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The following is a sponsored message. Health Union LLC does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.

Heidi is a volunteer with the SHARE Network, a Johnson & Johnson program made up of people who are dedicated to inspiring others through their personal health journeys and stories of caring. Heidi’s husband, Mike, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 at age 46. Both have been compensated by Johnson & Johnson for their time to develop this content. Heidi and Mike’s experiences are unique and not representative of all care partners and patients.

As an elementary school teacher, wife and mother, planning is my way of bringing order to my family and my classroom. But when my husband, Mike, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2023 at just 46, all my planning couldn’t prepare me for the challenges ahead. Though it was a relief to finally have a diagnosis, the months before and after were filled with turbulence, anxiety, and a profound sense of helplessness.

The journey to diagnosis

Before Mike’s official diagnosis, I had already started doing my own research. I asked friends, family and colleagues what we should expect and tried to be prepared for any scenario. However, nothing truly readies you for the unknown, and the wait for a diagnosis kept me up night after night.

From the time Mike first showed symptoms—pain and frequent urination¹—to the final diagnosis, four months passed. That was four months of navigating the unknown as best I could. When we learned Mike had non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), we were in shock.

It is estimated more than 84,000 people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2025.¹ As a specific bladder cancer type, NMIBC represents about 75% of new bladder cancer cases.²

Mike was young, with no family history of bladder cancer, and he didn’t smoke. Most people who are diagnosed with bladder cancer are older than age 55 and smoking is the most well-established risk factor for bladder cancer, accounting for half of all cases in the U.S.^1,3 Mike’s case felt like an anomaly.

Navigating treatment

We learned that, surprisingly, the standard of care in certain kinds of bladder cancer hasn’t significantly changed in 40 years.⁴ Standard treatment options for NMIBC have traditionally consisted of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy (an immunotherapy) or chemotherapy inserted via catheter into the bladder, as well as radiation, or surgery like bladder resection or removal (radical cystectomy).^1,2

Mike’s doctor prescribed BCG treatment, followed by bladder resection, also known as a transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT).⁵ Overall, our experience has taught us to take one day at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves. We had to painfully let go of planning. It was probably the biggest lesson we learned on this journey.

Unfortunately, there’s more to BCG treatment than just signing up to get it. It requires a urologist, and the nearest one was about 45 minutes away. Getting the treatment took some persistence. When the cancer center scheduled Mike’s initial BCG treatment, I felt it should be sooner, so I called daily for weeks—and my efforts paid off because we eventually got an earlier appointment.

Every visit meant checking my emotions at the door and being Mike’s advocate, asking questions, and ensuring we understood his care plan. Cancer, including bladder cancer, is incredibly complex and it can be hard to navigate, especially given the challenging medical terminology.

Being an advocate and asking questions is one of the most important roles a care partner can play. It empowers you to actively participate in your loved one’s care, making you feel more informed and in control so you can advocate.

My advice to other care partners:

1. Use your time with clinicians wisely.

Our healthcare system can be overwhelming, and appointments are often jam-packed. I quickly learned to come prepared with questions written down in advance. When our doctor was delayed, it meant our appointment would be shorter, which is why I knew the importance of making the most of every interaction.

Life doesn’t stop with a cancer diagnosis, and we’re already on a tight schedule between work, managing our home and kids, and maintaining a rigorous treatment schedule. That’s why, ahead of every appointment, I wrote down everything I wanted to know, and if I didn’t understand something, I’d ask, "what does this mean?" Knowing the right questions to ask made me feel more confident and involved.