How it all started

Last September I got a UTI. Well, it was probably a UTI - I had those kind of symptoms. They gave me antibiotics, it seemed to clear up, then maybe come back, then again, then again in December, then they tested me after another course of antibiotics and verified that there was no more infection yet I still had symptoms. And I've had a history of hematuria, so my primary doctor got worried.

So they referred me to a urologist. The CT scan was clean so last week they did a cystoscopy. That's when they put a scope in with a light and a camera and the doc (and me) watched the results on a high-res LCD screen.

What he saw were two tumors which on-sight he declared "low grade" and "non invasive". He said they are not the kind that spread, but should still be removed. "So, it's not cancer?" I asked. "Oh, it's cancer" he said. But he assured me then, that I shouldn't freak out because, well, it's the kind that won't spread.

I'm pretty rational and when an experienced specialist tells me that something isn't life threatening and that I shouldn't freak out, I believe them. Rationally.

Emotionally, I'm no different from anyone else when they are told "You have cancer".

So I freaked out a little and then did what I always do - immersed myself into the web to learn everything I could about bladder cancer.

I also found myself a doctor to get me through this. A Dr Konety at the UCSF Urology Cancer center. He specializes in bladder cancer, so that's a good thing.

I don't plan to keep this secret from anyone except my mom (so if you know my mom, please don't tell her). I'm starting this page to let people who want to hear about the details and the progress of my treatment to follow it here.

Thanks for reading.