Hi, I'm New - Bladder Cancer Mets

Hi I am new here. I am 54 years old, female, live in New Zealand (east of Australia) and am glad that I have found somewhere where I can share and learn.

I was diagnosed February 2011 with bladder cancer. The Urologist tried to remove the tumour but was unable to get it all out. He sent me to an Oncologist for radiation treatment, but the Oncologist said that I had to have surgery.

I had to havae my bladder removedand have an ostomy bag. This was done in August last year, from which I just survived the operation, and was in intensive care for a few days. Not only did they have to remove the bladder, but part of the vaginal wall, cervix, uterus and ovaries.

It is a very aggressive fast moving cancer but when they did a scan in November they found that it had spread to the lungs and I have 3-4 tumours in the lungs.

They gave me up to 3 months to live, which expired yesterday and I am still here. I just wondered if anyone knows about the lymph nodes, as these are starting to swell up in some places. I also get exhausted quickly and have a lot of nausea, and feel very week.

I also have numerous kidney infections therefore turned down chemo as it would have meant that I would have been spending my precious 3 months hooked up to machines and intreavanous antibiotics. The chemo would haave only given me an extra 2 months.

I have good days (which are getting less and less) and bad days. On the bad days I am totally exhausted and sick. I was wondering if this is because my body is slowing down as it is fighting the cancer and continual kidney infections. Or could it be the lymphatic system.


Yiska