What John Morley originally thought was a urinary tract infection turned out to be a diagnosis of bladder cancer.  At first, he was told it was a mild form of the disease.  Then the diagnosis was upgraded to T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, requiring a radical cystectomy meaning he would need to get his bladder removed.  His care team next told John he would also have to get his prostate taken out.  Next a mass was detected on his spleen, which meant that it, too, would have to be removed.  Treatment and recovery were tough, but he now urinates into a bag known as an ileal conduit, has become acclimated to it and leads a healthy lifestyle.

 

John Morley of Haymarket, Virginia is a Navy veteran who enjoyed scuba diving, hiking and other outdoor activities when in late 2021, he noticed blood in his urine.  He sought medical attention with his primary care physician, who upon learning of John’s symptoms, referred him to a urologist.  The urologist called for cystoscopy, a procedure in which a camera is inserted in the patient’s urethra, and based on its results, said a biopsy would be needed.

 

John received a blend of bad and good news.  He was told he had bladder cancer, but because it was T1 Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, the cancer had not spread from his bladder.  John and his wife felt like celebrating and went out to dinner.

 

However, a short time later, John Morley was called back into the doctor's office.  He and his wife were told a followup check of his pathology report showed his cancer had been upgraded to T2 Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.  Not only did this mean John would have to undergo a radical cystectomy to remove his bladder, but the procedure would have to be preceded by two or three months of chemotherapy, a regimen that would include cisplatin and gemacitabine.

 

As he wondered what life would be like without a bladder, the news for John got worse.  He was told he would have to undergo a prostatectomy for the removal of his prostate.  Then a mass was detected in his spleen, and the spleen would have come out as well, all three in the same surgery.

 

The multi-faceted surgery was a success, but John had to decide how he was going to urinate.  Over two other options, he chose an ileal conduit.  It was attached to his stomach, close to his navel.  The urine drained into a urostomy bag.

 

Following the operation, John relied on walking to help him slowly regain his strength.  He has a good command of his use of the urostomy bag, and though it wasn’t what he enjoyed pre-diagnosis, John Morley has returned to a healthy lifestyle that includes scuba diving.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Support Group: The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Group: https://www.bcan.org

 

John Website: https://www.beatbladdercancer.org