Sandy's Radical Life - Bladder Cancer & Obesity Advocacy

03/09/2026

Thrilled to be part of the A Fresh Chapter session at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Spring Patient summit this week. There are so many gifts and silver linings in both bladder cancer and obesity recovery. But the fight of being able to be present in my daily life is the most unexpected gift of obesity recovery.

https://afreshchapter.com/

https://bcan.org/bladder-cancer-summits-for-patients-and-families/

02/23/2026

I never imagined that a benefit of being on a GLP-1 would be being able to be more present. More present with myself, with my family with my friends. I never imagined I would ever even be at this weight ,but to be maintaining a 30% weight loss, and having the food noise in my head almost gone. Wow. Just wow.

02/17/2026

Learning to empty our Indiana Pouch is critical - it’s one of the most important early skills we can learn. It prevents UTI’s, leakage and stones. It takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and know that you’ll learn over time. This is one way the Indiana Pouch is different from the Ileal Conduit (the outside bag). It is not a device or product. It is a brand new organ made out of another organ (WOW is the human body amazing, and are medicine and our surgeons amazing!).

It is going to take you awhile to learn YOUR new organ. Each of our pouches is different. I can’t tell you exactly how to empty yours, but I can share what others have shared with me and what works for me. Are you a poucher and have suggestions - please add them to the comments!

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02/14/2026

Continuing our discussion on life with our continent diversions with my friend Lydia’s neobladder and my Indiana Pouch.

When you talk about silver linings in a cancer journey, the friendships are the best - who thought I’d make a friend I could talk to about bladders (and life in general!) for hours on end!!

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For more information:

Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN)

Fact Sheets: https://bcan.org/get-the-facts-about-bladder-cancer/

Survivor to Survivor Program: https://bcan.org/find-support/survivor-to-survivor/

01/31/2026

01/27/2026

https://obesity.net/living/long-term-weight-loss-with-glp-1s

It took me a long time to decide to share my obesity journey. But my weight was more threatening to my health than my bladder cancer. It took the GLP-1’s to give me the help to be able to change that. The journey out of obesity, which I am still on is difficult. A GLP-1 is not a magic pill despite what some may think.

01/20/2026

Most surgeons (not all though) will tell patients they should irrigate (also known as flushing) their Indiana Pouch , at least for the first year. It’s nothing to worry about or think will take up a lot of time. Once I got the hang of it I found it to be pretty simple.

01/19/2026

Urine for a Treat: Episode 2: Surgeon Recommendations

01/18/2026

Urine for a Treat Episode 4: How we made our decision

To speak with a survivor with any one of the three diversions, go to the BCAN Survivor to Survivor Program: https://bcan.org/find-support/survivor-to-survivor/

01/18/2026

Urine for a Treat: Episode 3 Two Paths One Goal: Neobladder and Indiana Pouch Explained. See links below for excellent Indiana Pouch and Neobladder fact sheets from www.bcan.org

https://bcan.org/wp-content/uploads/ #2025/04/What-is-a-neobladder.pdf

https://bcan.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/What-is-an-Indiana-pouch.pdf

01/18/2026

Urine for a Treat: Episode 1: Diagnosis