Guess I'll formally introduce myself...

[downinit]

:toilet: Hi!
I thought I would go here and post first to introduce myself to everyone, since I am new. My name is Toni, I'm 28, from Wyoming, and I was technically diagnosed with IC
back in mid July of this year. I have been suffering since Febuary. It still hasn't truly set into my head that I have this extremey odd and PAINFUL disease. I truly feel for ALL of you, and I am so very thankful for this website. I've learned more from the web, than through any of these crappy doctors I've had to deal with. Anyway, Hi to all and I hope we can all become great friends!
Take care,
Toni :grouphug:

[ICNJess]

Hi Toni! Welcome to our ICN family! :) I am sorry you have this awful disease, but at least you are not alone. We are here any time, day or night!

Take care and hugs!
Jess

[July]

Welcome! I hope to become good friends too! You will meet a lot of people here who know just what you are going through! I'm glad you got a diagnosis early. That can be rare. It may help with your treatment!

[VickiB]

Hi Toni, Glad to have you with us! My Uro told me he could tell me about my IC, but I'd learn a whole lot more by just coming to this site. -He was right! Take your time and learn all you can. Give the IC diet a try if you haven't already,..for some of us, diet changes have worked wonders!

I hope you soon find treatments that relieve most, if not all, of the pain you've been in! Don't give up on that, most of us do get there!

Vicki

[Katrina]

:hi: and :welcome:to the ICN! I hope you do become a close member of our family. I am sorry you have IC. Having IC isn't fun but having us sure helps! :kissing: I hope that your doc can help you get the best treatment for you. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you.:grouphug:

:kiss::kiss:

[Imustpee]

Hi Toni!! Welcome!!!

[stacey79]

Hi, Toni! Welcome to the boards :welcome: My doctor also hasn't told me nearly as much as I've learned on the ICN web site. THere's a lot of good information on the site and the boards.

I'm sure you will find many friends here. We all are able to understand each other's struggles so well. I'm 25 and have been dealing with IC off and on since I was three. My most recent bout started a couple of years ago and having this site has made it easier. I hope it will for you also. :grouphug:

I look forward to getting to know you! :)

[Iris]

Hi Toni, and welcome to the IC family, glad you found us, lots of information, and support here, a wonderful place to know you have friends who are dealing with the same pain in the butt, and other places, illness. :toilet: All joking aside, you will find wonderful support, compassion, help, and always a shoulder to lean on, any time day or night, as Jess said. Welcoming hugs to you, Iris. :welcome: :grouphug: :flower:

[Babs RN]

Hi Toni--
Welcome to the boards and our happy group. This is a wonderful place and has kept me together more often than my own family. Wyoming is beautiful--I went to Creighton in Omaha(GO JAYS)and drove through your state frequently.


Hugs,
Barb :welcome:

[ICNDonna]

I'd like to add another :welcome: to the IC Network family. I live in Oregon and have relatives in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado so we have driven through Wyoming many times. There's some gorgeous scenery there.

I also would encourage you to try the IC diet. Many of us find that one step helps significantly.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[XoChelsey03Xo]

Welcome to the INC web-site. I'm sure you'll find a lot of support here on the boards. I too was just dignosed with IC about 2mo. ago. I believe I've lived with it for about 6 years or so. Chelsey

[Sarojini]

Another :welcome: from Memphis, Tennessee! I'm glad you decided to post... we're so glad to have another member of our family. I wish you didn't have IC, but since you do, this is the absolute best place to come for info and support :D

I'm sure you've read our Patient Handbook by now, but on the off chance you haven't, it's at http://www.ic-network.com/handbook -- it's loaded with info about treatment options, the IC diet, and other self-help strategies and it really can be a great reference :)

Again, welcome!

[Myli]

:welcome:

My doctor didn't really explain all the ins and outs of IC, but considering how busy they are, I guess he probably couldn't cram as much into an appointment as I have spent online reading just through this site, let alone the others I visited on the way. :lmao: Plus this site has the added benefit of filling you in on all different kinds of treatment options and the real life experiences with them.

The good news is that most of IC patients do find treatments that significantly impact their IC to the point of leading a normal or near normal life. Being diagnosed so quickly (my diagnosis came at about the same time frame as yours in my IC history) may well get you on the road to recovery much more quickly than those who were not diagnosed for years. It has mine. Even though it isn't the same as my normal life before IC, I am doing pretty well. I have many more good days than bad.

I'm glad you found us! Feel free to ask anything, vent, cry... we will be here to help you.

:grouphug:
Myli

[downinit]

:smile tee Hello! I am truly touched by ALL of you! What a warm welcome, and from SO many of you!!!! I apoligize in advance, the computer is at my parent's house, so I will not be able to respond very quickly to anyone, but I'll try my best to get on here often.
We are definitely a very SPECIAL group of people to have such an odd, mostly painful, yet intriguing, kind of disease. I DEEPLY believe a cure, or curing operation is on the way, but it's a matter of time and patience i guess. Let me also say that I DEEPLY FEEL for those of you who have suffered so long, with no help, and no medication. I guess that there are different stages of the disease and I'm sure some of us are worse off than others. Yes, I am SO VERY THANKFUL for being diagnosed early, from what I understand that is a fortunate thing to have happened with this illness. Thank you to all who sent the e-mails and for the advice you all are already giving me!!! I'm still struggling with if I'm going to go on disability or not, truthfully, I really don't want to, I want my plans for my future to go forth. I have checked out the social security forum and that's SO GREAT that you all have that on this site!! What a big HELP!! You guys are SO AWESOME!! I'm really interested in this "diet" I do take Prelief with most of my meals, especially tomato based meals. Can you all believe our worst enemies in the world, are not Al Keida, or Suddam, BUT, little old Mr. Tomato, Mr. Coffee, and Miss Cranberry?!?!? (Assama Bin Ketchup)!!!!! I am currently having a VERY hard time trying to quit coffee. I kicked my 12 year cigarette habit when I got sick, and that wasn't near as bad as trying to kick this @#%$& COFFEE!!!! So, I'll check out the diet. Well, I'm starting to babble!!! Thank you SO MUCH to ALL of you!!! I already consider you to be my friends and aren't we so lucky to be in this little elite society of "Bad As% Bladder Babes"? Hugs to all and chat with ya later!
Take Care!!
:elvis: Toni :elvis:


:elvis: P.S. Thank you
SO MUCH for having the Elvis icon, I LOVE Elvis!!( and my Spookey)! :cat:
:angel: P.P.S. Thank you Katrina for your quote about God using us. A friend recently told me the same thing, and it gave me alot of peace with God. It is very significant to me. :grouphug: