We’re Talking Bladders – yes, we need to
3 May 2021|Health, Recipes, Sustainability, Testimonials
May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month and here is my dear friend Alison, who has bladder cancer:
‘I bet like me (pre 2012), you had never even considered bladder cancer. I knew of breast, bowel, prostate, liver and lung, but why had I never heard of bladder cancer?
My journey started whilst living in France. I was due vaccinations before flying to Hong Kong for a cruise. I had a cough and my GP was reluctant to give me my jabs and gave me antibiotics instead. I will be forever grateful that she did: The next day I started to pass blood in my urine and again the next, so I called her and she told me to stop the antibiotics and if the blood persisted to come and see her. It did and she felt sure the antibiotics may have aggravated something in my bladder and sent me for an ultrasound. I was able to be seen that afternoon and a tumour was discovered. A trip to a consultant and a look inside my bladder with a flexible cystoscopy (an instrument with a camera inserted via a catheter into the bladder) showed that the tumour was starting to work its way into the muscle. Still at a relatively early stage it needed to be removed. So on my birthday, instead of flying to Hong Kong, I had the first of many TURBTS (trans-urethral re-section of bladder tumour), which removed the tumour and was biopsied. It was pointed out to me that if the tumour carries on growing and leaves the bladder it will invade other organs with a high risk of morbidity. Bladder removal is often the life-saver for many. A life-changing operation that brings with it a new way of living and having to get used to a stoma and what many term as their “bag for life”. I fortunately still have my bladder and have been fortunate to continue with regular check ups and have had many recurrences but still at intermediate grading. I have had two sessions of chemotherapy where the liquid is placed in my bladder and held for two hours before releasing. Some patients with more advanced cancers undergo other chemo or radiation treatment or the BCG vaccine.
Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Europe and one of the most costly to treat due to it being a cancer that has a high recurrence rate.
The good news? Like every cancer the earlier you are seen the better the outcome. Do not ignore frequent urine infections, cystitis, back pain and of course blood in urine.
I discovered Fight Bladder Cancer: A charity set up by Andrew Winterbottom, who having a more advanced diagnosis could not find any support group online.
He emailed me and reassured me that with regular checks and possible surgeries I could live with bladder cancer and I do.
He set up the charity from his garden shed and although he has sadly recently passed on, his charity now has over 5,000 members globally and has a website approved by urologists and our very own Professor of Oncology to give advice and a forum that helps so many.
There is a quarterly magazine called and an online forum on Facebook alongside a bladder buddy service. The old ad used to say “It’s good to talk”, I can vouch for that and if you or anyone you know has any issues with urination and especially blood in urine…. Please get them, or yourself checked out – and then get in touch. I am so grateful to Andrew and I will continue to play my part in raising awareness.’ Alison Young.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2022
‘I’m never going to be able to say I’m in remission… Bladder Cancer has the highest rate of recurrence… BUT I am living with cancer and I won’t let it break my spirit. I will do all I can to educate others re bladder cancer and to try to live well and with positivity’. Alison
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Move over Deliciously Ella? This is Maria Gureeva: 21 years old, Oxford Uni student, first cookbook released last month, 182k followers on Instagram….
You heard of her here first! (Although maybe not, her book’s currently out of stock on Amazon UK…)
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