Bill Moroney - Bladder Cancer Survivor

In April 2015, I was diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and was beginning the preparation for having my bladder, prostate and a variety of other bits and parts removed.

It would be a couple of months before I ever heard the term “bladder preservation” and met the radiation oncologist who saved my quality of life – John Christodouleas, MD, at PennMedicine in Philadelphia. I had a great life before bladder cancer, and thanks to the support of my wonderful wife, Tracy, and a great team of doctors, I still do. It is important to note that, back in 2015, everyone was calling bladder removal the “gold standard” of the treatment for bladder cancer. You still hear the “gold standard” term today, but it is either for those for whom preservation is not a viable option or from people who haven’t kept up with the advances in bladder preservation.

Following my diagnosis, I received conflicting advice from different doctors responsible for my care. While quite worrisome, this turned out to be a good thing because it prompted me to reach out to literally everyone I knew for more information. Through referrals and just plain luck, I met two doctors who introduced me to the option of bladder preservation – William Shipley, MD, Chair of the Genitourinary Oncology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and Bruce Kressel, MD, Medical Oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Washington, DC.

Through them, I found the bladder cancer team at PennMedicine, and cancelled my bladder removal surgery. Following three rounds of neoadjuvant split-dose cisplatin and gemcitabine chemotherapy in June and July, I began six weeks of radiation coupled with a little more concurrent chemotherapy in Philadelphia at PennMedicine in August. By the end of the treatment, there was no evidence of the disease and I’ve been that way ever since.

One of the many resources available from the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) is their Survivor-to-Survivor program. I’ve been part of that for a couple of years and, through it, I am connected with newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients to talk about my experience with preservation. All want to know about how difficult the treatment can be and what, if any, side effects there are.

For a variety of reasons, I feel like I was fortunate to accommodate the treatment better than some other men I got to know in the waiting room. I was in my 60s and in fairly good shape. I was told I should expect some pain from the radiation, but I never experienced any that really required medication. My biggest challenge was just lying still while something the size of a small car rotated around me – but you get used to that and they play music which helps.

The biggest physical impact was exhaustion right after the treatment, but following a nap, I usually felt rejuvenated. I was already bald, so hair loss was not a concern and I didn’t lose any more. My appetite was not noticeably affected. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t lose any weight. Recovery after all the rounds of chemo and radiation was fairly rapid.

The biggest impact of the treatment was the time it took. I retired in 2011, so I had the time. If I had been working, I would not have been able to do a full day’s work, but I probably could gave kept up with most of it.

Preservation is not a solution for every bladder cancer patient, but today - thanks to radiation oncologists and a more enlightened medical community – the option is out there for many more patients than ever before. If you are diagnosed with bladder cancer, make a point of asking about preservation AND speaking with a radiation oncologist. Dr. Christodouleas and his entire team at PennMedicine were superb back in 2015 and have continued to be equally caring throughout my many follow-on visits and checkups ever since.

And, finally, my story is not complete without stressing how important the support I received from my wife, Tracy, was. I believe this process, especially the first year, had to have been harder on her than me. (She disagrees, but this is my story.) I had the distraction of searching for solutions and experiencing treatment. While I was being fatalistic about this, she had to worry about being supportive and dwelling on what could happen if all this didn’t work. During chemo and radiation, while I would sleep through many days, she was left to worry alone.

I have been incredibly blessed to have Tracy in my life. I could not have gotten through this without her being with me for every step of this journey.