HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

A bump in the road.

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/27/2013 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Well so far I have fared very well since starting out in 2006, but it's time for a bump in the road report.

I have had a recent bout with blood in urine. I do not suspect anything wrong with the plumbing from surgery or radiation but it's possible. More likely, I have also experienced some back pain recently and suspect a possible kidney stone or more.

Otherwise feeling fine, just a bit discouraging to see red urine. I set up an appointment with a urologist and it's not until November 5. If anything more distressing happens I'll expedite. But for now I'll wait it out until November 5. The urologist I will see is my diagnosing doctor for my advanced PCa. An Ivy leaguer with cool manners in the office.

Any sharing of experiences here appreciated.

Just a background, I was diagnosed with stage pT3b with bilateral seminal invasion in 2006/7. Had surgery/radiation and three very wonderful (sic) years of HT. I never saw blood in urine since my biopsy in 2006. All my plumbing has worked well since. I consider myself and advanced knowledge layman and patient advocate and suspect the following possibilities:

1> Stricture from the surgery (low risk at 7 years out)
2> possible bladder issues due to radiation therapy. (Also low risk)
3> Bladder stones. (Possible)
4> Kidney or UTI infection (possible)
5> Kidney Stones (possible and more likely)
6> Ureter or urethra related issues (????)

Again love you all and thanks for your experiences.

Tony
Posted 9/27/2013 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tony:

So sorry to hear that you are having some issues. Things have gone so well for so long with you that I was hoping it would be a lifetime thing! Hopefully this is on the simple side (like UTI) and will get cleared up quickly. I have no experience to share but absolutely wish and pray for the best. BTW, I'm not sure I would have the patience to wait for a month. Does your doc have any partners that you could see early or...can't you just press them a bit and get in early?

Anyway, all the best.

Jim
Posted 9/27/2013 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry about the symptom.
I once had blood in my urine while driving 20 hours one day in the winter. Also had blood with hepatitis.
I get kidney stones but my blood only shows on urinalysis, it is not visible to me.Hope it is nothing significant. Good luck.
Posted 9/27/2013 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Jim,
Thank you sir. Yea I was hoping for no issues again but stuff happens. It could and likely is the simple side but it needs to be watched. It's only been a couple days and if it at all worsens then I'll call back and pressure them. But I can also go to the emergency room. If it's sporadic, and it is, then I can wait it out. I am very much particular with my doctors. I haven't visited a urologist in years as my oncology captain is well known and he is not a urologist. Once my surgery was completed I had very few issues and all within that first few months after RP. The last six years have been a breeze plumbing wise.

Tony
Posted 9/27/2013 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Tony - sorry to hear about this bump, and hope it's nothing serious. . . I agree with Tud about it maybe prudent to try to get in sooner rather than a month out just to put it to bed - but I also know you know your body and will listen to it. . .

Another aspect of course is the need to stay with someone you know (and knows you) and trust.

Hopefully it stays sporadic and a minor issue, but if not I would hope you could get some special
dispensation and get in sooner.

Continued best to you bro with continued thoughts and prayers your way.
Posted 9/27/2013 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
could be small blood vessels affected by the radiation that burst as this is common. good luck.
JT
Posted 9/27/2013 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
There seems to be many urethra/bladder-related problems in men after the radiation, that show up years later. It is tissue that was exposed to radiation, it is scarred and probably prone to overreacting at any opportunity your body will let it. Probably 2 or 4. Hope your doctor will take care of it asap. Best to you TC.
Posted 9/27/2013 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tony, sorry to hear this. I'm certainly not one to give you medical advice, but in your shoes I'd want to see a urologist earlier than November.

I don't know that this would be related to PCa, but probably good to jump on it. I had kideney stones and did have traces of blood in urine, but these were not visible by eye. do you have the typical pain that goes with stones?

You seem calm, that's good. I'd feel so put upon.
Posted 9/27/2013 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Tony, being that I am the King of Strictures, I would tend to rule that out, especially 7 years out. And you would probably have noticed a slowing of your stream, ever so slowly over a long period of time, and with all my severe stricture issues, there was never any blood or bleeding.

I would probably rule out your #2, again, due to the length of the time, and assuming you don't have any other radiation issues at this point.

Your #4 or your #5 seems most credible in my experience.

