Interstitial Cystitis

[livingwith]

I have been diagnosed with IC for over a year and a half now.I pee every 20-30 minutes during the day and if I’m lucky I can go up to two hours at night.I am exhausted, irritable, and stay in the bed alot. I tend to stay home near a toilet and have found myself very isolated. I am on 9 different medications to control or help me deal with this but nothing is really helping.Does anyone have any useful ideas to help me cope?
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[giapooh]

Yes! I was diagnosed 3 months ago and was told I was the worse case they had seen. I had a urological eval and ultrasounds of my kidney, bladder and pelvis. I catheter myself everytime I pee, basically because I can't pee. The nurse told me I pee like I'm in labor because I push. I suggest you go onto the websit for IC and get the diet plan and follow it, it helps from irritating your lining further. Drinking 1 teaspoon of baking soda/day helps with bladder pain..I mean who are we kidding, we are all suffering, but itry everything, small or big. Have you seen a good Urologist? NOT your GYN. been there done that, makes a HUGE difference! ARe you on Elmiron and a pain medication. I take both everyday. The pain meds only take the edge off, I don't think there's a pain med in the world that could touch this! Pyridium, a 5 day numbing med is taken during a really bad bout. I've done 5 so far. Again, I stress,, a good Urologist. I was lucky.
I am having surgery this wed, July 9th for the first part of my Interstim Implant. (GO on the website, they will send you a free DVD and other stuff) Wed, through mu upper buttocks they will put tubes through to my nerves, which are basically dead, to try to fire em up and get the pee going. The tubes stay in for 10 days and a battery pack ia attached to your side, as well. Within a few days I'll know if this test surgery works and then then I will have the implant implanted soon after. It is supposed to reduce the pain by 80% by studies they have done. Who knows, but I damn well going to try anything to get me out of this wonderland of hell. I can't stand, sit, lift, eat what I like, work long hours and I'm sooo depressed over it, I cry all the time. Luckilly, I have a wonderful boyfriend and we've been together for 3 1/2 years living together and my 3 pets (My therapy dogs)!!
good luck to you and rest when you need it....giapooh