David’s Journey With Bladder Cancer
When David noticed blood in his urine, he trusted his instincts and acted quickly. Under the care of Mr. Sadmeet Singh and Dr. Prantik Das at East Midlands Urology, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and began treatment within weeks. Despite facing complications, today David is five years cancer-free, active, and determined to keep moving forward.
About David
David, 73, is a business owner from Nottingham who leads an active, healthy lifestyle. He doesn’t drink, keeps fit, and walks over 10,000 steps a day often thanks to his German Shepherd.
Still working full-time with his sons, David says, “I don’t need to work I just love it. It keeps me going.”
How It Started
In early 2019, during a medical check for his HGV licence, microscopic blood was found in David’s urine. He was advised to follow up with his GP, which he did the very next day. After submitting another urine sample to his GP, David noticed a worrying change. “By the next afternoon, my urine had turned pink. I rang the GP straight away.”
Not wanting to wait, David used his private medical insurance, “I wasn’t going to wait, that’s when I was referred to Mr. Singh, I needed answers.”
Bladder Cancer Diagnosis
David was referred to Consultant Urologist Mr Sadmeet Singh at East Midlands Urology. An initial CT scan appeared normal, still concerned, he brought another urine sample to Mr. Singh, which appeared pink. Without hesitation, Mr. Singh performed a cystoscopy the same day.
“He took me straight downstairs, showed me the screen and said, ‘That’s cancer.’ I just said, right, let’s deal with it.”
Mr Sadmeet Singh comments “David’s case is a reminder of how important it is to listen to your body and act early. At East Midlands Urology, we offer patients rapid access to investigations and results, often on the same day. That speed can make all the difference.”
Treatment with Dr Prantik Das
The team at East Midlands Urology moved swiftly, David was referred to Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr. Prantik Das and began his 7 month treatment plan of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy at GenesisCare in Nottingham.
“Dr Das is brilliant. He explains everything and if you don’t understand, he’ll go over it again until you do. I always had a voice in my treatment decisions,” David explains. “I trusted him completely and we just clicked. He gave me the confidence to keep going.”
Throughout his treatment David continued working. “I was in the office most days, unless I physically couldn’t.”
Complications & Surgery
Shortly after starting chemotherapy, David developed a severe blood clot in his leg. “It was excruciating. I couldn’t walk,” he recalls. Dr Das acted quickly, referring David for urgent specialist treatment at Derby. “He was incredible, he took it seriously straight away and made sure I was seen by the right people.” After several interventions, including major vascular surgery to remove the clot, David made a full recovery.
Dr. Prantik Das comments “What stood out about David was his resilience. Our role is not only to treat cancer, but to support the person behind the diagnosis. Every patient’s treatment journey is unique and working closely as a team allows us to adapt quickly when complications arise.”
Two years after treatment, David developed radiation cystitis, a relatively rare side effect that caused severe bleeding when passing urine. Thanks to the clear pathway and close partnership between Dr Das and Mr Singh, David knew exactly who to turn to. “I knew exactly who to call. They guided me through everything.”
After all options were explored, Mr Singh removed David’s bladder in August 2023.
“They warned me it would be life-changing, waking up with a stoma, but I found my own way to manage it. I’ve got a routine now and it just works.”
Remarkably, David was walking again within three weeks and back to work in under a month.
Looking forward
Now five years clear, David remains active and positive. “I can run upstairs two at a time. And I’ve got no intention of slowing down.”
I’m truly grateful from the care I received, David also praises the wider teams at Derby Private Health and GenesisCare Nottingham “Everyone treated me like a human being. I was never just a number. They became friends.”
To others facing a bladder cancer diagnosis, he offers this:
“Stay positive. Be part of the conversation about your treatment and ask questions. If you’ve got the right team around you, like I did with Mr. Singh and Dr. Das, you’ve got everything.”