Introducing Doug 4.0

So since the beginning of this blog, I've changed up the title from Doug 2.0, to 3.0. to 3.1, 3.2, and now 4.0.  These have corresponded to some pretty big medical events in my life:

• 2.0 - CABG (heart bypass surgery in 2006)
• 3.0 - Ischemic Stroke in 2009
• 3.1/3.2 - Stroke related events that happened during recovery
• 4.0 - My latest diagnosis

The latest...

Late this spring, I noticed blood in my urine. After my doctor and I had eliminated a UTI as the cause, he referred me to a Urologist (Dr. Nathan Wong). Early in the summer, I had a cystoscopy which confirmed that I had bladder cancer, and then followed up by a TURBT procedure which  both cleaned up what was in the bladder, as well as determine the extent of the damage.

When the results of the TURBT biopsy came back, it was determined that I have Stage 2, Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer. The course of treatment for this will be:

A course of chemotherapy - four rounds of two sessions each

• Session 1 - Gemcitabine and Cisplatin 
• Session 2 - Gemcitabine

Once the four rounds of chemotherapy are done (probably late December), I'll recover for a couple of months and then have bladder removal surgery (which will include the prostate, vas deferens, local lymph nodes, and maybe other assorted body parts). I still have to make a decision about the post-bladder direction I choose - there are a couple of options which include having a stoma with an external urine collection pouch, or the creation of an internal pouch out of intestine.

Right now, I'm leaning toward the stoma/urostomy, as it seems the simpler operation with the fewer chances for side effects. Although it does mean a radical change of life for me - I know from past experience that human beings can get used to just about anything.

So there we are. I'm right in the middle of chemo while I write this. I know it's the first time I've updated the blog in several years, but I want to log this as I go so maybe somebody will get something out of it.

PS: I've got three doctors that are working with me through this:

• Dr. Peter La Voi - my GP here in Port Coquitlam, who was the first to jump on this and has intervened to speed things up when they started to lag.
• Dr. Nathan Wong - my Urologist working out of New Westminster. Very focused and to the point. Reminds me of an engineer. I like that.
• Dr. Krista Noonan - my Oncologist with BC Cancer. Very warm, knowledgeable, and works hand in hand with Dr. Wong. She's the one with the bedside manner.

I'm very happy with the team I have, and I'm most encouraged by their age - I doubt any of them is over forty.