The Bladder Cancer Canada Podcast

Get ready to be inspired as we welcome back the incredible Krysta Brkich on our latest episode of The Bladder Cancer Canada podcast, this time joined by our wonderful host Summer Stewart! In this captivating installment, Summer sits down with Krysta to explore even deeper into her remarkable journey, filled with resilience, courage, and triumph over bladder cancer.From navigating the challenges of diagnosis to finding strength in the face of adversity, Krysta shares her empowering story, offering insights and lessons that resonate far beyond her own experience. Join us as we uncover the moments that shaped Krysta's path and discover the profound impact of her journey on Bladder Cancer Awareness Month and beyond.Summer Stewart, a seasoned oncology product specialist with a marketing background, brings a unique perspective to the Bladder Cancer Canada podcast. Having cared for her mother through an 8-year cancer battle and experiencing the patient journey firsthand, Summer is dedicated to sharing patient support stories. Proudly volunteering for Bladder Cancer Canada, she resides in White Rock, BC, where she enjoys golf, reading, and community service.

To celebrate Father's Day, we talk with Jack Moon about the humble beginnings of BCC, its phenomenal growth over the past 12 years, and about Jack’s dream for the future. 

Bladder cancer doesn’t discriminate when it comes to age. In this episode, we speak with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patient Julie about her 28 years of dealing with recurring bladder cancer tumours after being diagnosed at age 22. Julie talks candidly about dealing with bladder cancer tumours during both her pregnancies and the treatment she received to save the lives of herself and her babies.We hope that through ongoing awareness, especially during bladder cancer awareness month, we can educate more people on the early symptoms of bladder cancer. Early detection can not only save lives but for many people, it can save their bladders! #BCAM2022

BCG is a long name that many of us only guess at the pronunciation (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin).  But most people aren’t aware it has been part of Canadian medical history for decades, and how a Canadian was involved in its use as a cancer treatment.   In this podcast, hosted by Collin Whitehouse, the unique and exciting history of BCG is explained by Dr. Alexander Zlotta. Dr. Zlotta is a Professor in the Department of Surgery and Urology at University of Toronto, Director of UroOncology at Mount Sinai, associate editor at Frontiers in Oncology and the Bladder Cancer journal, and staff member in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center. Dr. Zlotta is also joined by NMIBC patient Jonathan Peterson. 

The average bladder cancer patient is an older male who has smoked, worked with certain chemicals or has a family history of bladder cancer. Does that mean you can’t have bladder cancer?That’s what Krysta thought. She’s a 37-year-old woman who has never smoked or worked in an industry associated with the risk of bladder cancer, and has no family history of bladder cancer. So, when she was diagnosed with bladder cancer, she was shocked. Bladder Cancer Canada's Tawny Barratt talked with Krysta about her experience and what she would recommend to other women.For Krysta, her experience is a powerful lesson she wants to share with all women. “What the urologist told me is so important that, as women, UTI’s are common, very common, and when we go to the doctor and… they immediately put women on antibiotics and then send you on your way. And then they just continue to do that repeatedly over and over and over. And it’s not addressing what’s actually going on.Krysta advises to listen to your body and know when something’s not right. She was lucky her doctor was so proactive and pushed ahead with other other tests. Even though she did not fit the typical profile of a bladder cancer patient. This podcast is generously sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer Canada and EMD Serono.

That’s one topic discussed by Bladder Cancer Canada’s Tawny Barratt and cancer survivor Angela in this podcast. In the podcast, Angela tells Tawny she was born with spina bifida. “My spine was on the other side of my back in a sack the size of an orange. I needed surgery to fix that and there was a lot of nerve damage.” Among other things, her brain wasn’t communicating with her bladder. “There was never a signal saying, ‘it’s time to go.’ My parents were told I would need to be catheterized every day of my life.” With each catheter costing about $10 and the procedure needed up to 10 times a day, costs mounted. “Medical staff taught my mom how to sanitize them so they could be reused. As I got older, I would stretch out my reuse of catheters as much as I could.” Perhaps it was the reuse, the number of times needed, or the inflammation from having to do it at all, that led to another medical issue. Angela began having frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs). “Sometimes I could flush them out with water or drinking lots of fluids, but I was also on antibiotics for years. This is something very common for people with spina bifida.” In her late 30s, though, another health problem developed: bladder cancer. “In August of 2018 I noticed large blood clots in my urine. I immediately made a doctor's appointment because I'd never seen that before. It was first treated as a UTI but I had chronic pain in my bladder and kidneys, so I went back to my doctor.”Listen to Angela talk about how her non muscle invasive bladder cancer quickly progressed to muscle invasive and after numerous forms of failed treatment, she had her bladder removed in May 2021.She shares how the Bladder Cancer Canada website and patient guidebooks provided the information and support she needed when fighting an aggressive cancer that no one in her life knew much about.This podcast is generously sponsored by Coloplast Canada. BCC note: Using a catheter does not mean that you will get bladder cancer. Catheterization is widely recommended and recognized by urologists and nurses. If you need to use a catheter, it’s recommended you learn more about their use and proper sanitization.  

