Living with Cancer: The Agony and the Ectasy

Pinson resident Davy Campbell, M.S.N., C.R.N.P., is a nurse practitioner for UAB cardiac surgeon David McGiffin, M.D. Here is his first-person account of his experience with bladder cancer.              

I still can’t believe what has happened to me in the past couple of years. I was a healthy 43-year-old male working as a nurse practitioner at UAB Hospital. I rarely got sick and rarely missed a day of work. I was also somewhat athletic. I was a runner and could run three or four miles without any problem.               

Then, one day after jogging, I noticed that my urine was bloody. I went to see a local urologist shortly afterward. He ordered an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) that ruled out kidney stones. He also wanted me to get a cystoscopy to look inside my bladder, but my symptoms went away. However, the problem returned within a couple of months and then went away again. This pattern continued for several months, and finally, after about a year, I went to UAB urologist John Burns, M.D., and had a cystoscopy.             

When Dr. Burns looked inside my bladder, he found a large tumor. A biopsy later revealed that I had a stage III transitional cell carcinoma of my bladder. I was totally shocked. As I mentioned, I was healthy, didn’t smoke  and was athletic. Nevertheless, he stated I would have to have my bladder totally removed due to the severity of the cancer.              

UAB surgeon Donald Urban, M.D., removed my bladder in August 2004. The best option for was for Dr. Urban to create a new bladder—called a “neobladder”—out of 20 inches of my small intestine. A neobladder is hidden beneath the skin and allows a patient to urinate normally. However, it does have a couple of drawbacks. I have to catheterize myself each night to make sure my bladder is completely empty. Also, I have to sleep with a protective undergarment because I can’t control my urine while I sleep. This can be humiliating, and it is a daily reminder of the havoc cancer has wreaked in my body. Having my natural bladder removed disrupted the nerves in my abdomen, and I am unable to control the need to go to the bathroom. Thankfully I can control it during the day, but nighttime continues to be a problem.            

All things being considered, I recovered pretty well from my cancer surgery. I was working and even running again when the second part of my cancer journey began. In December 2005, a routine CT scan revealed that cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in my abdomen. Again, I was totally shocked. I had felt so good! A follow-up biopsy  showed that the cancer had returned, and as a result, I had to undergo chemotherapy, the absolute worst chapter of my life.            

For three and a half months, I had chemotherapy with Cisplatin® and Gemzar® under the care of UAB oncologist Graeme Bolger, M.D. The Cisplatin® was especially vicious, causing severe nausea and dehydration. I was hospitalized four times for dehydration and anemia and once for a urinary tract infection. The Cisplatin® also caused partial hearing loss, neuropathy (numbness) in my hands and feet and kidney damage. Finally, in June 2006, the chemotherapy graciously came to an end. I was overjoyed.            

I am pleased to report that my CT scans since then have been favorable. I cautiously say I’m in remission, although I’m still getting CT scans of my abdomen and visiting my oncologist every three months. Even though I’m what you would call a “cancer survivor,” I would hasten to add that I am also a “cancer victim” due to the cancer and its subsequent treatment.             

What have I learned from all of my travails? I guess the best way to describe it is that my struggles have brought some agony and some ecstasy. If you recall, there is an old Charlton Heston movie titled The Agony And The Ecstasy, which tells the story of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel while Pope Julius leads his country in battle. As you can imagine, painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was an arduous process, but the finished paintings are absolutely breathtaking. Going through a long and difficult process can lead to a profoundly moving result.

My cancer has contained much agony and ecstasy, both physically and emotionally. I still have to deal with the residual effects of my initial surgery. The daily urinary catheterization, although not exactly painful, is somewhat bothersome. I long to be able to put on my pajamas, brush my teeth and go to sleep like most people do, but I don’t have the luxury. I have a very different nightly routine that I have to follow to protect myself.            

Perhaps the biggest agony has come from the residual effects of chemotherapy. I still have partial hearing loss (I now have to wear hearing aids on certain occasions) and peripheral neuropathy, making it difficult for me to feel my fingers and toes. My kidneys still have not recovered, although they are gradually improving.            

What about the ecstasy? Is there anything good that can come from cancer? I’m happy to say that, in my life, there is. After my bladder surgery, I had a manuscript titled “Bladder Cancer: Revealing News About A Hidden Threat” published in the April edition of Nursing2006 magazine. This is a comprehensive article based on my experiences and all that I learned about bladder cancer while I was recovering from surgery. In addition, I have had the privilege of speaking about bladder cancer at several nursing conferences. Many opportunities have arisen for me to speak to others like me and educate more people about this dreaded cancer.

However, the biggest joy has come from my new appreciation of life. Although I enjoyed life before cancer, I now don’t take simple things for granted—the rain, the sunshine, friends and family. I enjoy every day of life just like God intends us to do. One of my favorite Bible verses since I got cancer is “I will not die, but live and tell the works of the Lord” (Psalm 118:17). With what I’ve experienced thus far, who knows what glorious days lie ahead?  

Bladder Cancer Snapshot
• Bladder cancer accounts for 90 percent of cancers of the urinary tract. It is two to three times more common in men and is more prevalent among Caucasians.
• In the United States, approximately 38,000 men and 15,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year.
• The incidence of bladder cancer increases with age. The risk for developing the disease is two to three times greater for people 70 and older than for those aged 55 to 69—and 15 to 20 times greater compared to those aged 30 to 54.

Source: American Cancer Society