1 bite is worth a 1000 Barks

I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Feb, of this year. I was admitted through the ER . This is hard to explain so please if I get confusing ask me to be clear.

I had no health insurance first off, I was in the hospital for 6 days and had a TURBST done while there along with several CT's and blood tests. The doctors I received while in the hospital where my urologist who did my TURBST surgery and an oncologist from USA mitchell cancer center. On the first visit by the doctors while in the hospital they explained I had a very aggressive high grade muscle invasive tumor and in The TURBST surgery they had to remove what they could of the tumor and removed part of my prostate. The doctors explained that I needed aggressive treatment , They out lined it as Surgery to remove the bladder and prostate and then chemo theropy and possible radiation theropy. They made sure that was the order. I was then released from the hospital and had appointments set up with both doctors for follow up. The appointment with the urologist was first, He explained how serious my condition was but also explained to me and mt wife that because I had no insurance I would not receive the kind of care that I needed. That was hard to hear. Then the appointment with the oncologist, He explained that the surgery was the only first step to take, He called The urologist while I was there because he wanted him to set up an appointment at UAB for surgery and he was the one to call since he could have some pull since he is a member of their board at UAB, He agreed to call and get it set up, First of all that never happened, Instead the oncologist suggested we try to start chemo to reduce the tumor if possible before surgery. We did 3 rounds of chemo. In that time I had gotten approved for medicaid and asked about the surgery since insurance was the thing holding me up. He ignored my questions. He added more chemo. By the time I finished 5 rounds of chemo my medicaid had run out. Ok so now with a bit of the back story in, After 5 rounds of chemo my oncologist advised me that the tumor had reduced in size and he really wanted to get me in to surgery quickly because he was unsure how long the tumor would be reduced. He called the urologist once again. The urologist did call UAB and had some good news this time, They would send me some paperwork to fill out for a program that provides insurance through UAB for people such as myself. Ok so anyway, My oncologist said no more chemo for now because he was hoping for surgery quickly, he also advised me that he could no longer be my doctor because he was leaving to except a better position in Washington. Ok so I have been dumped by my oncologist and the urologist up until now has not really done anything, on appointments he would rush in and out and not really do much. Now here is my question about a lawsuit, I sent the paperwork in to UAB and am waiting for an appointment to get started on my surgery. I was approved within 10 minutes for their program for low income and uninsured patients. They also told me the urologist new of this program and they did not understand why he did not advise me in the beginning . Now I am in a position where he new and did not tell me and now the tumor is growing from being off the chemo. This has put me in serious danger and has maybe cost me a chance at beating the cancer. It instead has had time to progress and spread. My question is since he knew about the program and still chose not tp advise me of it and may have cost me the only shot I had at real recovery if I could and should I contact a lawyer to sue for neglect. He could have advised me and had the surgery done first like he advised I should but chose not to for some reason. I just don't know what to do, I feel terrible because he chose to tell us I may die because I had no insurance when he could have instead helped me with the phone call to UAB 7 month and 5 rounds of chemo ago. I know the tumor is back because I am back to bleeding. My oncologist is gone now and I have to wait to go to UAB for my first appointment. The point is the doctor made everything worse by not telling me what he knew about UAB in the beginning and may have cost me the only chance I had at survival . UAB has advised me that they will have to start from scratch because neither of my doctors had even run any of the tests they could have to help me, chemo was the wrong start but they did it because I had no insurance instead of getting me in the program that would have helped faster. I know , it's confusing but please try to understand what I wrote because I feel like the doctor new about this program and just decided to let me die over insurance. He just didn't bother to make the phone call on day 1.

We are thinking of relocating back to New York because that is where all of our family is but I am trying to find out if I would be able to actually make a living there . I know how expensive it is to live in New York so this is very important. Thank you in advance for your answers.

