update on me

i have been posting alot on IC latley but have not updated on how I am doingI am actually going through a really hard time right now. There is alot of comotion around the house with dad and allAnd i feel like I am constantly under the watchful eye of someone else. It ahas been bringing back alot of the feelings that i had back in school with all of teh ed techs and teachers constantly watching me It doesnt feel well at all I never really dealt with all of that and I just kind of let it get burried under things that have happened since if that makes sense its getting me pay back now lol.
I have been really busy as well with every thing going on I have been helping get my dad set   up for speech and things I made him a board for picture symbols but his speech therapist has now suggested that a book of picture symbols may be easier as it can hold more pictures of different things. So that has been one of my missions as of today is to get that started I have so far gotten all of the cards that were on the board in lamination pouches so that they are soon to become pages of his book I hope to take pictures of ths project so that you all understand what i am trying to explain. My niece has also started kindergarten this fall so it has been interesting with that as well she has had a rough few days with school as she missed a bit becausse of an ear infection but i think we have gotten that all situated now and her feeling better. I also became an auntie to my third this month my sis had a veautiful baby boy who is 11 days old. i have been spendign time with him when he comes down to visit. I am so thankful for all the kids in my life because of the fact that I may not ever have children of my own.
I also dont know if i posted this earlier or not but i have a new counsoler closer to home for a few reasons and I love it. dad is making gains slow but sure he is becomeing much more independant as time goes on he is still in a wheel chair but is able to verbalize more and more. all in all a very busy house hold oh and unfortunately another uti for me not so much fun but Im getting through it. Still waiting on my brace and shoes getting a bit annoyed tha it is taking so long.

What other conditions are associated with IC

Day 8

People with IC often have associated conditions. Here is a list of the most common conditions.

Allergies and sensitivities to chemicals foods and out door allergens

Celiac desiease which is a condition where the body is allergic to gluten which is found in wheat rye barley and oats that are not processed in a facility with wheat rye and barley the doctors thought at one point that I had this condition but my testing was negative so I am lucky in that aspect.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic prostititis in men

Endometriosis often known as IC’s evil twin or sister I have this as well as IC it is often hard to distinguish between the two pains but I know the urinary issues are the IC

Fibromyalgia

Irritable bowel syndrome this is painful as well I have been diagnosed with this condition since I was eight or so years old.

Lupus

Pelvic floor dysfunction

Pudendal neuralgia

Volvidynia

what treatments are used for IC

Day 7

There are treatments that may work for people with IC but what works for one person may not work for another. If you are diagnosed with IC and nothing that has been tried is working please research and dig for things that may help you every person is different.

Elmiron- is the only oral drug approved by the FDA to treat IC by coating the bladder thus hopefully preventing irritation. I took this for six months and it did not help me in any way.

Pelvic PT is another commonly used treatment for IC and pelvic pain. It is a hands on treatment which addresses the muscles helping to loosen tight pelvic muscles and other causes of pain in the pelvis,

Amnetriptilyne  Elavil and tricyclic antidepressants in general are also proven to treat IC pain they do so By vblocking the reuptake of saritonin and also blocking pain receptors in the brain.

Antihistamines such as Hydroxazyne Claritin and others can decrease IC symptoms By interfereing with the mast cells this treatment works well in patients who have allergies as well. Hydroxazyne is the most commonly used antihistamine used to treat IC

Bladder Instilations are treatments in which medication is placed directly into the bladder through a catheter. There are many medications that can be used in this procedure but the one that I have heard most about is DMSO. I have not yet tried this as the urologists continue to refuse to give me instills but I am hopeful to fined a treatment that leaves me in less pain in this long journey.

