I tried following the IC Diet, which seemed to help somewhat, but never provided me with the relief I was looking for. I've heard many others with the same results. This is because the IC Diet still contains many ACIDIC foods that irritate the bladder and the body as a whole.
When looking for a natural healing alternative, I stumbled upon the Acid/Alkaline diet. This makes much more sense to me. Acidosis forms in the body when there is too much acidic foods/beverages, too much stress, toxins, chemicals, etc. for the body to handle. Acidosis causes a weakened immune system which can lead to a wide variety of health issues & chronic illness.
Great article:How's your pH? Acid or Alkaline?
Your body's acid-alkaline balance, also known as pH, can effect your overall well-being. All foods have the ability to change your body's normal pH. In a healthy person, the body balances their pH naturally if they become too acidic or too alkaline. However, imbalance can set in if the body is dealing with too many acid-forming foods and too much stress. Perpetual imbalance leads to disease. If you have IC, then most likely, your body is off balance and very acidic. Good health depends on an internal alkaline environment. A properly alkalized body plays a significant role in restoring and maintaining health. The body's glands and organs function according to the amount of alkaline and acid levels in our system. Therefore, if the body is off balance, it stops working efficiently. Finding the balance between too acidic and too alkaline can be a challenge in today's stressful, fast-food society.
Those of us with IC have a very diseased and acid body. The goal is to alkalize the body and heal that disease! This is done with proper nutrition. The main way to alkalize the body is to eat vegetables! Raw fruits and vegetables help balance the body's pH level and reduce acid-accumulation that deteriorates health. There are many different Acid vs Alkaline Food Charts available online to serve as a general guide on which foods you should eat to promote alkalization. Each food list varies a bit, but the main thing they all have in common is that the majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds are alkalizing, while most meat, dairy, bread, fats & sugars are acidic. This is why eating a raw food diet or a plant-based diet will help heal you!
Sources: Acid vs Alkaline in the body
Alkaline vs Acidity for the Body
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Healing Methods
I firmly believe that the main way I healed my IC was through diet. However, I also believe a lot of natural supplements and alternative medicine helped me along the way. There is no ONE answer for healing, it is a combination of a lot of different healing & detox techniques that work together. This is holistic healing.
Here is a list of all the things I tried and how they helped me.
Nutrition
The IC Diet: I believe that this diet list is a good, general list on foods that may hurt the bladder. However, I do not think it is a good diet to follow. If you really want to heal, you need to cut out a lot more things that this list deems as IC safe. I don't think they are IC safe at all, in fact, they may be causing your IC in the first place!
Natural, vegan diet: Free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, processed foods, meat, dairy, corn, soy, wheat (gluten).
Raw food diet: Eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts.
Acid/Alkaline Balance: Eating an alkaline diet.
Anti-Candida diet: Low in sugar, no refined sugar, no yeast, NO alcohol, low fat.
Herbs
Marshmallow Root herb: Catherine Simone discusses this herb in her book. It is amazing! I found it at Whole Foods in loose form and put it into a tea ball and make tea out of it. I could feel it's soothing effects almost instantly.
Peppermint leaf: This became my GERD medicine. If I had any heartburn at all, this would instantly soothe it. Peppermint is good for any stomach/digestive issues, supporting your immune system, and relaxation.
While I was healing, I was too afraid to try much else besides these two types. But now, I can tolerate a large variety of teas! Herbal tea is an extremely beneficial, healing tool, and their are tons of good herbs out there that may help you out! I encourage you to look into other herbs specific for your needs.
Natural Supplements
Cysta Q: This is a blend of natural supplements including bioflavonoids made specifically for bladder health. It's had good results in many studies. I took it for about 4 months and still take it every now and then. It seemed to help, but I feel as if I no longer need it.
Probiotics: These are live microorganisms, or good bacteria, that aide in healthy digestion. They are found naturally in yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi and some other foods. I eat it and also take it in pill form. Probiotics help with gas, cramping, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, and other digestive issues. They also help balance out the bad bacteria in your gut that may contribute to problems such as a lowered immune system, candida overgrowth, IC, IBS, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.
Spirulina: My favorite superfood. It has lots of protein & vitamin b12 (good for vegans) and is very alkalizing. It has also been proven to help with IC.
Exercise
Yoga: I have slowly but surely become obsessed with yoga. Ever since I have started, it has had many positive benefits on my life. Yoga has taught me how to listen to my body and recognize the pain, where it is coming from, and how to deal with it. It has taught me how to control, minimize, or simply look past the pain. It has taught me to breath, relax, and manage stress (which also decreases pain), which has carried on into my everyday life. And it has taught me many different stretches that help relieve pelvic pain. Since I'm a poor, (recently graduated!) college student, I don't pay for classes and just do yoga in my room or out in the backyard. Yoga mats are cheap! The book I would recommend to beginners is Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein. Stein is a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic pain and this book provides a couple different programs along with great information. It was recommended to me by other IC patients and I love it.
Any exercise in general is good for you. I know it's hard to think about working out when you're in so much pain, but it will make you feel better! Start slow. Fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity will help heal your body. Get outside, get some sun, run, swim, bike, climb, jump, walk, stretch. Everyone needs physical activity, even the thin, the sick, the old, the young.
Others
Massage: Great way to release toxins and it feels oh-so-good!
Baking Soda: Drinking a little bit in water helped calmed some really bad flares!
Heating pad: My best friend. He keeps me warm at night. I use him daily. :)
Here is a list of all the things I tried and how they helped me.
Nutrition
The IC Diet: I believe that this diet list is a good, general list on foods that may hurt the bladder. However, I do not think it is a good diet to follow. If you really want to heal, you need to cut out a lot more things that this list deems as IC safe. I don't think they are IC safe at all, in fact, they may be causing your IC in the first place!
Natural, vegan diet: Free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, processed foods, meat, dairy, corn, soy, wheat (gluten).
Raw food diet: Eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts.
Acid/Alkaline Balance: Eating an alkaline diet.
Anti-Candida diet: Low in sugar, no refined sugar, no yeast, NO alcohol, low fat.
Herbs
Marshmallow Root herb: Catherine Simone discusses this herb in her book. It is amazing! I found it at Whole Foods in loose form and put it into a tea ball and make tea out of it. I could feel it's soothing effects almost instantly.
Peppermint leaf: This became my GERD medicine. If I had any heartburn at all, this would instantly soothe it. Peppermint is good for any stomach/digestive issues, supporting your immune system, and relaxation.