I am quickly finding myself running out of options, I have stage 3 bladder cancer, I am 41 years old and have a wife and children. I have been trying so hard to fight this disease and have been doing well . At this time I have undergone 5 rounds of intense chemosteropy which has infact been working, My doctor is shocked at how strong my body has been and how well I have done so far. The tumor has reduced to a size they feel comfortable will lend well to bladder removal surgery at this point. I am still strong enough to do well. I have no insurance so have been doing my best to keep up . My doctor has put be back on chemo, not to fight the cancer but to maintain the current tumor size as we search for a doctor willing to perform the surgery I need to try to save my life. With no insurance we have yet to find that doctor, My oncologist says that the chemo will help for now but in time the tumor will become resistant to the chemo and will not respond to treatment once that happens. Here is my question, but it will need explaining, I brought my family to Alabama in 2000 to except a job at a steel mill . I no longer have that job but instead have cancer to show for it. My wife lost both her parents to cancer a few years back. My family lives in NY and that is where I grew up. I have not been back in over 20 years, my wife and daughter have never been to my home state or had time to know my family, Totally seperate issues. I have mended every fence I can long distance. My worst fear at this point is that if I should get sicker or God forbid pass away my family has no one. The would be stuckk here with no support system . I want to take them home to NY where they can connect with my family and would have a real support system should they need it. My wife tries to take care of me now as well as my daughters but they could use the help of family. I am trying to raise funds to relocate my family in a short time, I found a website to begin raising the funds but don't know many people to send it to to help me get the word out. I am asking if you who are reading this would help me spread the word and a link to my fundraiser. I know we don't know each other but I have always tried to work hard and do what people asked of me when needed. I know there has got to be people that will help me succeed in this. I am including my link and just ask for help and hope that people will respond in a good way. I wish I could find the words to make people understand how much of the fight I am in is based on strength that comes from friends and family . I have done so well because of the support I have had locally and can only imagine what I could do with my family close by and how much mind mind could rest knowing my girls will not find themselves left alone so far away from people who care and will help them should they need it.

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Ok so I have been diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer stage 3/4 . I have been thinking alot as you might imagine about when this started and how. I am a smoker so keeping that in mind , I was working for a large steel mill when the symptoms started but it was never found. Now i have not worked for the mill in a few years but the fact is I left my job because I was constantly in bad health while working there. If it would have been found then I would have had insurance at the least , I am wondering if I can and should try to take this on and what kind of lawyer would handle it and would statute of limitations apply to a disease such as this that may not show up for years after exposure. I was exposed to various chemicals, alloys, smoke from the melting and refining stages as well as sub standard equipment namely the baghouse that is used to keep the air clean while the shop is running. I can produce medical records proving the troubles I was having at the time as well as proof that I was required to work in hazardous conditions such as the inside of a furnace to make repairs while the air quality was dangerous.

So , I asked for info yesterday and got great answers that lead to more questions. My questions are this. What to do about specific meals like breakfast , is that a smoothie situation or are there more options. Also we looked at the new Ninja blender / juicer would that be a good choice to do the juicing and smoothies or is it a mistake to go that route . I am super new at this so please forgive the what may seem like dumb questions but for those who know cancer and chemo you understand that reading a long book may not really happen because of chemo brain issues and attention span. I would love to hear more from those who answered yesterday because it gave me so much info . I was in the right place for sure , thank you

Ok so I keep hearing that I need to switch to a raw plant based diet to help with my bladder cancer. I am not a dummy but it is worth a try for me. I don't know how to go about the change over. The things I find suggest that a 51% plant based diet would be good but like I said I don't know. I have also seen juicing is a great way to get the body to try to heal its self . I would like to try it if some folks could give me some good advice such as what kind of juicer to get to recipes . I have seen it is for the most part a vegan diet and as I mean no disrespect I have always been one to laugh , sorry but until I started learning I was ignorant of the health benefits. I would really like answers from folks who know these things as I am not rich and do have to try to do this on a budget. Thank you in advance for your answers.

I have bladder cancer and the doctors also said they found a tumor in the ureter that was blocking the urine from my bladder on the left side. I had a nephrostomy tube inserted into the left kidney. That was about 1 month ago. Ok so 2 days ago I had to go to the urologist for a possible infection, They did a CT scan and an Ultrasound. Afetr the ultrasound I noticed I had lots of pain in my back the kidney. I have a leg pouch for urine of course. I noticed the night before last that no urine was going to my pouch. I have kept a close watch because of possible blockage. It has been over 24 hrs now. No urine in pouch. With a blockage I would feel it I have had that before so I can tell thats not the problem. I have zero pain in my kidney not even discomfort . I was thinking. They use altrasound to break up large kidney stones and could this have happened by accident. Could it have been a kidney stone the whole time or is the chemo working that fast as to clear the tumor. I can only assume that the kidney is now draining into the bladder as normal. I don't know if this has or could happen.

Well here is the short version, I have cancer our bills got out of control. We where unable to pay our rent. Our landlord gave us a 7 day notice of eviction , ( not from the court) we tried to make arrangements ith him but instead of talking like a reasonable human he waited until I came home from chemo and just started yelling and screaming like an idiot. I told him since he acted this way and attacked me while I was so sick that I would not be paying the rent to him but instead would be moving . Since then he keeps sending people to the property I can only assume to see if I have moved even though he can see the vehicles from the road they drive about 40mph through the property. This has become daily . He has the right to evict but has not gone to the court . Does he have the right to keep sending people here which I would see as trespassing since it is posted and harassment. I will be out in another week but feel he should not be coming here or sending others. Can he do this or should it be noted in my answer to the court should he actually file for legal eviction.

