icnmgrjill
12-22-2004, 10:01 AM
Here I sit in my spare bedroom at home rather than work.... with a whopping case of laryngitis.: ignore: Oh well.... atleast it's not a horrible IC flare. Been there, done that, and flares over the holidays are so challenging. So, rather than twiddle my fingers for another day :rolleyes:, I thought I'd take a moment and share some of my best holiday strategies for you!
#1. Be strict with you diet even before christmas eve. This is not the time for you to irritate your bladder unnecessarily. If, on christmas eve, you decide to have that glass of wine... atleast your bladder will have a better chance of tolerating it. But, if you previously irritate your bladder with coffees, sodas... etc... then you're just asking for trouble. I try to limit myself to just one mild acid a day.
#2. If you choose to imbibe, make sure that you don't use the highest acid of the wines or hard liquors. Champagne is notorious for scouring the bladder and provoking the pain... because it is the highest in acid of all the "wines." I find that I do better with the sweeter, red wines like a Merlot... and still only one glass. I'll often dilute it with mineral water to make a wine spritzer. Bev Laumann's book "A Taste of the Good Life" has a great section describing which wines are higher versus lower in acid. A great alternative is to make a mulled apple juice using a baby juice and some cinnamon and cloves! Eggnog is IC friendly too... as long as you haven't put rum or whisky in it!
#3. Surviving Car Rides & Bathroom Stops. If you're someone who often flares in the car, then plan ahead. Bring traveljohns for those roadside pitstops if no bathroom is in sight. If you don't have any TJ's, then bring a few, old towels and garbage bags. Put the towel in the garbage bag and then pee. Wrap it up... and you're done. If privacy is an issue or having a shy bladder (as I do)... then remember that you can pull over and, if you have a four door sedan, you can open the front and back doors to cover you from both sides to give you shelter. Or, if you're one of the big planners, you've already got your handy dandy popup tent in the trunk of your car... which you can whip out... open in 5 secs and have your own private portapotty! They are currently available in our shop.
#4. Last minute gifts. If you haven't been well enough to shop or if you just don't have the funds.... remember that the BEST gifts of all are the gifts of your time and love. How about making a batch of cookies instead. My Aunt Julie was once married to a very wealthy man. He lacked for nothing and his children often agonized over what to give him. One year, his teenage daughters spent a day baking lots of different types of cookies and then gave them to him on a platter. He dissolved into tears. It was the best present he received... because it showed him that his daughters really loved him. So, if you've got flour, sugar and eggs... you've got the making for some great christmas cookies.
#5. Pace yourself. From someone whose been there... if you're feeling horrible this christmas... it may be important for you to stay home. I did and though it was lonely, I knew that I couldn't handle that hour long drive to my sisters house that year. So, I sent my family instead and hung out with my cats and some great old movies on TV. Pathetic?? Nah... it was reality. I had already tried to go to various family events during flares and usually arrived feeling so much worse that I had to lay down and miss the event anyway. Sometimes it just feels better to stay at home. You can do this if you need to. It's just ONE day.... and there will be others. But, if you're determined to go.... use your pain medications. But don't let anyone guilt you into doing something that you know will make your IC worse.
#6. Reward yourself. If you were diagnosed with IC this year... you've had one heck of shock. Between having to deal with symptoms that probably scared the heck out of you at first.... and then having to learn all about IC... not the least of which was giving up your favorite drinks and chocolate... YOU DESERVE A REWARD. Do something for you this holiday year... whether it be a massage, going out to dinner with friends or staying home and rereading your favorite books. You've worked so hard.... and you deserve a reward. In fact, every time you go to the doctor, you should reward yourself .. perhaps with just a cookie from your favorite bakery. Just do it.
#7. Holiday discussions. I had one lovely IC patient tell me, two weeks ago, that her in-laws have accused her of having IC to get attention. Balderdash!!!! My heart just broke for her... because that is so horribly unfair and unjust.
It's may happen so let's rehearse it now. When that cousin asks "Why aren't you better?" what are you going to say????
How about "IC is a mystery and because we don't know exactly what causes it... when don't have a cure. It takes some time to try the therapies that can work. I'm not there yet.... and I hope that I'll have your support in the coming year as I try to get better."
or.. when Aunt Josephine says... "I had IC once. I just drank cranberry juice and it went away. Stop obsessing about it."
My answer... "If you could drink cranberry juice, then you clearly didn't have IC. Cranberry juice makes IC much much worse. What you don't understand is that you probably had a simple bladder infection. I, on the otherhand, have an injury to my bladder that is struggling to heal. The pain is so bad that it's rated equivalent to cancer pain. So, I'm offended that you would say that I'm obsessing. If you had cancer... I wouldn't tell you that you were obsessing. I'm hurt and I need your help... not your criticisms."
