My Bladder Cancer Symptoms: "They Initially Thought it was a UTI" - Ebony | The Patient Story
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- Опубликовано: 25 май 2023
- Ebony was 45 when she first noticed blood in her urine. But after different scans and scopes, doctors couldn't find anything. They initially thought it was a UTI. After more than year, she was diagnosed with stage N2 bladder cancer.
She then underwent MVAC chemotherapy and an 8-hour surgery to remove her bladder. As part of this surgery, part of Ebony's small intestines were used to create a neobladder.
In this conversation she shares her cancer journey, including taking control of her hair loss, the importance of self-advocacy and support and using her story to be a light for others.
Full story & transcript → www.thepatientstory.com/patie...
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You have a wonderful man for sure. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and within a month my husband said I can’t do this. So we decided to divorce and I had to except that not everyone can handle this diagnosis but I certainly will and have slayed cancer like a warrior ❤
It's a shame doctors are so dismissive with patients who seek help from them. When my bestfriend started complaining to me about symptoms he was having, I immediately made an appointment for him. I just knew he had bladder cancer, yet his doctor doubted it; but because I wouldn't allow her to be so dismissive, she referred him to a urologist. A week later we found out he had a tumor the size of a golf ball and other small ones...Cancer was starting to spread! Thankfully, they were able to remove all cancerous tumors, and chemo shrunk the rest. He's been cancer free 7 yrs now!
I was misdiagnosed for two full years. My doc kept saying it was IBS and that stress was causing my symptoms (basically, he thought I was imagining them). When it got to the point where I was having nose bleeds, sick to my stomach, and passing out, he was still saying the same (talking about women and “emotions” and “female stress”). I said I have never heard of stress causing nose bleeds or losing consciousness - he said you would be surprised what symptoms stress can cause. I was having blood taken weekly for tests and he kept telling me that everything came back fine. I was getting these super dark marks under my eyes and I was barely making it through my days - I went to one of my (weekly at this point) appts one day. My normal doc forgot to cancel my appt before he went out of town so they said they had a new female doc that could see me if I was ok with that and I said that was fine. That doc saved my life!!! She found all through my med records where all those blood tests they had been running for literally two years showed my counts all over the place. The lab kept highlighting the results and saying that he needed to meet with the patient (me) - my doc would sign off that he saw the results but then never signed off as having contacted me regarding them. This was a Friday - so that female doc had a female oncologist friend from med school that was top in their class. She called her that day, faxed her my records, and had me set up with an appointment that following Monday. They had me rushed in for surgery 2 weeks later - they didn’t think I would survive the surgery, much less any chance of any years. My oncologist said it makes her so angry these male docs that don’t take women seriously and just assume that we are being “so emotional” when what she finds is that we tend to pay attention to our bodies. She made me promise that if I ever questioned a doctors diagnosis, that I seek a 2nd, 3rd, or however many opinions that I need to - because we know our bodies best. (Because it was in my med records a bunch of times that I had already had cancer before and I kept thinking the cancer was back - I thought surely my doc knew better than me since he had all the blood tests). Since all of this, I have trusted my instincts because you are right - they are “practicing”/learning as they go.
Doctors with dimissive atitudes who treat sick people like mere bussiness transactions are sickening.
Ladies, please if you have any concerns about bladder problems make sure you make a lot of noise with the medical profession. My daughter had UTIs for 20 years and constantly fobbed off with antibiotics, long and very painful story later she died on April 10th 2021 aged 39 leaving 5 children behind. She would be 42 tomorrow. May God bless you all and keep you safe.
🇯🇲Bladder cancer is seldomly thought to be a possibility with:
I was 29 years old when I was diagnosed
A clap 👏 for your husband who understood your situation.
I speak Jesus over you and your family Ebony. I'm going through treatment for Breast cancer, it's not easy but with God all things are possible.❤
My sister died from the same type of cancer, and she was misdiagnosed for 2 years. She died at 60, my sister was an angel.
It feels like being misdiagnosed and given antibiotics is everyone's story 😢
This video popped up randomly and I immediately recognized her from our alma mater.💙💛 Grateful that she shared her story to help others be vigilant about their bodies/health.
