Sue Babbitt was well past menopause when she noticed she was bleeding whenever going to the bathroom.  Antibiotics and other medication did nothing, but Sue’s doctor ordered a CT scan.  It revealed a mass in her bladder, which was the source of the bleeding.  Sue went on chemotherapy, then a surgical procedure to remove her bladder.  The surgery in 2017 was a success, but Sue had to wear an ostomy bag, which she will always have to wear.  She eventually had a urinary tract infection, but that was successfully addressed.  Sue occasionally experiences leakage from the bag, but otherwise feels fine and is able to play with her grandchildren.

 

Sue Babbitt of Denver, Colorado knew something was wrong when she detected blood in her urine.  She did not bleed between trips to the bathroom, but she did when urinating.  As they attempted to find the reason for the bleeding, doctors wanted to start with the simplest approach, so they prescribed an antibiotic.  When that didn’t work, they tried another medication, also without success.  Her general practitioner thought perhaps a CT scan could determine the source of the bleeding, which it did. The scan showed a mass in Sue’s bladder.  She was diagnosed with Stage II bladder cancer.

 

Sue Babbitt was then referred to a urologist, who removed the mass, after which she could go home.  At first the care team thought the mass was cancerous but benign, but upon further review, it determined that the mass’s cancer was aggressive.  Doctors gave Sue two treatment options.  She could go through four rounds of chemotherapy after which they would the cancer’s status, or she could go through the same four rounds of chemo and have entire bladder.  Doctors recommended the second option, and that was that option Sue chose.

 

She said the seven-hour procedure was a success and of October 2017, she no longer had a bladder.  She remained in the hospital for eight days, but afterward she was fitted with an ostomy bag.  Sue quickly acclimated herself to having the bag and maintaining it.  She was able to dress in such a manner that unless she told you she had the bag, you wouldn’t notice it.  Sue tries to make the best of this challenging situation by knowing she no longer has to rush to the bathroom or get out of bed in the middle of the night in order to urinate. 

 

As is the case with everyone who is put on chemotherapy, it was unpleasant at times, but in retrospect she is glad her treatment included chemo because it killed the cancer cells, setting her up for her bladder removal surgery.  She is also glad her cancer was detected early, so that it was Stage II, meaning it had not spread to other parts of her body.

 

Not long after her surgery, Sue Babbitt felt well enough to join her family on a trip to Costa Rica.  She did have a urinary tract infection that placed back in the hospital for three days in late 2017, but she has not returned to the hospital.