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Article snippet: Because he was in such a hurry to get to his granddaughter’s high school graduation, James Riddick did not realize he had forgotten his cane until he reached the bus. “Certain things you get so dependent on, it becomes like part of you,” said Mr. Riddick, 80. On that day, more than a year and a half ago, he stepped up into the bus, slowly and shakily but without incident. He has not used his cane since. Mr. Riddick was left hobbled and his body severely transformed after a battle with bladder cancer in 2015, 14 years after he overcame prostate cancer. This time drastic action was required to save his life. “When you start being in pain, you’re thinking of relief,” he said in December at his home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Doctors performed an invasive surgery to remove Mr. Riddick’s bladder, as well as his prostate and genitals, where the cancer and infection had spread. He was then fitted with an ostomy pouching system, a prosthetic medical device that collects waste from his surgically rerouted biological systems. Mr. Riddick must change out the bags almost every hour. He has two he wears during the day, and larger ones he must connect before bed. It is unpleasant work. Often they overflow or come close to it. “I’ve felt so alienated with these bags,” Mr. Riddick said. “How are people going to perceive of me?” On buses and subways, he turns heads. Not only have passengers stared at the lumps under his clothing, but they have also reacted to the loud belch... Link to the full article to read more