Well... I think you get my drift. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for having IC or for asking for help. Stand firm!!
Well, I'm sure I'll have more to say later. But, I sincerely hope this helps!
Much love - Jill :)
#1. Be strict with you diet even before christmas eve. This is not the time for you to irritate your bladder unnecessarily. If, on christmas eve, you decide to have that glass of wine... atleast your bladder will have a better chance of tolerating it. But, if you previously irritate your bladder with coffees, sodas... etc... then you're just asking for trouble. I try to limit myself to just one mild acid a day.
#2. If you choose to imbibe, make sure that you don't use the highest acid of the wines or hard liquors. Champagne is notorious for scouring the bladder and provoking the pain... because it is the highest in acid of all the "wines." I find that I do better with the sweeter, red wines like a Merlot... and still only one glass. I'll often dilute it with mineral water to make a wine spritzer. Bev Laumann's book "A Taste of the Good Life" has a great section describing which wines are higher versus lower in acid. A great alternative is to make a mulled apple juice using a baby juice and some cinnamon and cloves! Eggnog is IC friendly too... as long as you haven't put rum or whisky in it!
#3. Surviving Car Rides & Bathroom Stops. If you're someone who often flares in the car, then plan ahead. Bring traveljohns for those roadside pitstops if no bathroom is in sight. If you don't have any TJ's, then bring a few, old towels and garbage bags. Put the towel in the garbage bag and then pee. Wrap it up... and you're done. If privacy is an issue or having a shy bladder (as I do)... then remember that you can pull over and, if you have a four door sedan, you can open the front and back doors to cover you from both sides to give you shelter. Or, if you're one of the big planners, you've already got your handy dandy popup tent in the trunk of your car... which you can whip out... open in 5 secs and have your own private portapotty! They are currently available in our shop.
#4. Last minute gifts. If you haven't been well enough to shop or if you just don't have the funds.... remember that the BEST gifts of all are the gifts of your time and love. How about making a batch of cookies instead. My Aunt Julie was once married to a very wealthy man. He lacked for nothing and his children often agonized over what to give him. One year, his teenage daughters spent a day baking lots of different types of cookies and then gave them to him on a platter. He dissolved into tears. It was the best present he received... because it showed him that his daughters really loved him. So, if you've got flour, sugar and eggs... you've got the making for some great christmas cookies.
#5. Pace yourself. From someone whose been there... if you're feeling horrible this christmas... it may be important for you to stay home. I did and though it was lonely, I knew that I couldn't handle that hour long drive to my sisters house that year. So, I sent my family instead and hung out with my cats and some great old movies on TV. Pathetic?? Nah... it was reality. I had already tried to go to various family events during flares and usually arrived feeling so much worse that I had to lay down and miss the event anyway. Sometimes it just feels better to stay at home. You can do this if you need to. It's just ONE day.... and there will be others. But, if you're determined to go.... use your pain medications. But don't let anyone guilt you into doing something that you know will make your IC worse.
#6. Reward yourself. If you were diagnosed with IC this year... you've had one heck of shock. Between having to deal with symptoms that probably scared the heck out of you at first.... and then having to learn all about IC... not the least of which was giving up your favorite drinks and chocolate... YOU DESERVE A REWARD. Do something for you this holiday year... whether it be a massage, going out to dinner with friends or staying home and rereading your favorite books. You've worked so hard.... and you deserve a reward. In fact, every time you go to the doctor, you should reward yourself .. perhaps with just a cookie from your favorite bakery. Just do it.
#7. Holiday discussions. I had one lovely IC patient tell me, two weeks ago, that her in-laws have accused her of having IC to get attention. Balderdash!!!! My heart just broke for her... because that is so horribly unfair and unjust.
It's may happen so let's rehearse it now. When that cousin asks "Why aren't you better?" what are you going to say????
How about "IC is a mystery and because we don't know exactly what causes it... when don't have a cure. It takes some time to try the therapies that can work. I'm not there yet.... and I hope that I'll have your support in the coming year as I try to get better."
or.. when Aunt Josephine says... "I had IC once. I just drank cranberry juice and it went away. Stop obsessing about it."
My answer... "If you could drink cranberry juice, then you clearly didn't have IC. Cranberry juice makes IC much much worse. What you don't understand is that you probably had a simple bladder infection. I, on the otherhand, have an injury to my bladder that is struggling to heal. The pain is so bad that it's rated equivalent to cancer pain. So, I'm offended that you would say that I'm obsessing. If you had cancer... I wouldn't tell you that you were obsessing. I'm hurt and I need your help... not your criticisms."
Well... I think you get my drift. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for having IC or for asking for help. Stand firm!!
Well, I'm sure I'll have more to say later. But, I sincerely hope this helps!
Much love - Jill :)