While I was healing, I was too afraid to try much else besides these two types. But now, I can tolerate a large variety of teas! Herbal tea is an extremely beneficial, healing tool, and their are tons of good herbs out there that may help you out! I encourage you to look into other herbs specific for your needs.
Natural Supplements
Cysta Q: This is a blend of natural supplements including bioflavonoids made specifically for bladder health. It's had good results in many studies. I took it for about 4 months and still take it every now and then. It seemed to help, but I feel as if I no longer need it.
Probiotics: These are live microorganisms, or good bacteria, that aide in healthy digestion. They are found naturally in yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi and some other foods. I eat it and also take it in pill form. Probiotics help with gas, cramping, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, and other digestive issues. They also help balance out the bad bacteria in your gut that may contribute to problems such as a lowered immune system, candida overgrowth, IC, IBS, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.
Spirulina: My favorite superfood. It has lots of protein & vitamin b12 (good for vegans) and is very alkalizing. It has also been proven to help with IC.
Exercise
Yoga: I have slowly but surely become obsessed with yoga. Ever since I have started, it has had many positive benefits on my life. Yoga has taught me how to listen to my body and recognize the pain, where it is coming from, and how to deal with it. It has taught me how to control, minimize, or simply look past the pain. It has taught me to breath, relax, and manage stress (which also decreases pain), which has carried on into my everyday life. And it has taught me many different stretches that help relieve pelvic pain. Since I'm a poor, (recently graduated!) college student, I don't pay for classes and just do yoga in my room or out in the backyard. Yoga mats are cheap! The book I would recommend to beginners is Heal Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein. Stein is a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic pain and this book provides a couple different programs along with great information. It was recommended to me by other IC patients and I love it.
Any exercise in general is good for you. I know it's hard to think about working out when you're in so much pain, but it will make you feel better! Start slow. Fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity will help heal your body. Get outside, get some sun, run, swim, bike, climb, jump, walk, stretch. Everyone needs physical activity, even the thin, the sick, the old, the young.
Others
Massage: Great way to release toxins and it feels oh-so-good!
Baking Soda: Drinking a little bit in water helped calmed some really bad flares!
Heating pad: My best friend. He keeps me warm at night. I use him daily. :)
How I Healed My IC
I went through a detailed overview of how I developed IC, my diagnosis, and treatments I have used in the previous posts. Here's the short overview: I started having IC symptoms in Nov. 2009. My most major symptom was pelvic pain. I was in extreme pain 24/7. Urgency, frequency, and painful sex were other symptoms. Some things like certain foods & beverages, sex, stress, pms, would make my symptoms worse. I was diagnosed with a potassium sensitivity test, and then a cystoscopy with hydrodistension a couple months later. When I was first diagnosed with IC, I was depressed, miserable, in extreme pain, alone, scared, lost, confused, helpless, hopeless...the list could go on and on. The pain was so overwhelming at times that I couldn't do anything but lie in bed. As a result, I had a very depressed, limited life. The doctors couldn't tell me anything or do anything for me. I went from doctor to urologist to specialist, and tried every drug, procedure and treatment they suggested. And all I got was more pain, more frustration, more disappointment, and more sadness. And I realize now that was because I was treating my problems the wrong way. What was wrong with me? No one knew. The doctors did not know the cause, so how could they possibly know the cure? You need to know the source of the problem to be able to stop it from occurring. I was trying to put a band-aid on my IC. But there was no band-aid big enough to fit this problem. I needed to figure out what was causing my IC so that I could fight it properly, from the inside out.
I was told that I would have IC for the rest of my life. I was told that I would have to live with it forever and just learn how to "manage" a life with IC. And living that kind of life was pure hell. I was constantly suffering in the prison that was my body. It was this point in my life that I decided to start looking at alternative methods to healing IC. I was tired of constantly being hurt, neglected, or let down by doctors. I was putting the responsibility of my health in someone else’s hands. Surprisingly, 70% of diseases are caused by lifestyle choices (Source: Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead documentary). I realized that I needed to look at my lifestyle. I needed to take my health into my own hands. It was time for me to stop, listen to my body, and find out what was really wrong with me so I could figure out what to do about it.
Not only did I have IC, but I was falling apart. On top of the countless IC symptoms, I had developed digestion issues: eosinophilic esophagitis, GERD (Acid Reflux), heartburn, bloating, etc. My immune system was weak, I was loosing weight fast because I couldn't eat anything and my allergies became extreme. I also developed a lactose intolerance. It was like my body was self-destructing. Sound familiar? This is so common with others who have IC. The similar symptoms may differ a bit, but overall, we experience some sort of weaken immune system, with digestion issues and low tolerances for things. IBS, fibromyalgia, etc. There must be some connection, right? It can't all be blamed on the bladder wall breaking down. What is causing it to break down? Plus, I've heard countless stories of IC patients removing their bladders and still experiencing IC symptoms. I believe a person with IC has a sick body, not a sick bladder. My whole body was breaking down. So it was time for me to stop looking at just my bladder and start looking at the bigger picture. Something was wrong inside of my body that was causing all of these problems. And I was determined to figure it out and stop the pain.
So, I started looking into alternative therapies and natural supplements. I started teaching myself about the body and I read countless books and articles. I started making small changes in my life. I wanted to rid myself of all the toxins in my body. I didn't know what was wrong with me, (I still don't know for certain, but I have a much better understanding), but I knew that I felt like I had a toxic body. It almost felt like there was acid boiling inside of me.
The logical first step for me was to remove all the chemicals and toxins from my body. So I switched to all natural products. I wanted everything that touched my body or went inside of me to be natural, organic, and chemical-free. Yeah, it might have been a little more expensive, but I made the sacrifice, because my health and happiness is worth it. I started taking probiotics to help with my digestive issues. I took CystaQ to help with my bladder. I started drinking caffeine-free herbal teas for the medicinal benefits: marshmallow root, peppermint, chamomile. I started doing yoga to calm my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. (Oh man, yoga is awesome! I love yoga. It helped me so much and still continues to do so to this day. It is a complete mind & body workout and great for detoxing & stress-relief.)
After doing all of these things, there was still a missing link. I felt better, but my pain was still there. It was then that I finally took a look at my diet and the connection of IC, nutrition, and chronic disease. I knew of the IC Diet and followed it pretty strictly. It seemed to help me somewhat, but I wasn't pain-free. I had always thought of myself as a healthy eater. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years now. And I never really used to eat junk food. I did a lot when I was younger, but only a little bit here and there now. I cut out coffee and soda a while back because I developed a low tolerance for caffeine. :( I used to drink coffee all the time (not soda as much, I was just never really into it), but then one day, it just made me sick, nauseous, and too jittery. It sucked, but I got over it. If it wasn't good for me, then good riddance, right? I still ate dairy. My diet mainly consisted of processed foods, quick dinners, dairy, sugars, and grains. Sometimes fruits and vegetables. Looking back, I see now that I wasn't a very healthy vegetarian. But I thought that was healthy! I wasn't educated in nutrition, and my health suffered.
That was the missing link. Once I learned about nutrition, I realized how important it really is. I was never taught these things, so how was I supposed to know? I grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD) and so did everyone else I know. And they were fine and healthy, right? Besides the climbing obesity rates, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, of course. I learned that you can prevent most of these conditions, including chronic diseases like IC, through a healthy diet. It seems so simple, and yet, it is a very hard thing to do correctly.
I discovered the acid-alkaline diet and learned that my problems were most likely due to acidosis in my body - eating too much sugars, grains, yeast, processed foods, preservatives, chemicals, and unnatural ingredients. There are acid vs alkaline foods and if you eat too much acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, acidosis takes over your body, causing disease. Too much of the "bad" and little to none of the "good". It literally felt like acid was eating away my insides sometimes, so this theory made sense to me.
I also learned about yeast candida and the IC connection. My IC started when I got a UTI, treated it with antibiotics, then got a yeast infection. When that cleared up, my UTI symptoms were still present (but with no bacteria this time), hence I was diagnosed with IC. Your body is susceptible to yeast overgrowth when you take antibiotics, eat lots of sugar, yeast, and acidic foods, and/or take birth control pills. This yeast overgrowth can cause things like PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. The yeast fighting program is pretty similar to how I approached my IC healing.
I discovered a woman online who made youtube videos of how she had cured herself of IC with natural methods. She taught me a lot. She healed her IC with a raw food diet. A raw food diet is basically a more extreme plant-based diet, in which you mainly eat uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some may think of this as a little extreme, but it makes sense. When you cook foods, they loose a lot of nutrients. And I had such a sick body that needed all the nutrients it could get. So I loaded up on raw fruits and vegetables and nothing else, to nourish my body, detoxify, and regenerate. I was desperate to try anything. I was in so much pain that maybe I needed something extreme to heal me. Anyway, I jumped head-first into a raw food diet. And guess what? It worked.
I was already a vegetarian, so cutting out meat was easy. I cut out all beverages except for water and my caffeine-free herbal tea. I cut out all processed and packaged food - if it came in a box, can, or plastic, I wouldn't eat it. I had already cut out dairy a couple months ago due to my lactose intolerance, so that was easy. It sucked, but I learned how to adapt (you always do). The hard ones to cut out for me were sugar, grains, and bread! Man, how I loved my bread and sweets! So at this point, my diet mainly consisted of IC-safe vegetables and some fruits. I started small by making green smoothies every morning for breakfast. Then I'd have a big salad (no dressing) for lunch and some veggies and homemade dip (ie hummus) for dinner. I began to get more creative as time went on, making more extravagant and filling raw food dishes. My pain went away almost immediately. Within a couple of days, my chronic pain levels went from being a Level 7-9 to a Level 1-3. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I was so accustomed to pain that feeling pain-free was so foreign to me!
So obviously, I continued on this diet, and I slowly began to notice all my other symptoms disappear too. Suddenly, I was happier, pain-free, more energetic than ever. My stomach was working better and my immune system was strengthening. My skin looked healthier, I was sleeping better, my mind felt clearer, and I was gaining weight (I didn't look like a sick skeleton anymore! For those who need to loose weight, this diet will also do that to you. It will balance you out to your healthy weight.) There were still some days when I would fall off the wagon and I would pay for it. But that's how I knew what I was doing was working. I could literally feel the difference in my body when I would eat something alkaline as opposed to when I would eat something acidic. I finally understood how to read my body and diagnose what could have caused a certain symptom. At this point, I still felt like I had IC, but I could feel myself healing and my body getting stronger.
I was feeling strong enough that I started adding new foods to my diet, testing them out to see if I had any reaction to them. There's really no set time you can start doing this, all I can say is that you'll know when you're ready. Take it slow. You need to allow your body time to heal first. I started by adding in fruits and vegetables that were not considered IC-safe. Oh, how delicious an apple tasted after not eating one for over a year! I tried so many new fruits & veggies, all with good luck. I wasn't afraid of food anymore! I had chocolate, spices, and even wine. :)
Now that I am feeling better, I am becoming more creative with my diet. I still try to focus on maintaining a raw food diet because that's when I feel the healthiest. I'm not sure if my problems would come back if I were to go back to my old ways, but I have no desire to find out. I am enjoying this newfound health! And I crave fresh fruits & veggies now. My taste buds have changed. I started off with the goal of healing and I got so much more. Happiness. Energy. Healthy skin. Healthy weight. Pain free. No more health issues.
I don't really like calling it a diet because that makes it sound restrictive. It is more like a lifestyle change. And I don't think simply changing my diet is what helped me. It was definitely a combination of things, shifting to a healthier lifestyle. Changing my diet really helped me detoxify my sick body and regenerate my cells. Your body has a natural ability to heal itself. When you fall and cut yourself, your skin generates a scab and slowly heals itself. If you provide your body with the right nutrients and stop poisoning it with acid things, it will heal itself on the inside, too. This is why eating healthy is so dang good for you. I also believe the herbs, supplements, yoga, and positive attitude really helped. And I made sure I got plenty of sunshine for Vitamin D, I eliminated negative people and stress from my life, drank lots of water, and took care of myself. I'm not a very religious person, but I stumbled upon this the other day, and found some good truth in it. God's 8 Law of Natural Health include: Nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance (self-control), air, rest, and trust (in yourself, a spiritual/higher power, and the nature of healing). You need to incorporate all the different levels to find true health.
A plant-based diet is essential to good health. I just watched a fantastic documentary called Forks Over Knives that taught me a lot about food, nutrition, and how bad nutrition causes so many different chronic illnesses. I strongly urge you to watch it. Many other people have overcome a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, with a plant-based diet (this is proven in the movie). This just confirms my belief that food is medicine. Hippocrates was right.
“Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.”
Diet & nutrition is a powerful thing that does not get enough credit at all. I notice that when I eat more foods that are alive, I feel more alive. This is why I choose not to eat dead foods, like meat or dairy. I feel much better and healthier without them.
I just returned from a 3 week trip to Bali, Indonesia and Thailand. I was pretty nervous going into it, thinking that all of the crazy food was for sure going to send me into a terrible flare. But I was pleasantly surprised. I got really brave and sampled a lot of new dishes. I mostly stuck to fried rice or noodles, with veggies, tofu, or tempeh. I tried many different sauces, all kinds of fruit, and even oranges! I had the local beer, rice wine, and even vodka. And I experienced very minimal IC symptoms. So, I feel as if I can say now with certainty that I am IC-free. Because I can do all of the things I used to - eat, drink, have sex, and be merry - all without pain. I finally made it. I couldn't have done this a couple of months or a year ago. It took me a long time, a lot of work, and a lot of healing to get to this point. But I finally made it.
I wouldn't say I'm completely "cured". I feel myself experiencing minimal symptoms from time to time and I can usually figure out why and correct it. But I feel like I finally have control over something that used to rule my life. And I barely even notice it's there anymore.
So I encourage you to GET YOUR GREENS ON! It changed my life and many others. And it won't hurt to try. :) Research, read, watch videos, expand your knowledge, get down to the bottom of what is causing your IC. Is it lifestyle choices?
If you have any questions about anything at all, do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to help you in this healing journey. Also, come join our group on Facebook, Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally.
I was told that I would have IC for the rest of my life. I was told that I would have to live with it forever and just learn how to "manage" a life with IC. And living that kind of life was pure hell. I was constantly suffering in the prison that was my body. It was this point in my life that I decided to start looking at alternative methods to healing IC. I was tired of constantly being hurt, neglected, or let down by doctors. I was putting the responsibility of my health in someone else’s hands. Surprisingly, 70% of diseases are caused by lifestyle choices (Source: Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead documentary). I realized that I needed to look at my lifestyle. I needed to take my health into my own hands. It was time for me to stop, listen to my body, and find out what was really wrong with me so I could figure out what to do about it.
Not only did I have IC, but I was falling apart. On top of the countless IC symptoms, I had developed digestion issues: eosinophilic esophagitis, GERD (Acid Reflux), heartburn, bloating, etc. My immune system was weak, I was loosing weight fast because I couldn't eat anything and my allergies became extreme. I also developed a lactose intolerance. It was like my body was self-destructing. Sound familiar? This is so common with others who have IC. The similar symptoms may differ a bit, but overall, we experience some sort of weaken immune system, with digestion issues and low tolerances for things. IBS, fibromyalgia, etc. There must be some connection, right? It can't all be blamed on the bladder wall breaking down. What is causing it to break down? Plus, I've heard countless stories of IC patients removing their bladders and still experiencing IC symptoms. I believe a person with IC has a sick body, not a sick bladder. My whole body was breaking down. So it was time for me to stop looking at just my bladder and start looking at the bigger picture. Something was wrong inside of my body that was causing all of these problems. And I was determined to figure it out and stop the pain.
So, I started looking into alternative therapies and natural supplements. I started teaching myself about the body and I read countless books and articles. I started making small changes in my life. I wanted to rid myself of all the toxins in my body. I didn't know what was wrong with me, (I still don't know for certain, but I have a much better understanding), but I knew that I felt like I had a toxic body. It almost felt like there was acid boiling inside of me.
The logical first step for me was to remove all the chemicals and toxins from my body. So I switched to all natural products. I wanted everything that touched my body or went inside of me to be natural, organic, and chemical-free. Yeah, it might have been a little more expensive, but I made the sacrifice, because my health and happiness is worth it. I started taking probiotics to help with my digestive issues. I took CystaQ to help with my bladder. I started drinking caffeine-free herbal teas for the medicinal benefits: marshmallow root, peppermint, chamomile. I started doing yoga to calm my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. (Oh man, yoga is awesome! I love yoga. It helped me so much and still continues to do so to this day. It is a complete mind & body workout and great for detoxing & stress-relief.)
After doing all of these things, there was still a missing link. I felt better, but my pain was still there. It was then that I finally took a look at my diet and the connection of IC, nutrition, and chronic disease. I knew of the IC Diet and followed it pretty strictly. It seemed to help me somewhat, but I wasn't pain-free. I had always thought of myself as a healthy eater. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years now. And I never really used to eat junk food. I did a lot when I was younger, but only a little bit here and there now. I cut out coffee and soda a while back because I developed a low tolerance for caffeine. :( I used to drink coffee all the time (not soda as much, I was just never really into it), but then one day, it just made me sick, nauseous, and too jittery. It sucked, but I got over it. If it wasn't good for me, then good riddance, right? I still ate dairy. My diet mainly consisted of processed foods, quick dinners, dairy, sugars, and grains. Sometimes fruits and vegetables. Looking back, I see now that I wasn't a very healthy vegetarian. But I thought that was healthy! I wasn't educated in nutrition, and my health suffered.
That was the missing link. Once I learned about nutrition, I realized how important it really is. I was never taught these things, so how was I supposed to know? I grew up on the Standard American Diet (SAD) and so did everyone else I know. And they were fine and healthy, right? Besides the climbing obesity rates, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, of course. I learned that you can prevent most of these conditions, including chronic diseases like IC, through a healthy diet. It seems so simple, and yet, it is a very hard thing to do correctly.
I discovered the acid-alkaline diet and learned that my problems were most likely due to acidosis in my body - eating too much sugars, grains, yeast, processed foods, preservatives, chemicals, and unnatural ingredients. There are acid vs alkaline foods and if you eat too much acidic foods and not enough alkaline foods, acidosis takes over your body, causing disease. Too much of the "bad" and little to none of the "good". It literally felt like acid was eating away my insides sometimes, so this theory made sense to me.
I also learned about yeast candida and the IC connection. My IC started when I got a UTI, treated it with antibiotics, then got a yeast infection. When that cleared up, my UTI symptoms were still present (but with no bacteria this time), hence I was diagnosed with IC. Your body is susceptible to yeast overgrowth when you take antibiotics, eat lots of sugar, yeast, and acidic foods, and/or take birth control pills. This yeast overgrowth can cause things like PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. The yeast fighting program is pretty similar to how I approached my IC healing.
I discovered a woman online who made youtube videos of how she had cured herself of IC with natural methods. She taught me a lot. She healed her IC with a raw food diet. A raw food diet is basically a more extreme plant-based diet, in which you mainly eat uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some may think of this as a little extreme, but it makes sense. When you cook foods, they loose a lot of nutrients. And I had such a sick body that needed all the nutrients it could get. So I loaded up on raw fruits and vegetables and nothing else, to nourish my body, detoxify, and regenerate. I was desperate to try anything. I was in so much pain that maybe I needed something extreme to heal me. Anyway, I jumped head-first into a raw food diet. And guess what? It worked.
I was already a vegetarian, so cutting out meat was easy. I cut out all beverages except for water and my caffeine-free herbal tea. I cut out all processed and packaged food - if it came in a box, can, or plastic, I wouldn't eat it. I had already cut out dairy a couple months ago due to my lactose intolerance, so that was easy. It sucked, but I learned how to adapt (you always do). The hard ones to cut out for me were sugar, grains, and bread! Man, how I loved my bread and sweets! So at this point, my diet mainly consisted of IC-safe vegetables and some fruits. I started small by making green smoothies every morning for breakfast. Then I'd have a big salad (no dressing) for lunch and some veggies and homemade dip (ie hummus) for dinner. I began to get more creative as time went on, making more extravagant and filling raw food dishes. My pain went away almost immediately. Within a couple of days, my chronic pain levels went from being a Level 7-9 to a Level 1-3. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I was so accustomed to pain that feeling pain-free was so foreign to me!
So obviously, I continued on this diet, and I slowly began to notice all my other symptoms disappear too. Suddenly, I was happier, pain-free, more energetic than ever. My stomach was working better and my immune system was strengthening. My skin looked healthier, I was sleeping better, my mind felt clearer, and I was gaining weight (I didn't look like a sick skeleton anymore! For those who need to loose weight, this diet will also do that to you. It will balance you out to your healthy weight.) There were still some days when I would fall off the wagon and I would pay for it. But that's how I knew what I was doing was working. I could literally feel the difference in my body when I would eat something alkaline as opposed to when I would eat something acidic. I finally understood how to read my body and diagnose what could have caused a certain symptom. At this point, I still felt like I had IC, but I could feel myself healing and my body getting stronger.
I was feeling strong enough that I started adding new foods to my diet, testing them out to see if I had any reaction to them. There's really no set time you can start doing this, all I can say is that you'll know when you're ready. Take it slow. You need to allow your body time to heal first. I started by adding in fruits and vegetables that were not considered IC-safe. Oh, how delicious an apple tasted after not eating one for over a year! I tried so many new fruits & veggies, all with good luck. I wasn't afraid of food anymore! I had chocolate, spices, and even wine. :)
Now that I am feeling better, I am becoming more creative with my diet. I still try to focus on maintaining a raw food diet because that's when I feel the healthiest. I'm not sure if my problems would come back if I were to go back to my old ways, but I have no desire to find out. I am enjoying this newfound health! And I crave fresh fruits & veggies now. My taste buds have changed. I started off with the goal of healing and I got so much more. Happiness. Energy. Healthy skin. Healthy weight. Pain free. No more health issues.
I don't really like calling it a diet because that makes it sound restrictive. It is more like a lifestyle change. And I don't think simply changing my diet is what helped me. It was definitely a combination of things, shifting to a healthier lifestyle. Changing my diet really helped me detoxify my sick body and regenerate my cells. Your body has a natural ability to heal itself. When you fall and cut yourself, your skin generates a scab and slowly heals itself. If you provide your body with the right nutrients and stop poisoning it with acid things, it will heal itself on the inside, too. This is why eating healthy is so dang good for you. I also believe the herbs, supplements, yoga, and positive attitude really helped. And I made sure I got plenty of sunshine for Vitamin D, I eliminated negative people and stress from my life, drank lots of water, and took care of myself. I'm not a very religious person, but I stumbled upon this the other day, and found some good truth in it. God's 8 Law of Natural Health include: Nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance (self-control), air, rest, and trust (in yourself, a spiritual/higher power, and the nature of healing). You need to incorporate all the different levels to find true health.
A plant-based diet is essential to good health. I just watched a fantastic documentary called Forks Over Knives that taught me a lot about food, nutrition, and how bad nutrition causes so many different chronic illnesses. I strongly urge you to watch it. Many other people have overcome a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, with a plant-based diet (this is proven in the movie). This just confirms my belief that food is medicine. Hippocrates was right.
“Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.”
Diet & nutrition is a powerful thing that does not get enough credit at all. I notice that when I eat more foods that are alive, I feel more alive. This is why I choose not to eat dead foods, like meat or dairy. I feel much better and healthier without them.
I just returned from a 3 week trip to Bali, Indonesia and Thailand. I was pretty nervous going into it, thinking that all of the crazy food was for sure going to send me into a terrible flare. But I was pleasantly surprised. I got really brave and sampled a lot of new dishes. I mostly stuck to fried rice or noodles, with veggies, tofu, or tempeh. I tried many different sauces, all kinds of fruit, and even oranges! I had the local beer, rice wine, and even vodka. And I experienced very minimal IC symptoms. So, I feel as if I can say now with certainty that I am IC-free. Because I can do all of the things I used to - eat, drink, have sex, and be merry - all without pain. I finally made it. I couldn't have done this a couple of months or a year ago. It took me a long time, a lot of work, and a lot of healing to get to this point. But I finally made it.
I wouldn't say I'm completely "cured". I feel myself experiencing minimal symptoms from time to time and I can usually figure out why and correct it. But I feel like I finally have control over something that used to rule my life. And I barely even notice it's there anymore.
So I encourage you to GET YOUR GREENS ON! It changed my life and many others. And it won't hurt to try. :) Research, read, watch videos, expand your knowledge, get down to the bottom of what is causing your IC. Is it lifestyle choices?
If you have any questions about anything at all, do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to help you in this healing journey. Also, come join our group on Facebook, Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally.
Monday, May 30, 2011
My IC History
When I was first diagnosed with IC, I was so scared. I didn't know what I had and I was told that there was no cure and that I would have it for the rest of my life. I felt like a helpless and hopeless victim. I was 21 years old! I had my whole life in front of me. And it shattered to a million little pieces. My life turned into a fiery hell, filled with constant pain and countless doctors visits. When you google Interstitial Cystitis, it tells you that it is a painful condition due to inflammation of the bladder wall. It says that the cause is unknown. The cure? Unknown. The truth is, they don't know. It is such a mysterious disease and the medical world does not fully understand it yet. Google describes the symptoms as pain during intercourse, pelvic pain, urinary discomfort, frequency, urgency. Yes, I had all of those symptoms, but IC is much more than that. Google fails to mention depression, loneliness, isolation, anger, fear, anxiety, insomnia. IC changes your entire life. My main symptom was pelvic pain. I was in constant pain, all day every day, no matter what. The pain felt like a burning sensation in my bladder, like it was on fire, like there was acid boiling away my insides. There was also shooting, stabbing pain that would go up and down my urethra. Not only this, but my pain will radiate to other parts of the body. My whole torso would be in pain. Mostly it would spread to the left side of my body and into my back. It felt like pin-pricks of pain all over. The only time I would not be in pain was when I was asleep. But attempting to fall asleep while in that much pain is a challenge in itself.
My pain level was usually at a 7-9 every day. I would notice that it would get worse if I ate something my bladder did not like, if I was stressed or tired, if I tried to have sex, or sometimes for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. I also experienced frequency and urgency. Sometimes I would have to pee every 5 minutes. Other times, I would only have to pee every hour. Sometimes, I would feel like I had to pee, and nothing would come out. I would spend hours crying on the toilet or laying in bed. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening to me. No one did.
I visited many doctors. I researched many ways to "manage" IC. I learned about the IC Diet. I attempted to follow it the best that I could. I realized that I could no longer eat the foods that I loved. Just a few bites of a pizza, hummus with spices and lemon juice, or some chocolate would cause such immense pain that I learned never to touch those things again. I had to read every single ingredient list of every item I bought. I realized that I could no longer shop at the typical grocery store because almost every single product had something in it that would cause me pain. I was lucky that I was never a big coffee or soda drinker, so I didn't have to worry about the difficulty of cutting those things out of my diet. It took me a long time to cut out alcohol. I believe I was partly in denial. I didn't want to change the way that I lived my life. I loved drinking, partying, and going out with my friends. But I learned quickly that a few sips would cause me intense pain. The type of pain where I would lay in bed for a week, crying and cuddling with my heating pad. Just the memories of it makes me nauseous. Eventually, I accepted that I would have to change my diet and cut out the things that I loved. If I wanted to feel better, I had to do it. I tried to view it as a temporary adjustment, rather than permanent, because maybe, one day, if I feel better, I will be able to enjoy it again. But not now. Now was a time for healing. It took me a long time to realize this. But once I did, and once I altered my mindset, things got a bit easier. That was one of the most difficult humps though - understanding and getting past my addiction to food and beverages. Making positive lifestyle changes to achieve better health.
When I was first diagnosed, I tried every drug, procedure and treatment my doctors recommended. I saw three different doctors, including a urologist that specialized in IC treatment. I tried Elmiron for 4 months with no positive results and decided to discontinue use. I didn't like the side effects (hair loss?!), I didn't like that it only worked for some patients, I didn't like that the medical world didn't fully understand why it worked in the first place. I didn't like that it was a new drug, so the long-term side effects are unknown. And I didn't like the idea of taking such a new, misunderstood drug for the rest of my life. I didn't like feeling like a guinea pig in an experiment, testing out new drugs. Plus, I experienced stomach aches and a spacey, out-of-it feeling when taking it, so I decided it was not for me.
I tried Elavil for a couple weeks. I really did not like this drug. It is an anti-depressant and it made my mood swings extremely terrible. I felt like I wanted to cry all the time. And it made me super drowsy. I felt like a dead robot. I discontinued using it.
I also tried Nuerotin and Hydroxyzine for about 2 months. I did not experience any relief, so I stopped taking these as well.
I tried bladder instillations, where a solution of Elmiron and other "good" things are put inside your bladder via catheter to help it heal. I got about 5 until I stopped doing them. Every time afterwards, I would leave the doctors office crying in pain. I hurt so much worse after getting this "treatment"! I felt so stupid for "following the doctor's orders", when the doctor did not really know what they were doing. In my opinion, they were hurting me, not helping me. I don't blame them. They're trying their best. There are few treatment options available and this seemed like the best option. And I was desperate to try anything.
I also got a cystoscopy with hydrodistention so that my urologist could confirm that I did, in fact, have IC. I was very scared to get this procedure done and I am very glad it is over. I will never do it again, but I suppose I am somewhat glad that I got it done. At least there is physical proof that I have IC, and I'm not some crazy woman claiming I have pain to get some Oxycontin. I was put asleep during the procedure, the doctor filled my bladder with fluid, looked around and took pictures. Afterwards, she showed me the little white dots on my bladder that are characteristic of IC. (But we don't know what causes those little white dots.) I went home with pain medication and I was in bed for a week. I peed blood the first day. I could barely walk. My bladder, my torso, and my lower back were in extreme pain. It hurt to move. It felt like razor blades were inside of me. It hurt to exist. This is another memory I try not to think about too often.
After this, I took Oxycontin every day. I couldn't go without it. The funny thing about pain meds is that even though it does make you feel good for a little bit, it does not take away the pain. The pain is still there, it's always there. You just forget about it for a little bit. I also took Xanax to control stress and anxiety to keep my pain levels down. I took Pyridium to help with the burning sensation I would get every time I would pee. There was one point where I was taking all of these drugs. And still, no relief really.
Testing out all these drugs made me very uneasy... I feel like it added to my problems instead of helping them. All the chemicals and toxins were just adding more stress to my already weak and sick body. It's hard to tell what kind of side-effects were caused by which drugs, since I was taking so many at different times. My wake-up call happened when I got intense, sharp pain out of no where and thought that I was having a heart attack. It hurt so bad, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, and I started having a panic attack. My boyfriend at the time called 911 because he was so scared. I was scared. These things shouldn't be happening to a "healthy" and "normal" 21 year old girl.