I’m have been a healthcare professional for over 30 years. I had an abdominal surgery in 2008. I continued to have pain while recovering in the hospital. I was discharged after 3 days still in a lot of pain in a Sunday around 3pm only rushed back to the hospital at 10pm because I collapsed & couldn’t urinate & still in severe pain with every breath & movement I made. I was held in ER until 5am when the gynecologist came in & ask me why I didn’t call with my issues. I was very upset, I told him that I couldn’t pick up the phone to call 911, my 12 year old daughter called. I guess he was upset because that’s a bad for him & the hospital for a patient to return within 12 hrs. I was in the hospital for 14 days with a perforated bladder from a thermal burn. I had an ultrasound & CT scan every other day & the radiologist kept reporting negative for perforated bladder on every study. My diagnosis according to my gynecologist was UTI, even though the ER nurse catheterized me upon my arrival and got 500cc grossly bloody urine. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t advocate for myself & couldn’t communicate with my children because of the pain. The nurses said I was noncompliance because I didn’t want to walk or get out of bed because of the severity of the pain. Two nurses decided to force me out of bed to walk I was only 120 pound & 4’11”, being pulled out of bed & pleading to them that I’m in a lot of pain which they ignored. I blacked out from the pain. Finally on the 14th day a urologist was consulted & did a cystoscope and those results again was read by the radiologist with another negative results. Later that day the doctor came in and said that I had a perforated bladder and the films didn’t transfer to the PAC’s system which is radiology equipment. I was given only 1 Percocet for pain because the healthcare system always treat African Americans as though they are seeking pain medicine. Once the nurses found out I had a perforated bladder they apologized for getting me out of bed. A psychiatrist was consulted because they said I was depressed. He came in and asked me what type of work did I do at the hospital and before I could answer he said housekeeping, which was also an insult. I told him I wasn’t depressed but just in severe pain and couldn’t make any movements to eat or anything. My childhood friend came to visit me in the hospital & said I was groaning in so much pain that he went to the desk to tell the nurse to please give her something to knock her out. Everyone that knows me know that I’m a patients advocate but couldn’t advocate for me. This trauma that I went through still has affected me today in 2023 especially with my bladder. If I had passed away the doctors were going to lie to my kids. It happens all the time. When I left the hospital there was a nurse that said don’t let them getaway with this. She knew and others too the wrong that was done to me and the negligence. Thank God I’m better but still haunted by what happened to me, and I was an employee at one of the many hospitals this company has. Please be aggressive with your care. If you feel your body isn’t right follow up with your doctor. Do your research. I don’t have much trust in the healthcare system of today. Doctors are sometimes very dismissive. God bless everyone that going to through health issues. I put all of my trust in God🙏🏽
What a genuinely authentic, pragmatic and raw lady. I am so sorry you had to go through this.😪. We need more solid families like this who share the endurance, strength and extended and family support.
Ebony, thank you for sharing your story. I’m going to make an appointment with a urologist next week. I’m 74, retired RN with systematic lupus. I’m having bladder infections several times a year now and I need to have another cystoscopy. I’ve had several colleagues die from bladder cancer. They were old white women, retired RNs like me. Again, Ebony, thank you for encouraging me. I needed it.
I feel this. I had stage 1 bladder cancer two years ago now. I spent 6 months trying to get someone to listen to me. They kept checking me for UTIs and, when I finally got an appointment with the urologist, they basically told me I was probably imaging things. Just as they said that they turned the camera and there was a huge tumor. I’ll never forget their, “That’s not supposed to be there.”
Women please advocate for yourselves. We know our bodies better than the doctors.❤
I sure do love Ebony. She is gorgeous, smart, and resourceful. She sure did go through hell before she was finally listened to. Thank goodness she kept saying, “Something is NOT right here”. I hope you have fully recovered, and are doing well.
I was laying in my bed & came across your page.
I got sick one day out the blue. The pain knocked me to my feet. I started vomiting and was taking to the hospital. They referred me to urologist because unspecified blood was found in urine. I had the ct scan done and the scope which both showed no sign of cancer. Still having a little pain but no blood this is an eye opener to not just let doctors dismiss what mconcerns you and your body. Thank you Ebony