Dawn - 52 year old diagnosed with Grade 2 non-muscle Invasive bladder cancer
With Florence Maponga
In this post, we feature Dawn, a 54-year-old mother of two who navigated a bladder cancer diagnosis in 2020.
Introducing Dawn
I am Dawn. I am 54 and a mother to a 23-year-old son, a 14-year-old daughter and a crazy 2-year Labrador who is my shadow.
The diagnosis
I was menopausal and had a hysterectomy about six years before. When I went for urine and wiped, I saw blood on the tissue quite a lot. I was bleeding for approximately 18 months. My GP referred me back to my gynae consultant as I'd been seeing her and kept mentioning the bleeding.
Exceptional medical care
I had various gynae procedures, but nothing showed up. I went to see another gynae consultant who specialised in HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and menopause and mentioned the bleeding to her. She referred me for a complete bladder ultrasound. They saw something on my bladder, and they discovered I had a tumour. This was in February 2020. I then had a TURBT.
Note from Florence:
TURBT is a surgical procedure to diagnose bladder cancer during a rigid cystoscope. It is generally used for treatments such as taking a tissue sample for examination in the pathology laboratory or removing cancer growths from the bladder's lining. This procedure is a Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT). It is almost always carried out under an anaesthetic, either a general or a regional (such as an epidural or spinal injection that numbs you from the waist down). Learn more about getting diagnosed.
They discovered the tumour was 5cm, and my diagnosis was G2pTa.
Note from Florence:
G2 = Grade 2. Tumour grades are expressed as a number; the higher the number, the less the tumour resembles a normal cell and, therefore, the more aggressive it is. One way of classifying bladder cancer tumours is Grade 1 (low grade), Grade 2 (intermediate grade), or Grade 3 (high grade).
pTa= papillary tumour that is only on the innermost layer of the bladder. The T stages define how far the cancer has spread. Bladder cancer up to the T1 stage is usually called non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Learn more at Fight Bladder Cancer's page on Types and Stages of Bladder Cancer.
Then COVID hit, and we went into lockdown. Due to the size of my tumour, although it was low grade and non-invasive, my consultant decided he wanted to give me a course of 6 treatments with in-bladder mitomycin, which started in November 2020.
Note from Florence: In-bladder treatment refers to a procedure in which physicians place liquid anti-cancer medication directly into your bladder through a catheter. Learn more at Fight Bladder Cancer's page on In-Bladder Treatments.
Treatment and advice
I had 5 of the scheduled 6 courses of mitomycin treatments. I had monthly flexible cystoscopies, and on 31 December 2021, they discovered more tumours. The grade this time was G1pTa.
Note from Florence:
G1 = Grade 1. Tumour grades are expressed as a number; the higher the number, the less the tumour resembles a normal cell and, therefore, the more aggressive it is. One way of classifying bladder cancer tumours is Grade 1 (low grade), Grade 2 (intermediate grade), or Grade 3 (high grade).
pTa = papillary tumour that is only on the innermost layer of the bladder. The T stages define how far the cancer has spread. Bladder cancer up to the T1 stage is usually called non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Learn more at Fight Bladder Cancer's page on Types and Stages of Bladder Cancer.
This time, I started BGG in-bladder treatment and have had 12 instillations. I am currently clear and have flexible cystoscopies every three months.
Dawn's words of wisdom
Finding out I had cancer was such a huge shock and something that affected my whole family. My partner Jamie has been excellent, and my children have been brave. I have tried to remain positive and stay as healthy as possible. Talking about it helps; it took me a while to say the words 'I've got cancer', but it helped to talk about it, but it was so hard at first. My consultant and his team have been fantastic, responsive, and at the end of a phone call if I've needed them. The care I have received has been so good.
If you have recently been diagnosed with bladder cancer, it's completely natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Maintaining a positive attitude and hope helped me during such a time. Avoid random Google searches; they can often lead to misinformation or increase your worries.
The Fight Bladder Cancer website is a trusted source with reliable information tailored for people like us. Additionally, the Fight Bladder Cancer Facebook group is invaluable. It's a community of individuals on similar journeys; their shared experiences and support can be immensely comforting. Engaging with them made me feel less alone and provided practical insights into managing my condition.
Share Your Story
Note from Florence: We encourage our readers to share your stories, seek support from loved ones, or explore our resources. If Dawn's story strikes a chord, please feel free to contribute your experiences to our platform. Together, we can fight bladder cancer.
