“Shavasana allows the parasympathetic nervous system (otherwise known as rest and digest) to kick in.” Resting buddha in Ehrenfeld Cologne – photo (c) howlzap Cologne

My husband described the BCG treatment in a nutshell, as the same as Mitomycin but painful. Exactly! Painful bladder the day of treatment and afterwards. It’s 2 weeks now since #6 and my bladder is still sore especially as it fills and if it gets cold. Painkillers help and hot water bottles and rest. Plenty of rest.

Rest is part of my motto for the new year.

“Rest more and stress less.”

By rest I mean:

  • Sleep at night – I’m peeing an average of five times a night and sometimes it’s difficult to drift off again so I’m sleeping in when possible.  
  • Rest in between activities – when I’m fit I go from one activity to another, to another. When recovering it can set me back. I try to sit down in between things and pace myself.
  • Shavasana – corpse pose in yoga. The yogis say it’s the most difficult pose because to stay lying down for 2-5 mins at the end of a yoga session can feel irritating. However, Shavasana allows the parasympathetic nervous system (otherwise known as rest and digest) to kick in. Shavasana maximizes the positive effects of yoga reducing stress and supporting the immune system.

By stress less I mean:

  • Letting things take their course and trusting they will work out without my interference.
  • Relaxing expectations of how things ‘should be’.
  • Worrying about things as they happen and not beforehand. Worry is such a waste of energy and source of stress.
  • Being content with less – not doing more than I can manage.

The initial BCG round is over and I didn’t have any unexpected or alarming side effects. Although last week there was some blood and debris in my pee.  According to an online forum this is a natural sloughing off of the bladder mucosa cells. Hopefully resting and digesting will help the renewing of the inner lining of my bladder. Next stop is a biopsy on 6 February 2023 where we’ll find out more.

This Buddha graffiti is so beautiful it warrants the whole thing appearing here: