Tweet
I was diagnosed with IC in May 1997 when I was 23 years old. I had been having trouble a long time before 1997 but no doctor I went to could find out what was wrong with me. But thinking back no doctor really explored my bladder....it was always intestinal, female, stomach etc, etc. In 1995 I was in the hospital for 9 days having so many test it took me 2 months to get over it. I was married in 1996 and 1 month after getting married I had emergency gall bladder surgery and I thought "My poor husband!" But then a year later hear comes this disease called Interstitial Cystitis. The doctor told me that I had a mild to moderate case and said that if I went strictly by the IC diet that I would die of malnutrition but he gave me a list of things that his other patients said caused them to flare. I stuck with this and meant that this disease was not going to cause me an early divorce or give me a complicated life....well guess what...IT DID ANYWAY! I hurt a lot and was on all this medication (Elavil, Prozac to help my Elavil dosage be higher and pain meds galore) that made me a zombie so the doctor took me off of them. Then in September 1997 I found out I was pregnant so I guess that it was good he took me off the meds because those were not pregnancy friendly medications. I was a very sick pregnant woman morning sickness was 24/7. At about 6 months I got a horrible UTI that had in me in so much pain but the doctor treated me and all was well. My IC did great up until about 8 months and then my bladder put me into pre-term labor by deciding to hold on to a horrible bacterial infection and bleed and bleed. SO I was kept in the hospital. My son was born a month and a half later (yes 10 days over) and he was born with Spina Bifida....it was a mild case and we were fortunate to have one of the best neurosurgeons around. All I can say during this time was THANK GOODNESS FOR PAIN MEDS. Not only did I have a c-section but the bladder was in a traumatic flare! We got through that and life went on and I did pretty good for the next year or so, even went through a second pregnancy and c-section. Now that my daughter is 7 I have had so much pain over the last 7 years off and on. My flare ups seem to come in 6's....I willl flare for 6 months and then go into remission for 6 months. I have had a hysterectomy at age 26 because the IC and my periods did not mix. I would go to the ER one a month because it would be so bad and after EVERY period I would get a yeast infection with a UTI. YOu would think that my system would be use to medications but it is not and it can not handle a lot of meds. Like right now I have been taking lots just to get through the day (I was given Respas for spasms, I have Lortab 7 for pain, Prosed for numbing the urinary tract, Vesicare for overactive bladder and then just plain ole Advil (eating like candy)) Maybe it is me getting older as well as the disease progressing. My current URO is married to a hometown friend so I can tell him anything and he listens and is sympathetic but on the other hand I feel like he thinks I making things up sometimes. I have had 5 hydrodistentions in the last 6 years and they have helped up until the last one in March, 2007. AND SO THE STORY CONTINUES.......
To the ICN,
(((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))
Comment