Living with Bladder Cancer

My husband has recently undergone an operation due to bladder cancer His operation was for the formation of a neo-bladder, prostate and lymph node removal.

The operation on the surface went well but next day he was bleeding internally. He was operated on again the next day and all again seem well. The following week it was discovered that faeces was leaking from his wound. He was then operated on again where we were later advised that “we may have nicked the colon” when we were removing the prostate. My husband had peritonitis, septicemia, developed pnemounia, was in intensive care on an incuabator for a week, and the prognosis looked grim.

What I would like to say that even though the neo bladder operation went fine not enough procedures are put into place after this type of surgery to detect any problems that may be present after the operation. If procedures were put in place maybe my husband would not have had to go through the hell that he has been through. He now has temporary (hopefully) illeostomy and colostomy is classified as malnurished ( lost approx. 20kg’s in weight), may never work again, never surf again, is impotent and has lost the will to live. The only good thing is that the neo-ballder is working great but if more time had been given in relation to problems that may occur that are assocated with this type surgery then my husband would not be the shell he is today.

Whilst I recommend this type of surgery the complications assocaited with it are (as we later found out) endless.