Join us for this very special podcast on Mother’s Day as we talk to mom Lisa about her experience being a caregiver to her two sons, Matteo and Nicco, while they both battled cancers at very young ages.In this unbelievable story, Lisa talks candidly about her experience when Matteo, who is turning 14 years old next month, was diagnosed with bladder cancer when he was only 16 months old. Matteo would then have his bladder removed when he was 2 and a half years old after scans showed that his bladder cancer had become very aggressive.“I found out from a friend that works in the surgical unit at the hospital that 21 surgeries were cancelled the day that Matteo had his bladder removed,” recalls Lisa. “They wanted as many surgeons as possible to be available during the surgery because no one had done this type of surgery on someone so young.” In a shocking turn of events, Lisa shares that Matteo had just finished his treatments and protocol when, 6 months later and at the age of 2, Nicco was diagnosed with leukemia. Nicco’s protocol would last almost 4 years and by the time he was finished, Lisa had spent a total of 8 years supporting her sons and advocating for them to get the best care possible. Lisa also talks about what it was like for her as a young mom and the anxiety she faced as she juggled spending full days in the hospital with Matteo, dropping off and picking up her oldest child and daughter Jayden at daycare, and then rushing home to breast feed Nicco. “One of us still had to work and pay the bills,” she remembers. “My husband would work all day and then go to the hospital to be with Matteo so that I could spend time with our other children at night. How would I take care of myself during all that?” Lisa wonders, as she talks about her anxiety, panic attacks and the medication she took for years just to cope. Lisa’s piece of advice for other caregivers or mothers going through something similar is that it’s a nightmare that you will get through, adding that, “You never know how strong you are until you have no other option – you’re stronger than you think.” Be sure to listen to the podcast and don’t miss the special guest that makes an appearance part way through the podcast – another bladder cancer patient with an ostomy pouch that helped turned things around for Matteo and helped him understand that he wasn’t alone.This podcast is hosted by Tawny Barratt, Director of Communications at Bladder Cancer Canada.

Listen to Jane Brown on Zoomer's new show, The Morning Zoom with Sam and Jane as she talks about David Guttman and how he began Bladder Cancer Canada after being diagnosed with bladder cancer 25 years ago. She talks about her involvement with recording our first podcast, during Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, and helping to tell David's story.Jane lost her mother, Sandy, to bladder cancer in 2012 and has been an advocate at Bladder Cancer Canada in her memory since 2015. We are so grateful for Jane's ongoing support and helping us to share our awareness efforts to Canadians across the country. 80,000 Canadians are currently living with a bladder cancer diagnosis and 12,000 more will be diagnosed this year.For more information or patient support, including our online forum, virtual support groups  or our one one one peer support program, please visit our website at www.bladdercancercanada.org.

Zoomer Radio's Jane Brown and David Guttman, co-founder of Bladder Cancer Canada, recalls how scared and alone David felt when  he got his bladder cancer diagnosis 25 years ago. Back then, awareness about bladder cancer was very low. Patients and their loved ones faced a long and lonesome road through a difficult treatment process. Often, their only support system was the medical teams who tended to their bodily disease.  Even as he battled his own cancer, David wanted to help other Canadians who were similarly impacted, by introducing that missing key element – moral support. With help from likeminded people, he established Bladder Cancer Canada in 2009 to provide patient support and shine a light on various bladder cancer issues.  Today, at 80, he recounts his long journey and what drove him to become one of Canada’s strongest advocates for bladder cancer awareness. Bladder Cancer Canada supports the 80,000 Canadians currently living with a bladder cancer diagnosis, and also the 12,000 Canadians that will be diagnosed this year. We provide patient support through online discussion forums, virtual support groups and a one on one peer support program. We also increase awareness of this disease that can be deadly if not diagnosed early, and fund research to help improve the quality of care and treatments to Canadians. For more information, visit our website at www.bladdercancercanada.org.