Next Support Group Meeting is Wednesday February 27, 2019.

We will have a special guest speaker for the upcoming meeting.

As always please feel free to invite anyone that might be interested in hearing the above speakers.  

 Support group meetings are held the 4th Wednesday of each month from 6:00-7:30 p.m., Summerlin Hospital Conference Room 1A.  We currently do not have meetings in November or December.

We invite patients with bladder cancer or survivors, along with spouses, partners, caregivers,adult family members and friends to join us in supporting one another.

We want to thank all of those participants, sponsors, family and friends that helped raise awareness and support our first annual BCAN Walk to End Bladder Cancer.  It was an amazing day had by all and the love and support was wonderful.

We would like to thank our local sponsor Urology Specialists of Nevada.

Don and Rosie Weinrauch-Facilitators

Don Weinrauch was diagnosed with bladder cancer in April of 2015. He had gross blood in the urine. He thought it was from aggressive exercising. He had an ultrasound from the family physician which showed nothing. He then decided to see the urologist who wisely insisted on a CAT Scan and a Cystoscopy. It turned out that he did have an aggressive high grade tumor. Since the first tumor he has had two TURBITs and also has received six weeks of BCG immunotherapy. He now urges all individuals to be proactive with any Bladder Cancer symptoms.

Don and Rosemary, his wife, are retired educators originally from Chicago. Rosie taught Junior High School and later second grade in middle Tennessee. Don is a retired Professor Emeritus in marketing, entrepreneurship, and small business. As a couple they like to travel, read, and spend time with family.

Don and Rosemary encourage Bladder Cancer patients, family members, friends, health care providers, students, and other concerned individuals to become active members in the Las Vegas Bladder Cancer Support Group. The members are here to offer encouragement, empathy, experiences, and educational support. We embrace, share, listen, and learn in a nonthreatening manner. Also, current and future guest speakers will offer additional insight and suggestions about dealing with Bladder Cancer. In short, the meetings are informal, low keyed, supportive, positive, confidential, and caring. Why not check us out and see about joining?

Teri & Chet Koehler-Facilitators

My name is Teri Koehler, and I’m a survivor of early stage Bladder Cancer. I’m beginning this journey as a hopeful and strong woman who knows that in life there are no guarantees on the duration or quality of life but you can choose the emotional impact to accept during your lifetime. For this reason I find it compelling to offer something not currently available in the Las Vegas Valley, a Bladder Cancer Support Group, to help those newly diagnosed, current survivors, caregivers and their families.

My journey goes back many years to 1985 when I was first diagnosed with a rare lumbar spinal cord tumor called a myxopapillary ependymoma. You can imagine the shock of a diagnosis like that at the age of 23 and newly married to the love of my life. Over the next 30 years I journeyed down the path of my everyday life, stumbling a few times for required surgeries and multiple rounds of radiation treatment to remove/reduce additional tumors. With time, I’ve become one with my tumors and we have learned to co-exist. It is likely that I now face bladder cancer as a result of the radiation treatment that helped me survive spinal cord tumors.

Myself along with my supportive husband, Chet hope that we can provide a caring and sharing environment for those who seek guidance during their own personal journey and beyond. Feel free to enjoy the content of this website as well as attending the support group meetings. It is our hope that all those who are in need of support feel very welcome into this group.