Jim Barone

Welcome to my CaringBridge website; we are using it to keep family and friends updated.  As you've heard, I have  been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of bladder cancer.  While it is very far advanced, at this point it does not appear to have spread outside the bladder.  That is great news as my urology oncologist surgeon feels confident that removal of the bladder will be “a curative procedure.”  That would mean no chemo or radiation treatments would be required.  

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 14th at the Ohio State James Cancer Center in Columbus.  The surgeon will remove the bladder, and , if all goes well, construct a new bladder from a piece of my small intestine.  Although I will go through a significant learning and training period with this new bladder, it would be the most normal outcome possible. If things don’t go quite so well, the surgeon will have to perform a urostomy where I will need to wear a pouch.  With my back brace and other issues, this option would be pretty difficult to manage.  I am praying a new bladder can be put together.  The surgery is an all-day procedure.  I will be in the hospital about a week.  Maureen will stay in a nearby hotel, Tom will also be close by, and Kate will be adding journal entries to this site to keep you up-to-date on my progress, so please check here for updates. 

 We appreciate your support, your prayers, and your words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

- Jim