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.