Every September, IC/BPS patients and organizations around the world gather together to promote interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and chronic pelvic pain. This year, our campaign is bold and blunt, telling the story of patients who are refused pain treatment with, in some cases, tragic results. Despite decades of research showing that this medical condition [...]
It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the 2013 IC Awareness Month Campaign and we have a surprise, rather than just three winners, we'll have five! The posters this year were fabulous First Place: Jennifer Williams - $100 gift certificate Jennifer Williams has created an iconic image absolutely perfect for use in an [...]
You know people care about IC when they go out of their way to try to help. Chef Dan Norton is someone who truly does care and every month in his blog MyFoodStyle he offers fresh, satisfying and bladder friendly recipes. He also offers a very cool monthly subscription service for IC patients who love [...]
Before allowing any instillation placed into the bladder, a wise patient will ask: "What is it?" "How does it work?" "When will I know if it’s helping?" "What are the risks or benefits?" The most popular bladder instillation in use around the world is known as a "rescue instillation" because the patients may feel a [...]
IC patients should keep track of their diagnostic tests, treatments and physician appointments so that they can discuss their medical history with new physicians. There’s nothing worse than being asked "what tests did you have?" or "what treatments did you try?" only to respond "I don’t know." Yes, you might have had a bladder instillation [...]
Surgical treatment is RARELY used for the treatment of interstitial cystitis and only AFTER a patient has tried and failed ALL of the easier therapies, including oral medications, bladder instillations, some experimental therapies (i.e. botox), physical therapy and perhaps even alternative or complementary strategies (i.e. acupuncture, etc.). Several surgical options are available. Patients with severe [...]
We often are so focused on our troubles that we forget that our urologists are human too with a shockingly difficult job. They often see four patients an hour, including same day "urgent" patients that are often squeezed in between and/or during their lunch hours. Their stress level can be high particularly as they perform [...]
What is it: Interstitial cystitis is a pelvic pain condition with an unknown etiology. Patients typically experience "an unpleasant sensation (pain, pressure, discomfort) perceived to be related to the urinary bladder" that lasts longer than six weeks in the absence of infection or other identifiable causes. Some patients have large, bleeding ulcers in their bladders, [...]