You can imagine what all of these things did to my social life. Constant pain doesn't really make you the happiest person in the world. I was not a pleasant person to be around. I used to be the most positive, friendliest, upbeat person you would ever meet. She disappeared when I got IC. I was almost always in a bad mood. I lost a lot of "friends". No one could really understand that I did not want to go out anymore. I was in constant pain. All of my friends were young and going out to clubs and bars. It's really hard to get motivated to go out when you're in so much pain that you can't even dance, you can't drink, but you can watch your friends drink! I felt like I couldn't do anything anymore. I couldn't drink, so going to parties and social gathering with alcohol was difficult. I couldn't eat, so going to restaurants and potluck parties was devastating. I was afraid to eat things because it may cause me pain. All my dreams of traveling and seeing the world were gone. Just getting through a day was a struggle. I felt like a young girl trapped inside an old woman's body. I was extremely sick at the age of 21. This should not be happening to me!! Where did my good health go?!
After I got IC, I also developed other issues as well. Lactose intolerance, extreme GERD (acid reflux), extreme allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis, and sensitivity to chemicals, weather, etc., to name a few. My whole body was breaking down. This is so common with IC.
IC stole my life. It robbed me of my happiness, it crushed my dreams, and it ruined my body. It killed my physical, mental, and spirituality body completely. I hit an ultimate low. I was allowing IC to slowly kill every part of me. After constantly getting let down by the doctors, I decided I would attempt to take my health into my own hands. I began a quest to figure out what was causing my IC and what I could do to make it go away. This is when I turned to alternative treatments and stumbled upon the raw food diet.
My pain level was usually at a 7-9 every day. I would notice that it would get worse if I ate something my bladder did not like, if I was stressed or tired, if I tried to have sex, or sometimes for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. I also experienced frequency and urgency. Sometimes I would have to pee every 5 minutes. Other times, I would only have to pee every hour. Sometimes, I would feel like I had to pee, and nothing would come out. I would spend hours crying on the toilet or laying in bed. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening to me. No one did.
I visited many doctors. I researched many ways to "manage" IC. I learned about the IC Diet. I attempted to follow it the best that I could. I realized that I could no longer eat the foods that I loved. Just a few bites of a pizza, hummus with spices and lemon juice, or some chocolate would cause such immense pain that I learned never to touch those things again. I had to read every single ingredient list of every item I bought. I realized that I could no longer shop at the typical grocery store because almost every single product had something in it that would cause me pain. I was lucky that I was never a big coffee or soda drinker, so I didn't have to worry about the difficulty of cutting those things out of my diet. It took me a long time to cut out alcohol. I believe I was partly in denial. I didn't want to change the way that I lived my life. I loved drinking, partying, and going out with my friends. But I learned quickly that a few sips would cause me intense pain. The type of pain where I would lay in bed for a week, crying and cuddling with my heating pad. Just the memories of it makes me nauseous. Eventually, I accepted that I would have to change my diet and cut out the things that I loved. If I wanted to feel better, I had to do it. I tried to view it as a temporary adjustment, rather than permanent, because maybe, one day, if I feel better, I will be able to enjoy it again. But not now. Now was a time for healing. It took me a long time to realize this. But once I did, and once I altered my mindset, things got a bit easier. That was one of the most difficult humps though - understanding and getting past my addiction to food and beverages. Making positive lifestyle changes to achieve better health.
When I was first diagnosed, I tried every drug, procedure and treatment my doctors recommended. I saw three different doctors, including a urologist that specialized in IC treatment. I tried Elmiron for 4 months with no positive results and decided to discontinue use. I didn't like the side effects (hair loss?!), I didn't like that it only worked for some patients, I didn't like that the medical world didn't fully understand why it worked in the first place. I didn't like that it was a new drug, so the long-term side effects are unknown. And I didn't like the idea of taking such a new, misunderstood drug for the rest of my life. I didn't like feeling like a guinea pig in an experiment, testing out new drugs. Plus, I experienced stomach aches and a spacey, out-of-it feeling when taking it, so I decided it was not for me.
I tried Elavil for a couple weeks. I really did not like this drug. It is an anti-depressant and it made my mood swings extremely terrible. I felt like I wanted to cry all the time. And it made me super drowsy. I felt like a dead robot. I discontinued using it.
I also tried Nuerotin and Hydroxyzine for about 2 months. I did not experience any relief, so I stopped taking these as well.
I tried bladder instillations, where a solution of Elmiron and other "good" things are put inside your bladder via catheter to help it heal. I got about 5 until I stopped doing them. Every time afterwards, I would leave the doctors office crying in pain. I hurt so much worse after getting this "treatment"! I felt so stupid for "following the doctor's orders", when the doctor did not really know what they were doing. In my opinion, they were hurting me, not helping me. I don't blame them. They're trying their best. There are few treatment options available and this seemed like the best option. And I was desperate to try anything.
I also got a cystoscopy with hydrodistention so that my urologist could confirm that I did, in fact, have IC. I was very scared to get this procedure done and I am very glad it is over. I will never do it again, but I suppose I am somewhat glad that I got it done. At least there is physical proof that I have IC, and I'm not some crazy woman claiming I have pain to get some Oxycontin. I was put asleep during the procedure, the doctor filled my bladder with fluid, looked around and took pictures. Afterwards, she showed me the little white dots on my bladder that are characteristic of IC. (But we don't know what causes those little white dots.) I went home with pain medication and I was in bed for a week. I peed blood the first day. I could barely walk. My bladder, my torso, and my lower back were in extreme pain. It hurt to move. It felt like razor blades were inside of me. It hurt to exist. This is another memory I try not to think about too often.
After this, I took Oxycontin every day. I couldn't go without it. The funny thing about pain meds is that even though it does make you feel good for a little bit, it does not take away the pain. The pain is still there, it's always there. You just forget about it for a little bit. I also took Xanax to control stress and anxiety to keep my pain levels down. I took Pyridium to help with the burning sensation I would get every time I would pee. There was one point where I was taking all of these drugs. And still, no relief really.
Testing out all these drugs made me very uneasy... I feel like it added to my problems instead of helping them. All the chemicals and toxins were just adding more stress to my already weak and sick body. It's hard to tell what kind of side-effects were caused by which drugs, since I was taking so many at different times. My wake-up call happened when I got intense, sharp pain out of no where and thought that I was having a heart attack. It hurt so bad, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, and I started having a panic attack. My boyfriend at the time called 911 because he was so scared. I was scared. These things shouldn't be happening to a "healthy" and "normal" 21 year old girl.
