these results and a better sample for pathology he can come up with next steps. He does not want to rule out the possibility of saving the bladder and curing the cancer with chemo. He also goes through all the possibilities if surgery is required and the 3 choices of 2 types of neobladders and the ileal conduit which, though research, I am quite familiar.
He then sends me to pre-op for all the tests you need and said the nurse will call me for the date of my TURB #2.
The nurse calls later and I am scheduled for Tuesday 2/8. I cant wait to get the ball rolling.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Pathothogy from the 1st TURB
Jan 25, 2011.
My daughter checks the pathology reports from the TURB in Hattiesburg and they are:
Noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma, low grade.
- No muscularis propria present.
These are are the same results the UAB pathologists get later. Right now this is good news but there is not a sample with bladder wall to see if that is affected
My daughter checks the pathology reports from the TURB in Hattiesburg and they are:
Noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma, low grade.
- No muscularis propria present.
These are are the same results the UAB pathologists get later. Right now this is good news but there is not a sample with bladder wall to see if that is affected
1st TURB Follow Up
Friday, Jan. 21, 2011.
I go to Imaging with my catheter still in and they inject dye and do another CT. I go directly to the doctor across the hall and get to see him right away.
He shows me again the image and says the bladder needs to come out and that everything else like the kidneys and lymph nodes that he could see looked good and it is a strong possibility it has not spread. He said he did not try to remove all of the tumor because it covered about 50% of the bladder wall and he was afraid of perforating the bladder wall and it needed to come out anyway
He then called his associate who does the surgery and schedules me an appointment with him the next week after the pathology will be in and said that I could probably get my RC, radical cystectomy, done the end of the week. I mention to him that my daughter is a Physician Assistant at UAB hospital in Bham, in Gastroentology surgery, and will I probably getting a 2nd opinion and that if surgery is needed , I would probably have it done there because my daughter will be there to monitor things, have access to my records and will understand everything, and I have other family there to help. He seems disappointed, I hear he is a very good urologist so I have nothing against him, but things were going to fast. He takes my catheter out and sends me home.
Right after the visit, I let my daughter know and with the help of her surgeon boss, was able to get me a office visit with Dr Erik Busby for the next Thursday. He is considered one of the best at a great hospital. The only bad thing is it is 4 hours away.
I go to Imaging with my catheter still in and they inject dye and do another CT. I go directly to the doctor across the hall and get to see him right away.
He shows me again the image and says the bladder needs to come out and that everything else like the kidneys and lymph nodes that he could see looked good and it is a strong possibility it has not spread. He said he did not try to remove all of the tumor because it covered about 50% of the bladder wall and he was afraid of perforating the bladder wall and it needed to come out anyway
He then called his associate who does the surgery and schedules me an appointment with him the next week after the pathology will be in and said that I could probably get my RC, radical cystectomy, done the end of the week. I mention to him that my daughter is a Physician Assistant at UAB hospital in Bham, in Gastroentology surgery, and will I probably getting a 2nd opinion and that if surgery is needed , I would probably have it done there because my daughter will be there to monitor things, have access to my records and will understand everything, and I have other family there to help. He seems disappointed, I hear he is a very good urologist so I have nothing against him, but things were going to fast. He takes my catheter out and sends me home.
Right after the visit, I let my daughter know and with the help of her surgeon boss, was able to get me a office visit with Dr Erik Busby for the next Thursday. He is considered one of the best at a great hospital. The only bad thing is it is 4 hours away.
First Turb
Thursday, Jan.20, 2011.
I arrive at the Outpatient Surgery floor a little early but they go head and bring to to room where I change and they get me hooked up to the machines. I am 2nd in line. The anesthesiologist explains asks me his questions and before long I am out.
After waking up, the Dr says it is cancer based on his experience , briefly shows me a number of samples he removed, and said that I would have to have my bladder out. He schedules me a CT scan with contrast for in the morning with a visit following. I go home with a Foley catheter in and some prescriptions. I am completely clear from anesthesia and the catheter is weird but not hurting.
I arrive at the Outpatient Surgery floor a little early but they go head and bring to to room where I change and they get me hooked up to the machines. I am 2nd in line. The anesthesiologist explains asks me his questions and before long I am out.
After waking up, the Dr says it is cancer based on his experience , briefly shows me a number of samples he removed, and said that I would have to have my bladder out. He schedules me a CT scan with contrast for in the morning with a visit following. I go home with a Foley catheter in and some prescriptions. I am completely clear from anesthesia and the catheter is weird but not hurting.
First Urologist Visit
Tuesday, Jan 18th, 2011.
Saw Dr Ross at the Hattiesburg Clinic. After getting my history , he had a sonogram done on my kidneys, a pelvic x-ray, and a then a pelvic sonogram. He was unable to see anything that might be causing this. He sent me across the hall to Imaging and had a CT scan done.
Afterward, I went straight back to the Dr and he pulled up the scan, and saw 2 gall stones, 1 kidney stone, but worse, a large mass in the bladder that he showed me. To me it looked like a different shade of gray than the rest of the bladder. That was no tumor shape to point to.
He then immediately scheduled a TURB , Transurethral Resection of the Bladder, for Thursday morning. He will go in through the urethra and look in the bladder and try and remove the tumor and send them to pathology to determine whether it is benign.
I then had to go to pre-admission for blood test, chest x-ray, and EKG. The Clinic was very efficient and all of this was done in 4 hours.
Saw Dr Ross at the Hattiesburg Clinic. After getting my history , he had a sonogram done on my kidneys, a pelvic x-ray, and a then a pelvic sonogram. He was unable to see anything that might be causing this. He sent me across the hall to Imaging and had a CT scan done.
Afterward, I went straight back to the Dr and he pulled up the scan, and saw 2 gall stones, 1 kidney stone, but worse, a large mass in the bladder that he showed me. To me it looked like a different shade of gray than the rest of the bladder. That was no tumor shape to point to.
He then immediately scheduled a TURB , Transurethral Resection of the Bladder, for Thursday morning. He will go in through the urethra and look in the bladder and try and remove the tumor and send them to pathology to determine whether it is benign.
I then had to go to pre-admission for blood test, chest x-ray, and EKG. The Clinic was very efficient and all of this was done in 4 hours.
The Beginning
Monday, Jan 17th, 2011.
I went to my family doctor after seeing a lot of blood in my urine after working out on the treadmill 3 different times the previous week. It would clear up immediately afterward. He did a urine test and found microscopic blood in it. The PSA test was 1.4. He immediately set up with a urologist for the next day.
I went to my family doctor after seeing a lot of blood in my urine after working out on the treadmill 3 different times the previous week. It would clear up immediately afterward. He did a urine test and found microscopic blood in it. The PSA test was 1.4. He immediately set up with a urologist for the next day.
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