Too bad you have to wait so long to see the doctor. I would hate to see you in an ER situation if it suddenly worsened on you. As bleeding for the reasons being speculated could quickly lead to acute pain. For your sake, I hope none of the above happens in between.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

David in SC
Posted 9/27/2013 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
Are you still seeing blood in your urine? If so, you may want to get worked in sooner to see your doctor. Interesting, I am not seeing blood in my urine but the last blood work I had done is June showed some blood in my urine. I hope it isn't there in December when I am retested. In any case, I know you will handle it with all guns just like you did your PCa.
Posted 9/27/2013 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
Have you ever had a kidney stone? It can cause blood in urine.
Posted 9/27/2013 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for the replies.

I am leaning to the stones but have not had any discomfort. We'll just have to take it one day at a time. Stay tuned.

Tony
Posted 9/27/2013 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
Tony many years ago before PCa i had urine in the blood and it turned out to be a bladder infection. I hope your case is nothing more than that.
Posted 9/28/2013 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
Hi TC, a few ladies on caregivers thread recently mentioned blood and clots in urine. I know more of the guys have noted blood and debris. I read that stuff because of my husbands bladder bleeding. I hope your is from infection. Mark's delay in getting a cystoscope because doc treated as recurrent bladder infection over 3 month period ignored the metastatic tumors growing there. If you can't get an earlier appointment, a urine culture and one course of antibiotics could help to rule in/out infection as cause. An oncologist could order this or your GP.
Pat
Posted 9/28/2013 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Tony.  I've had "gross hematuria" twice since surgery 3 years ago.  Each time I went in quickly to see my uro.  He followed up with a cystoscopy and even some imaging of the kidneys, as well as the standard urine test, all of which proved negative.  At his office, there was no sign of blood on either visit.

Very strange, but it hasn't happened now in well over a year, and my wife and I both theorize I may have passed a small kidney stone. 

In any case, it's a symptom that should not be ignored.  Stay on top of it.

Posted 9/28/2013 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
HI TC-LasVegas (Tony),

I would vote for seeing an urologist next week if the blood persists over the weekend.
A November 5th appointment seems a long wait. In addition to blood in the urine, do you have any pain while urinating?

All the best,

Joe.
Posted 9/28/2013 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
Tony,

Sorry to hear that...yes, keep us updated....probably just a urinary tract infection...or something easily treatable.

Are you in any drugs, blood thinners? Some drugs cause this....

Hang in there....

Jerry
Posted 9/28/2013 11:43 AM (GMT 0)
If you can't get an earlier appointment, a urine culture and one course of antibiotics could help to rule in/out infection as cause. An oncologist could order this or your GP.   

Tony, I have to agree with Pat and the others.  Please see if you can get an earlier appointment date so the doctor can start ruling out things.  Maybe get on some antibiotics.  I was sad to read about this bump in the road.  You'll be in our thoughts and prayers.  Please keep us posted!

Peace,

Aimzee

Posted 9/28/2013 12:45 PM (GMT 0)
TC old friend:

Fear creates a state of torpor.

Get it checked out sooner. You know that.

Mel

Posted 9/28/2013 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
Tony,

I had blood in urine about 10 months ago. Scared the out of me. What I had was radiarion cystitus. Forgive the spelling. This can occur from 1 month to10 years out from radiation. It took about amonth for it to stop but was also told it will come back. It is not harmful unless you get blockage from a clot. 

Posted 9/28/2013 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
Tony - Kidney stones are only painful when they pass into the ureter toward the bladder or into the urethra. So, yes could be stones but the blood would be microscopic and not visible if it is contained within the kidney or bladder. UA and culture should be done sooner than later to rule out UTI.
Posted 9/28/2013 7:03 PM (GMT 0)
Tony,

I've had blood in my urine twice over the years, both pre-PCa. Both times it was bright red (a little blood goes a long way) and after much poking around judged to be a burst blood vessel. Both times there was only blood (visible) for two or urinations. So it could very well be nothing, like it was with me twice. The old burst blood vessel is not all that uncommon.

As an aside, the last time it happened I was in France and saw a local Doc who's English was almost as bad as my French. I finally got the message across that my piss that morning looked like the Rhône wine I'd drank the night before!

Best of luck with this bump in the road.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply