The Urology Department decided I needed a cystoscopy which is putting a camera inside my bladder to look for any signs of tumor growth.
Yes...they do enter through the obvious point.
Thank God for small cameras.
Once I was up on the table a nice young nurse started with a careful and complete washing of the target area. To say that was pleasant would be an understatement.
Alleviated some of the nerves about what was to come. After the wash she proceeded to lay out some of the needed equipment. I asked if one of the items was the camera ant she said, "Yes, do you want to see it."
Trying to sound brave I said yes and she held up a thin black cord. It was liberally glistening with a thick coat of lube. The instrument looked no thicker than the tubes I used for quite a while when I had to self catheter to pee. My chemo treatment put an end to that.
After a few minutes two doctors entered, greeted me and one took position behind the other. I asked if he was going to do the play by play. There was a large TV monitor beside me. He said no just here to watch. He turned out to be the senior doctor and gave occasional directions to the Resident doing the procedure.
The TV screen lit up and the first thing I saw was a giant penis head. Impressive considering my small member.
Next came a long pink tunnel and I knew the camera was inside. Not a bit of pain at all
When it came to the entrance of the bladder there was a little twinge as the doc pushed the camera through the barrier there. Wow! A huge cavern filled the screen and the camera moved around checking the wall of the bladder for tumors.
The tube the camera was attached to was now bent so we were looking back at the entrance. There was a red spot of scar tissue where they removed a tumor last winter. It showed full healing and no new growths. YAY!
That ended things. Camera was pulled out and I was told everything looked great and no new cancer was found.
They do want to do the procedure all over again in another three months. I guess the VA is serious about keeping this old fart going as long as they can.