Seeking others experience with BCG treatments

franhue

I have Stage 1 high grade bladder cancer and am scheduled to begin BCG treatments next week. Wanted to hear from others on this site their experiences. Trying to be prepared for what to expect.
Thanks in advance.

Pris42

bcg and side effects
Hi, I am having these treatments now have 5 down one to go next Wednesday the 7th of April. The first one I had no side effects at all, and their was nothing to if if you have ever had a catherter inserted. They put that in after washing you and numbing you there so it doesn't hurt or anything. They insert less then 2 ounces of liquid and you hold it insde. My Doctor had me do it for an hour. You are laying on a table and turn every 15 minutes from back to side to stomach then other side in whatever order you want. Then you get up and urinate if you can or go home to do it and put bleach in the toilet and leave it for 20 minutes 2 cups of it, and after 20 minutes you can flush. I use a timer on the bathroom counter. Do this for 6 hours is what I do then after the 6 hours go back to normal without the bleach. The first one I had no side effects, but the 2nd, or 3rd one maybe a little burning at the first urination only. Then the 4th one a little blood too with just a little more burning for longer, and more frquency and urgency to go. The 5th one a little more blood only while urinating and more frequency, burning and urgency, but still fine. The 6th one I figure should be a little more so, but other then that, and some fatigue bugging me just becuase I want to be back to normal nothing else with me and it has been easy so far. The Doctor says the side effects I have had the last couple of times just show it is working which makes me happy of course. Hope this helps nothing much to it especially compared to what other kinds of cancer have for chemo. The doctors say this is one of two best kinds of cancer to have if you have to have it so I am hoping they are right, and it is curable and pretty easy. I know not everyone will be exactly the same so hopefully others will answer this too, but this is my experience so far. Had two little surgerys before to get the cancer out and checked and the urter and kidney checked out and now bcg then just checkups as long as it stays gone. Good Luck and hope you have an easy time of it and are pleased as I am with no more side effects then this. My daughter had breast cancer and her treatment was so much harder.