Living alone with Cancer and Depression

[Richard56]

Hi Jennifer, 

So sorry that you have a bad cough now, you already have enough to deal with right atm, I really hope the strong antibiotics can help you get better quickly and the upcoming surgery can go ahead. 

Sending you positive thoughts and my best wishes always. 

Take care, lots of hugs .

Richard xx

[Richard56]

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Spoiler

Hi Cindi,
I'm so glad you're feeling a bit better now and they continued with the treatment. 
Hoping you're having a good day today too.
You're always in my thoughts, and wishing you completely better. 
Sending you love and hugs .
Richard xx

[Jennifer66]

Hi @Cindi54 

 I’ve probably been pretty lucky as I’m not sick at all or even tired, felt really knocked around for a few days but the constant cough certainly makes you feel simply miserable, eight days today and antibiotics are starting to do there thing  not coughing nearly as much 

yes absolutely the amazing things they do now, what is the bladder cuff I’ve never heard of it and can’t seem to see it on bladder images, even in the booklets I have from doctor 

From what I know I will still have a bit of an incision as my bladder is to be removed, my cancer ureter should only be half removed 

my stoma nurse is so lovely and comforting 

I think next weekend I will be quite anxious 😟 though 

hugs and cuddles always 

Jennifer 

[Jennifer66]

Hi @Richard56 

Thank you so much for your kind words, and the antibiotics are starting to do there thing not coughing as much, bad coughs simply knock you around and make  you feel miserable, 

i think by next weekend I will be an anxious mess 😔

Hope your going well and had a good week 

hugs and cuddles always 

Jennifer 

[Cindi54]

Hi @Jennifer66 ,

Firstly I'm super glad you're starting to get on the mend, now, the bladder cuff, I'm not completely sure but maybe it's the surrounds of where the ureter connected to bladder?

I'm not sure I just know he said the right kidney, ureter and bladder cuff was removed and the cuff had no sign of cancer. Maybe you could ask your specialist, they speak a lot of stuff that's foreign to me with their weird wording.

But on a report I'm looking at now, it says:

Tumour Location: Proximal third of ureter.

Tumour type: Invasive High- Grade urothelial carcinoma grade 3

Urothelial carcinoma in situ

Invasion: Present

Level: Periureteric fat

Measurement: 2.5 mm.mm.

Lymphovascular Invasion: present ( multifocal )

Margins:

Distal ureter & bladder cuff: Not involved

Rest of ureter/pelvis: chronic inflammation and oedema

Rest of kidney: changes secondary to obstruction

LYMPH NODES : NOT INVOLVED ( 0/8)  ( this sounds good I think )

Pathological Stage ( AJCC 8th Ed. )

pT: pT3

Right Kidney & Ureter:

Invasive high-grade urothelial

Multiple Foci of Lymphovascular Invasion

Invades through through the lamina propria to involve the adjacent muscle..

The bladder cuff resection margin is clear of tumour. The hilar vascular structures show no evidence of malignancy and the resection margins are clear or tumour. 2 lymph nodes are present in the periureteric fat, showing no evidence of malignancy. (🙂)  The kidney itself shows some changes secondary to the obstruction but is otherwise unremarkable.

So there it is, I don't understand a lot of it , but I have enough energy today so I've managed to write it all...........

......but I'll be thoroughly pissed off if I loose this post again!!!!  😂 😬

sending more hugs,

cindi xx

[Jennifer66]

Hi @Cindi54 

thank you for your kind words 

usually you see all names of everything on the pictures, but bladder cuff is not mentioned on anything but I think you maybe right it’s where the ureter attaches to bladder 

Quite amazing that you and I both have the rare ureter cancer that is very rare in women 

From the report but of course I’m not sure, it didn’t seem your kidney had cancer 

I know they said my kidney may go too, but not any more as it completely healthy and cancer has not travelled that far, my ureter has cancer from bottom which I guess is bladder cuff but doctor has never said that word and is about half way up 

My cancer is all enclosed in bladder 

bladder cancer and ureter not common together and less common in women 

[Cindi54]

Hi @Jennifer66 ,

Yeah sounds rare, I wonder why we both being women got it?

did your specialist give any suggestion what may have caused it?

Mine said past smoking may have contributed to it, I smoked when young for about 20 years or so then decided to just stop thankfully.

Did you ever smoke?

I did drink a lot of beers I guess when young, German beer was the best !!

I used to travel and party with other travelers, come back to Australia, work, then head off again, staying in camping grounds around different parts of Europe, then back and repeat.

A good life style back then, but maybe paying the price now?

Who knows? I was so healthy up to last years breast cancer diagnosis, always at gym, watching what I ate, only one glass of wine at night, then the cancer this year. Wish I knew what I'd done wrong.

Have you any idea why you got it?

Well I guess it is what it is, we have to accept it and battle on.

We are both strong women, we WILL get through it all. 🙂

Where abouts are you?  I'm sorry if you've already mentioned where you live, my memory's turned to mush.

Big hugs to you, stay strong,

Cindi xx

[Jennifer66]

Hi @Cindi54 

I’ve nearly really asked why I got the cancers I got, my professor has told me there are no medical answers to why people get cancer other than risks that maybe involved with each one and for me with bladder cancer with the 10 risk factors I was in one over 60, ureter cancer just rare in women and to have them both together not quite rare but extremely uncommon in women especially, and why my cancers are working how they are also rare. I don’t put any pressure on myself to really care as what is the point, you only get distressed, upset and I can get anxious enough without worrying 

but just think of us as maybe the very few women with ureter cancer.

i have lived an entirely different lifestyle from you so there is the medical science in itself as to no reason we got cancer 

I’ve never smoked, occasionally have a gin or glass of wine and have only travelled in the last 20 years and not in Europe 

I always just go with the answers of medical science can give no answers 

and with  my case going to America and Asia and leaving them puzzled as well with the same conclusions as my professor, it is what it is 

jennifer xx

[Richard56]

Hi Cindi, 

I had my 3rd BCG yesterday, all went well however today the pain has intensified but is manageable and I'm feeling tired a lot more now, I mentioned that to the Onc team and they said that is standard for some. In my family, my mother, father , brother and sister have all had cancer, mum ,dad and brother have now passed due to this horrible disease, my sister now at 76 has breast cancer. When growing up nearly everyone smoked, I remember going to a GP when I was 17 and he smoked in the surgery. Over the years I have lost some friends as well, some very young who never smoked,  this horrible disease doesn't discriminate. After finding out that I had cancer I decided to eat the healthier foods like organic but only to find out that after doing deep research over 90% of all fruits and vegetables use pesticides inc in organic vegetables and fruits. Anyway we have to do the best we can right now and hope we can get through this.

Thinking of you and Jennifer, 

Sending love and hugs 

Richard xx

[Jennifer66]

Hi @Richard56 

So pleased your BCG is going along well, I would be tired on the day but next morning fine, men seem to have a harder time than women, that’s what my BCG nurse told me 

so sorry to hear your family has been devastated by cancer, so terribly sad and no wonder you are having such a bad time emotionally, the good thing your treatment going well and you are on up 

organic food is such a fraud, an expense no one needs. I certainly don’t lead a healthy life and even when I should be trying to I don’t, my life has not changed from before cancer diagnosis in what I eat, it should but why I’ve been told I’m very healthy I go with it, the only medication I take is 1 blood pressure tablet daily, I do take some vitamin tablets by my choice 

don’t put too much pressure on yourself 

hugs and cuddles always 

Jennifer xx