I don't need wise acre answers please. The fact is we would have paid him and only asked for a few extra days for me to get right after my chemo treatment to get back to work . I was not in anyway planning on not paying until he acted in the way he did. We have endured 2 years of him acting this way and making threats when we would ask him to fix the heat which never did get done or asked him to fix the roof leaks which never got done either. The fact is we really didn't have the resources to move with me being sick and he would threaten to kick us out everytime we asked for a repair.

By te way I live in Alabama I don't know if the laws here are different

I have muscle invasive bladder cancer , I am starting chemo tomorrow and would ask those of you who have faith to please send up a prayer for me Dennis ( Jesus knows me) as I start the fight of my life. I know those are out there that don't believe and I am sorry for that but please be respectful and don't post or wish me luck or what ever but please nothing negative . I am scared as is my family and friends and I will return the prayers given . Thank you and have a blessed day

I have bladder cancer, I have no health insurance, I am being denied the care and treatment that is needed to fight my cancer because of self pay status.

I have been trying everything . Everyone keeps saying I am wrong.

Backround =I went to the ER Feb 12th, I spent the next 5 days admitted . I had several CT scans as well as a cath, They performed a TURBT surgery . I was diagnosed with having a large tumor in my bladder as well as a tumor blocking my left Ureter . The doctor said I must have a stint put in but could not do it due to the tumor in my ureter. They where to do a percutaneous nephrostomy tube. The next few days I was visited by a couple doctors 1 an oncologist who would be treating my cancer. He said point blank I would have to have surgery to remove my entire bladder to have the best chance of fighting my cancer. This was without question. I was released from the hospital on Feb 17th without the percutaneous nephrostomy tube being done at all. I was scheduled for a follow up on March 2 where I met Dr. Terry my urologist , he was very surprised that I was released without the procedure being done. He said his office would get it scheduled right away since nothing else could move forward without it being done first. His office had to fight with the hospital to get me back in to get it done this took a week after it was done He said I would have to go to Birmingham to do the bladder removal as soon as possible. I went to an appointment with Dr. Reed my oncologist he said he changed his mind on my course of treatment , I was to start with chemo not the surgery. I asked questions just to be ignored. I left his office and still even though I asked several times was told nothing about my cancer except it is very bad but no staging or any useful information.

Ok so now on to today I had yet another appointment with Dr. Terry he sat and talked a bit and my wife and I sat and listened mostly. He to would not say anything about my cancer until I said " I feel as if I have been put on the back burners because I have no insurance" He replied " the fact is you are right, the bladder surgery should have come first but because I am self pay it will have to wait he disagreed with the course of action for treatment but said he could not do anything. He continued to tell us I have a very bad agressive cancer that even under the best care would be hard to fight and should have been reffered to a cancer treatment center that was better equiped to help me. but with no insurance the fact is I will not get that kind of help." basically my wife and I had to listen to a death sentence for me , not because of the cancer per say but because I could not afford the treatment it would take. . I am not willing to die because of self pay tag they have put on me. sorry about some of the spelling . I am upset to say the least. I need help to get the treatment I need or they will sit by give me free chemo and let me die slowly. I'm as serious as I can be I need legal help please. Don't let these doctors decide if I live or die based upon money.

Ok so I have cancer we can't find financial help and we apply and get turned down for everything that would help.

My doctor said today that since I am scheduled to start chemo on monday that he will fill out the papers for my wife to take family medical leave what this will do he said is that she will still have a job but she will have no income so they can't turn me down for help. SSI and Disability . The problem was she made $150 dollars a month to much which really isn't true because they all calculate gross not net and don't take medical bills into account . So every one was turning me down even though I can't work . Does this sound right . It sounded shady to me but he said that he was going to require her or someone to be home since I will be doing chemo as well as radiation therapy and will need supervision.

Ok so I have cancer . We have tried every thing to find financial help including food stamps , SSI and disability everything. We get denied because my wife makes $500 per week. We have 2 children and a mountain of medical bills. Every time we try to apply for something they say denied she makes to much. I am ready to move out just so I can get help. We have been honest with everyone and it seems that being honest is going to get us homeless and hungry and not able to afford my treatment. I see so many people driving hummers and using food stamps so there must be a trick I am missing. So although I wanted to be honest I just don't see how I can be. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so my family and I are trying to raise money for my medical bills for my just starting fight against bladder cancer. Our church has agreed to let us host Fundraiser dinners. We are wanting to start off with a spagetti dinner but we have never done any of this before . We have found information online that is of great help but we still have no idea what to charge per head. We are looking at maybe $350 investment in the event . Plus a 10 % donation to the church for use of the property. Any one who has experience with this sort of thing please help. We are expecting to have some sort of fundraiser often to keep up with the bills and to be able to help others with bladder cancer who are facing the same financial challenges. I need all the help I can get so please feel free to give me some examples and maybe how to do it. We have lots in mind such as a fish fry and a bikini car wash and some other things but it seems like all our best ideas have to wait for warmer weather. What about a community yard sale do you charge for spots on our property like a flea market or depend on sellers to donate or would we do better letting them sell for no fee and sell food at the event for our fundraising.

I don't get it . I have cancer I found out 2 weeks ago . I was in the hospital for 6 days. I don't understand whats going on. I was supposed to have a procedure done while in the hospital and they just forgot and released me. My doctor was so surprised yesterday when He went to check if I was healing ok and found it was never done which has been the source of major pain for 2 weeks that could have been avoided. I have yet to even be told what stage my bladder cancer is in by any doctor. I keep hearing I am being treated by the best in the region but I don't see it . I was under the impression that this stuff is covered under basic patient rights. My family and I are scared to death just waiting for information that I would think we should have had. How do you forget to do an important procedure really is this right. I don't know if I will need to hire a lawyer just to get fare treatment.

Why are there no places to help bladder cancer patients with the financial burdens. I have bladder cancer and my wife and I have been searching high and low for help. We are very quickly finding that there is plenty of help for lots of other types of cancer but none for bladder cancer. We where advised to call the American Cancer Society but they just gave us other phone numbers and said they don'

t actually help they just give more information. All the numbers they gave us amazingly told us the same they just give information not actual help. All of these places raise so much money to help people with cancer yet none of them actually help people with cancer. I called so many places and most say they only help woman and children which is good but what about me a 41 year old male. My children even asked for help from there youth group at our church just to be told they have so many fundraisers on the books for trips and mission work in Africa that they could not help. WOW where do I get help. Is there any for me or do I just wait to die. Some one please help me.

I know there are lots of scams out there praying upon people that live to help others but I have been diagnosed with bladder cancer in the past weeks and has been out of work prior to that. We need financial help so bad, My wife and friends want to raise money to help since the very first visit to the hospital was a staggering $46000 and counting. They have not been able to even get started because of all the laws surrounding this. You can raise all the money you want for a foundation but an individual is damn near impossible unless they are just going about it wrong. I know there are scams but I know I would gladly show proof from my doctor to anyone who would ask.

Any advice on how to go about this. Please help.

No down side. I have cancer and I am a positive person. I will fight every second but still I find myself wanting a bucket list. Give me some ideas. Nothing illegal or anything. I have a wife , 2 teen daughters 2 sons grown. 1 Grandson. I have no money but life isn't about the money so give me your best ideas. I have a facebook page dedicated to keeping other informed of my progress and would love to share them with you to as I cross off my bucketlist. Dennis Brunow on facebook

This week I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I have a long battle ahead and hope to win. I have no health insurance due to unemployment . My wife works full time to keep us fed but now I have no hope of working and don't know how to raise money for treatments as well as normal everyday bills. My friend suggested starting a facebook page to detail my fight and to raise money through donations and to assure people it's not a scam. I have done this but not sure how to do any of it so If you can help me please do. I really want to fight this but if I have to choose my life or my family's well being I will choose the family and let go. I know there are folks out there much smarter than I so if you have any suggestions please feel free with out being mean if you can. You can check up on me on facebook look for Dennis Brunow ad me as a friend

Ok I have been diagnosed with bladder cancer and well have no money to receive my treatment. I am forced to consider the options of food and bills for my family or treatment and meds. My wife had an idea to start a facebook page to document my fight and take donations but I have no clue how to go about it. Any information would help at this point. I am scheduled to have surgery to remove my bladder in a few weeks and then start treatment but if I can't find financial funding this would not be able to happen. I have always been a fighter but will not take from my family to fight a disease I may not be able to beat.

I am not the political type, I am not a Holy roller. I am just a normal guy in America.

I see all around me the unraveling of the American fabric. Our economy is a mess people are losing faith in both God and Gov. So my question is do we wait or fix it ourselves.

We as consumers have a choice, we as voters have a choice. I know this sounds like a rant but it's not it is a serious question.

Why can't we help ourselves, I think it is a simple fix. We only buy American . We consume less . Most people say well they don't even make this in the US but the fact is what I am saying is if you only buy American that means you only buy from American based companies. Not companies that import there products from other countries.

So my question was do we have to wait for our Gov. to go to work for us again or do we roll up our sleeves and take control like our forefathers would have.