There are some surgical procedures that are considered as last resort treatments such as bladder remobal or cystoscopy with bladder systention there are also pacemaker like devices that can be implanted under the skin near the tail bone in the but cheek area of patients after a tiral period proves that they are effective

What tests are done to diagnose IC

Day 6
There are many tests that can be done to diagnose IC or rule out other conditions these tests are
Urinalysis to ensure that no infection is present in the urine of the patient suffering IC
Urine culture where the patients urine is sent out to a lab and put in a dish to grow for a few days usually these are also negative
Cystoscopy this is a test that is done either under general anesthesia or awake where a camera is placed through the urethra to view the inside of the bladder in some cases of Ic the bladders look normal however in some cases they have small bleeding patches in the bladder and others have larger areas of irritated inflamed tissue called hunners ulcers.
Bladder capacity test this is done to see how much urine the bladder can holdsome people with ic have reduced bladder capacity due to being unable to hold urine because of pain and discomfort this is called stiff bladder or hard bladder. 
Bladder and urethra biopsys are done to test the tissue of the bladder and urethra often times in ic these will show areas of tissue that are sloughed off or damaged as it did in mine despite the scope appearing normal.

how many people are affected by IC

Day 5
847,000 people In the us alone are managing IC at any given time yet it is classified as a rare disease. I truly feel that more research is needed for Ic because there are so many people who have IC it should no longer be classified as rare. 
3.what i wish people knew about IC

Risk factors for IC

Day 4

Sex woman are diagnosed with IC far more than men men can hove IC but often have identical symptoms but it is caused by enlarged prostate gland.

Age most people with IC are diagnosed in their 40’s

I c is often associated with other chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia IBS and endometriosis the connection between these conditions is not yet known.

What is the cause of IC?

Day 3

The cause of Ic is not yet known there is no one single cause. Most people when asked when their IC began will say that it started after a traumatic event such as a fall or accident or pelvic surgery after child birth The common factor in all of these situations is that they irritate the bladder wall. Some research has shown that the bladder in Ic patients is more permeable meaning that the lining is damaged allowing irritating substances to get into the muscle of the bladder.

I had a cystoscopy done to diagnose my IC and to see how much my bladder was damaged. The doctor stated to me that the exam of my bladder appeared normal however when I spoke to another doctor she said that in biopsies there were areas of tissue which appeared to be sloughed off leaving small areas of my bladder muscle unprotected by the mucosal lining which protects the bladder muscle from being irritated by urine and other irritating factors

IC symptoms what are they?

Day 2

 Unexplained pain or pressure in the urethra, vagina, inside of thighs, or the area above the pubic bone. Pian can also be felt in the lower back and groin area.
 Pain durring or after sex
 Freequent painful urination Normally people urinate between six and seven times aily but and IC paitent will urinate from fifteen to sixty times daily.
 Ic patients usually wake one or more times per night to urinate
. having the urge to urinate even after emptying the bladder.
 unresolved urinary tract symptoms that do not respond to antibiotic therapy
. symptoms come and go flare ups are comon and can occur in response to many factors examples include food' menstrual cycle' and stress.

 Ic does not discriminate and affects men as well as woman here are the sumptoms for men
. Pain and or pressure in the penis, testes,scrotum,the area above the pubic bone the groin lower back and abdomen
. pain with ejaculation or a day after you ejaculate
 freequent urination as above for females wake one or more times per night to urinate
 Feel the urge yo urinate even after emptying your bladder.
 symptoms come and go and do not respond to antibiotic therapy when treated for urinary tract infection.

 I know that symptoms are nearly the same in womenn as men but I feel it is important to educate people that IC is not just a womans condition it does effect men although not a s freequently as females https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/37194_174888775855095_7466675_n.jpg

A bc s of chronic pain by amy fulk

welcome september and ic awarness month

 day 1 

what is IC Interstitial cystitis

IC is a chronic condition of the bladder that causes pain associated with urination and with bladder filling. The pain is often relieved some after urination occurs but some patients have chronic long lasting pain all the time Some people with Ic have hunners ulcers which are large patches found on the bladder wall while others either have small bleeding areas and still some have no issues that are evident ie bleeding on cystoscopy.