A Letter to Newly Diagnosed MeLet me start there. You are so beautiful and have an inner strength that will change lives, even if you don't know it yet. You have suffered in silence, with... By Brittney Tellekamp2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Mom's First Intravesical Chemo InstillationAt the end of January 2021, Mom had a sleep study in the same town we had driven into for her BCG treatments. I noticed appointments were ramping up. It... By Charles Anthony Ulloa3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
Walking Back Into the WardAlmost 5 years after I left the ward where I was post-surgery, I walked back in here tonight. Tonight, as the workday was drawing to a close for many Glaswegians... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Who Is Nurse Anita?Nurse Anita, aka Anita Nurse, aka the Stoma Whisperer or the Stoma Doula. I'm all of those things, but mostly I consider myself a healer. I just happen to have... By Anita Claire Prinz, RN, MSN, CWOCN3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Not Another Coloring BookLet's get in the time machine and go back to September 2019. I was freshly healed from my radical cystectomy, starting to get acquainted with having a urostomy and grappling... By Brittney Tellekamp2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
5 Years Clear!The 1st of November 2017. This is a date I will never forget. A date that will always have great significance in my life. A day I will continue to... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Cold Weather Ostomy HacksThere I stood at my bathroom counter, a third failed bag in the trash, and staring daggers at my stoma. Nothing I did could get my ostomy bag to stick... By Brittney Tellekamp3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
Living With a Retracted StomaToday I am looking at the impact of living with a retracted stoma. If your bladder cancer treatment plan includes surgery to remove your bladder, known as a radical cystectomy... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Cancer: A Hereditary HangoverA cancer diagnosis in the family, I've come to learn, has long-term effects for more than just the patient. In the beginning, when I first received the news that my... By Phil Norris3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Reclaiming My NormalI have declared 2023 as the year I will reclaim my normal. In 2019 I was diagnosed with what should have been terminal bladder cancer. 2020 brought about COVID. 2021... By Brittney Tellekamp2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Truly Loving My Birthday Once AgainTo anyone who knows me well, I have always loved birthdays. I am writing this a few days before my 46th birthday. In fact, I always liked to think I... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments3 comments
The TURBT Before Chemo2021 rang in as most New Year's do. Instead of silly resolutions, we would forget days or weeks later, Mom and I were focused on her bladder cancer battle. ... By Charles Anthony Ulloa4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Urostomies: Sharing Our Knowledge with Each OtherI have often wondered if a urostomy is something that most healthcare professionals - doctors, nurses, physician's assistants, techs - know and understand. From the information I have gleaned from... By Linda Urbanski4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments20 comments
Community Views: Your Bladder Cancer VictoriesLiving with bladder cancer is never easy. But, thankfully, there can be wins and milestones worth celebrating along the way. As last year came to a close, we wanted to... By Editorial Team 2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Dealing With Illness and Ostomies: Late Night ThoughtsDo you have late-night thoughts? I think we all do at some point. There is always a night you can't sleep for one reason or another. It could be a... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The Art of a Phone CallI recently discussed how I could offer support while living overseas. Living abroad and being unable to physically be there during my Mother's cancer journey was difficult. But I did... By Phil Norris3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments4 comments
Supporting an Ostomy Bag: Adhesive Removal Spray and Barrier FilmI am back for my final part to take a look at another couple of additional ostomy products which may help you on your ostomy journey. Today I am going... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Offering Support: Being There When You Can't Be ThereIf someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, you'll obviously want to support them in every way possible. If you live locally, you can offer support in many ways:... By Phil Norris3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
It Has Been a While!It has been a while since I last wrote anything, and that has been due to my physical and mental health. I found life so overwhelming that I retreated into... By Anita Brown4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
COVID With an OstomyAfter 3.5 years of managing to avoid COVID-19 - it finally got me. Having avoided contracting COVID-19 up until now was probably partly due to luck. However, for the most... By Laura MacKenzie3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments