Cystitus

I started to get cystitis symptoms at the end of the 1st week of my SRT. Symptoms are cloudy urine, which sometimes smells a bit "cheesy", faint traces of blood some days, and an intense burning sensation along the length of my penis whilst urinating. Urine was sent away to check for a bladder infection, none present. I am now nearing the end of my 4th week of radiation.

The radiation oncologist has requested my urologist to perform a cystoscopy, but it looks like he will not be able to do this for about 2 weeks. I am flagging this up with the radiation oncologist, but noy sure that I am getting any joined up thinking from my care team at this time.

Any advice from those who have been thru the SRT? Should I be concerned and have a bit of a rant at the docs, or am I just being a wuss?

This sounds so much like my situation! 42 treatments IMRT, 2.5 years ago, five months ago all the problems started, burning and blood in urine, bladder spasms, they thought kidney stones which it was not, on a cystiscope the found tumors and a badly damaged bladder and everything tied to it. After surgery and months of pain they have me in hyperbaric chamber for 80 hours, 2 hours per day. My thought is careless tecs giving the radiation as with the new systems they are suposed to hit the mark withing millimeters. Again I would never choose that route. Stats were G7 stage 2. One hyberbaric chamber treatment left tomarrow and they will do another cystiscope to see how it has healed. Had ED but Viagra worked well, now after hyperbaric no ED or burning when unrinating or ejaculating. Only side effect now is must urinate every 1/2 hour and am on Vesicare which pretty much takes care of it. They will do a cystascope on you and see what he inside of your bladder is like and take a sample to see if cancer, mine ws not cancer in the tumor they removed.

Thanks Peter.

Urologist has had a change of heart and has decided to do a cystocopy today. I suspect the radiation oncologist bent his ear a bit, as he had contacted the urologist last Friday to get this arranged.

So I guess I am not going to win the patient of the year award from him, but then again, I did not enter this situation for the popularity. I will be giving the urologist a piece of my mind AFTER the cystoscopy as I am pretty steamed about communication method - I get vague voice-mails from him, his secretary only works part time, after 7pm, as she has a full time nurse position and he wont give me his email address, so the only way I can speak to him is at a paid for appointment once a week. Seriously considering firing him, as long as I can find a qualified replacement.

Have skin tattoos for markers. My issue with the Uro is that I cannot speak to him and the communications from him are muddled. He left me a voice mail telling me that maybe he would do a cystoscopy before going on holiday, and then it took me 3 days to clarify that he would not. The oncologist wanted it to ensure that there was not a major issue developing that would necessitate re-targeting the radiotherapy.

When I saw the urologist and he did the cystoscopy at last on Friday, he tells me he had discussed suspending the therapy until he had done the cystoscopy, but the oncologist had told him that was not an option. I did not have the chance to explore the situation further with him as he decided that on the basis of the cystoscopy that the issue was to do with the radiotherapy, but it was not serious and things should just continue, and I am to get back to see him in 2 weeks.

My issue is as always that the medics are talking about me to each other, and feeding me just the snippets that they think I need to know, and not the whole story. It is my body, and I am darned if I will just let it be treated as if it is a medical conundrum to amuse the professionals.