You can imagine what all of these things did to my social life. Constant pain doesn't really make you the happiest person in the world. I was not a pleasant person to be around. I used to be the most positive, friendliest, upbeat person you would ever meet. She disappeared when I got IC. I was almost always in a bad mood. I lost a lot of "friends". No one could really understand that I did not want to go out anymore. I was in constant pain. All of my friends were young and going out to clubs and bars. It's really hard to get motivated to go out when you're in so much pain that you can't even dance, you can't drink, but you can watch your friends drink! I felt like I couldn't do anything anymore. I couldn't drink, so going to parties and social gathering with alcohol was difficult. I couldn't eat, so going to restaurants and potluck parties was devastating. I was afraid to eat things because it may cause me pain. All my dreams of traveling and seeing the world were gone. Just getting through a day was a struggle. I felt like a young girl trapped inside an old woman's body. I was extremely sick at the age of 21. This should not be happening to me!! Where did my good health go?!
After I got IC, I also developed other issues as well. Lactose intolerance, extreme GERD (acid reflux), extreme allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis, and sensitivity to chemicals, weather, etc., to name a few. My whole body was breaking down. This is so common with IC.
IC stole my life. It robbed me of my happiness, it crushed my dreams, and it ruined my body. It killed my physical, mental, and spirituality body completely. I hit an ultimate low. I was allowing IC to slowly kill every part of me. After constantly getting let down by the doctors, I decided I would attempt to take my health into my own hands. I began a quest to figure out what was causing my IC and what I could do to make it go away. This is when I turned to alternative treatments and stumbled upon the raw food diet.
My Diagnosis
In November 2009, I had just returned home to Tempe, AZ after studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia. I was so happy to be back, visiting friends and family. However, after a few weeks, I developed symptoms that seemed like a UTI, though it felt a bit different. I went to the doctor and told them I thought I had a UTI and my urine was tested, I was given antibiotics, and sent on my way. After a couple days, I got a yeast infection from the antibiotics and used an OTC treatment. After that cleared up, my UTI symptoms were still present, so back to the doctor I went. This time, they told me they did not see any bacteria in my urine indicating that I had a UTI. (To this day, I don't know if I ever did have a UTI. The doctor never confirmed my diagnosis the first time I went in.) Luckily, the nurse treating me has studied Interstitial Cystitis (IC) extensively, so she had a hunch that is what I had. She gave me an IC Diet food list, told me to follow it and come back in a couple days to do a test. Oh man, that was a very difficult visit to the grocery store! I felt like I couldn't have anything I liked to eat! I was so frustrated. But after following the diet, I noticed that my pain lessened a little bit. So that's what I told her when I went back to the doctor's office. She then told me she was going to put a catheter in me and place a solution in my bladder as a test. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she was the professional, so I agreed. Now I know that she was performing the potassium sensitivity test on me. Basically, she put bladder irritating things inside me and if it hurt, then yes, I have Interstitial Cystitis. Oh my god, did it hurt. It hurt so bad I screamed for them to stop. If I would have known that was the "test" they were doing, I would have maybe said no. I was really upset that the procedure wasn't fully explained to me. Anyway, I'm getting off topic here. So, she gave me a packet with a CD explaining what IC is and how to manage it, along with a prescription for Elmiron and sent me on my way. I was so scared. I don't think it had sunk in yet. It took a long time for it to sink it.
I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic, painful bladder disease. I didn't know how much pain it was going to put me through. I didn't know how difficult my life would be from now on. I didn't know anything. I've come a long way since my diagnosis. I've learned a lot about IC. I've learned a lot about myself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I believe that I have finally healed myself of IC. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, about 2 years of struggle! But I can finally say that I am pain-free now. I'd like to share my story with you, in hopes that you can find relief from your suffering as well.
When we are diagnosed with IC, we are told that there is no cure. There is only ways to live with it. But I am here to tell you that is not true. You are not stuck with IC. You can heal yourself. Never say never. The truth is out there. But you're not going to find it if you're not looking.
<3
I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic, painful bladder disease. I didn't know how much pain it was going to put me through. I didn't know how difficult my life would be from now on. I didn't know anything. I've come a long way since my diagnosis. I've learned a lot about IC. I've learned a lot about myself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I believe that I have finally healed myself of IC. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, about 2 years of struggle! But I can finally say that I am pain-free now. I'd like to share my story with you, in hopes that you can find relief from your suffering as well.
When we are diagnosed with IC, we are told that there is no cure. There is only ways to live with it. But I am here to tell you that is not true. You are not stuck with IC. You can heal yourself. Never say never. The truth is out there. But you're not going to find it if you're not looking.
<3
Sunday, May 29, 2011
DISCLAIMER
My name is Melissa and I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis in November 2009 when I was 21 years old. My main symptoms were severe, chronic pelvic pain, urgency, frequency, and painful sex. I had a very limited diet because many foods/drinks caused even more pain. Stress & PMS were also triggers. I developed GERD (acid reflux), lactose intolerance, severe allergies, digestive issues, and eosinophilic esophagitis as well. I now believe I had many different issues going on, including IC, leaky gut syndrome, candida overgrowth, and acidosis. My body was falling apart. I exhausted all of my doctor's medicine & treatment options and still found no relief. After suffering in constant, extreme pain for one year, I finally found relief through natural methods.
The purpose of this blog is to share my journey of healing with others. While I hope that you will gain knowledge and be open to try some of the methods I have tried, please keep in mind that every IC patient is different. What works for me may not work for you. Some things might, some things might not. IC is such a misunderstood disease, it may be a lot of different diseases just grouped under one name. I am not a medical professional and you should not treat me as one! But I do speak from experience, which as we know in the IC world, is one of the main things we rely on. I encourage you to do research for yourself, listen to your body, and do what you believe is best for you. Take my advice, but also take advice from others, seek knowledge and information from multiple sources, and whatever you do, never give up. There is an answer out there for you somewhere and you will never find it if you aren't looking.
The purpose of this blog is to share my journey of healing with others. While I hope that you will gain knowledge and be open to try some of the methods I have tried, please keep in mind that every IC patient is different. What works for me may not work for you. Some things might, some things might not. IC is such a misunderstood disease, it may be a lot of different diseases just grouped under one name. I am not a medical professional and you should not treat me as one! But I do speak from experience, which as we know in the IC world, is one of the main things we rely on. I encourage you to do research for yourself, listen to your body, and do what you believe is best for you. Take my advice, but also take advice from others, seek knowledge and information from multiple sources, and whatever you do, never give up. There is an answer out there for you somewhere and you will never find it if you aren't looking.
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