In my blog, you have probably detected that I seem to stress early diagnosis and intervention for bladder cancer leads to a higher survival rate.
I am finding more and more people who are reluctant to do anything speedily after receiving a diagnosis of “you have cancer”.
This is perfectly understandable as that person is in total shock. Nothing in our day to day experiences prepare us for such devastating news. The sad part is, and the point that I am trying to make, is that valuable time is being wasted. While one is trying to come to terms with this devastating news the cancer is growing. The cancer is not sitting back waiting for you to get up to speed and decide what is going to be done.
There are a group of people diagnosed with bladder cancer where the cancer has spread so far that very little can be done to enhance their survival. Here, I am talking about those who are still in the early stages of bladder cancer. Those who do have a fighting chance if corrective measures are taken NOW. Not tomorrow or when I feel better, but NOW.
One of my biggest regrets is that I did not seek the proper Medical care when I found blood in my urine the first time. If I had the proper Medical care then perhaps I would still have my bladder and prostrate. Perhaps my day to day living would be a little more comfortable. Looking back, I should have had a swift kick in the ass to wake me up. There is no use in crying about it now. I did not seek proper Medical care then, therefore I am living with the consequences.
If you get nothing out of this blog other than the fact that all urinary system abnormalities must be investigated immediately then you have gotten the main point of my blog.
As in all diseases there is a point when no further Medical intervention is going to make any difference in your survival rate. Therefore get Medical intervention long before your cancer reaches the point of no return.
I do have a Living Will where someone else takes over my Medical decisions, if there comes a time that I am not capable of making rational decisions. I obtained the Living Will when I has by-pass surgery in 1995. In both major operations, I gave the Power Of Attorney to a very good friend who I felt would follow my wishes if something went wrong during the surgeries or during my recovery period.
You must think very hard about the person to whom you give this “Power of Attorney“. In my case I felt that I could not give it to my family as they would be too close to the situation and not capable of making rational decisions. The Power of Attorney person does not have to agree with your decisions but must be able to carry out your wishes without inserting their own thought and feelings into any decision that might have to be made.
I feel that anyone over the age of forty should have a Living Will. By this age, most people have decided what they would and would not want done in an emergency situation.
If everyone who is diagnoses with bladder cancer or any other form of cancer has a Living Will then the person who has the Power of Attorney could take over and make the necessary decisions, if the patient was incapable of doing so. This way valuable time is not lost.
When surgery is booked months down the road, it is not because the surgeon feels that you can wait that long, it is because the operating rooms and his own schedule are booked to capacity. Probably your surgeon would operate tomorrow if he could get a operating room and had an opening in his schedule.
Some people feel that since operations are sometimes performed months after a diagnosis that things cannot be too bad. This is just not the case. It is because the Surgeons schedule and the hospital are booked to capacity.
Make a decision about your diagnosis and get on with the corrective measures to ensure the highest survival rate possible. If you are not capable of making a decision, at this time, then turn the decision making process over to someone who will look after your best interest.
Survival rate is based primarily on early diagnosis and speedy Medical intervention to correct the problem.
Posted on May 7th, 2008 by Neil
Filed under: Bladder Cancer - Background, My Cancer
Leave a Reply