After several GP visits and Urologist visits for frequent and painful urination it wasn’t until almost six months later my husband was diagnosed with Stage IV bladder cancer on 27/5/21. It was a very rare and aggressive form known as Micropapillary Carcinoma Bladder Cancer. His treating Urologist hadn’t seen this type since 2006 and his treating Oncologist since 2014. My husband had never smoked which is apparently a leading cause for bladder cancer.
Less than a week after diagnosis he had ensured a seven hour surgery to remove his bladder, prostate and eight lymph nodes of which the cancer was in seven of them. There was a six week recovery report before chemo could commence.
Four cycles of chemo were required however after only one, my husband was admitted to ICU with lungs full of blood clots. Blood thinners then created other complications which resulted in 33 nights in hospital. It was decided chemo should not continue due to serious life threatening complications.
Mid September 2021 immunotherapy was commenced (Avelumab). These were administered every 14 days via his port. Mid November a PET scan was done and it was the first scan done since first diagnosed with cancer back in May (not sure why there was such a long gap).
On 25/11/21 we received devastating news that the cancer had spread to my husband’s bones, further spread of the disease in more lymph nodes and in the area where his bladder and prostate had been removed. We were advised we had 6-12 months based on how aggressive his type of bladder cancer was.
My beautiful husband lost his fight eleven weeks later and passed away on 10/2/22. He fought til the end to be with our family. He will forever be 56.