Younger IC patients?

[heath05]

I just posted last night and it seems like every story i have read on here, all of the woman are much much older than me. I am only 20 yrs old and i feel like i am really young to have IC.. its very depressing to me because i always that that bladder problems came with older age..no offense to anyone its just how i always thought it happened. Im just wondering if there are any younger women who have IC and would want to chat about how they cope with this horrible disease..cus to be honest it really freakin sucks!:cussing:


thanks for everyone who commented on my last message. im glad i joined this because i really have been having trouble getting started with changing my diet and really finding medicines that have worked for me..

[ladylin]

hey, i am 21, and i just found out a couple of months ago that i have IC. i would love to talk to you, although i am still learning as well and still trying to find ways to cope. the main thing i do suggest however is the IC diet. it is really frustrating to figure out what you can and cant have because everyone is different, but so far i can tell i feel better by not eating certain foods. also before to do research, might want to consider buying some of the books that are on this site, they are helpful. just send me an email if you would like to talk, it would be helpful for me as well. :)

[SharonA]

I want to say :welcome: to the boards from one of those "older" women. :lmao: No offence taken. It's just a fact of life...I am an "older" woman. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

I want to welcome you and ask if you have looked at the 20's Chat forum? You can find the link on the Forum List page. There are a lot of younger people who have IC and who post to each other. I am sure they would love to have you join in with them. They are a bunch of great people and I am sure they would love to help you any way they can.

:) :) :)

[~*~Christine~*~]

:welcome:
I'm 22 and was diagnosed at 16; since then I've come across many young people with IC, some as young as 13
It may seem that less young people have it but that is probably due to the fact that many doctors will not even test younger patients for IC, believing that it is an "older womans" disease

[green_the_fish]

Hi, I'm 17 right now, but I first got IC when I was 15.

Like Christine said, some urologists still think of IC as a disease for "little old ladies". Nobody believed that I had IC when I was 15, even though they clearly saw glomerulations and damage on my bladder wall. It took me a year of jumping through hoops to finally find out the truth. So, there are definetely young people who have IC, even if some urologists aren't up-to-date enough to know about us yet. I have read that there are even toddlers out there who have IC!

Well, feel free to PM me any time if you want to talk :grouphug:

[Emma's Mommy]

I'm 24 and started having IC pains right after my 24th birthday....so does that make me old or young??

[sacausa]

I'm 18, diagnosed via cystoscopy with hydrodistention and biopsy at 16, and symptoms started at 15.

I share your feelings about being too young for this disease. It's horrible when i go to the urologist's office and there are only people over 70 in the waiting room.......

It's also pretty embaressing to explain to people something's wrong with your "bladder," it's really a taboo subject.

[mayray518]

I got IC when I was 37 and that is "young" but I cant imagine what you ladies in your teens and 20s go thru. I am so sorry. I always used to look at my life as "before IC" and "after". I am sad anyone of any age has to go thru it but you all didnt even get a chance. I have been in remission for 7 years and pray that you get relief. Thank God for this website and all the extra info about IC.

[callie0767]

first of all i am 39 and not offended at all. however i had symptoms as early as 16 years old but not diagnosed until i believe 19 years old. i kind of ignored it at first as being normal boy was i wrong but i think it affected the treatments i got and also it was before ic was really known by urologist.so not sure if it was my young age ,my stupiditity at not acting earlier or because it was not known by most urologists. dmso helped me for awhile,then hydros helped and now a different form of hydro helps me now.
tried elmiron before it was approved by the fda for six years but did not help me much.also i tried every medicine available back then but none really worked.so does that make me old i guess.

[KokoBean]

I was so excited when I saw this thread posted! I just turned 22 and was diagnosed with IC this past June via cysto/hydro. I also felt like I was alone in being so young with this disease.
I am really glad to see there are other young ones too. I would love to chat anytime....I am new to this website though. I am also still trying to figure out how to cope with this yucky disease.

:angel:
steph

p.s. I had bladder symptoms as young as 4yrs old. I remember sitting on the toilet crying at 4yrs old b/c I didn't want to leave the house b/c I felt like I needed to "keep going".

[VickiB]

It really sucks that there are so many of you having to deal with this at a young age!

I was in my teens when IC first hit. -Since then I've gotten "old"! But I still remember how frustrating it was!

Vicki

[Silverfox]

My IC symptoms began as a toddler and ever so gradually became worse.
We never went to Drs. in those days and we were told all our female troubles were normal for women. So we had to endure...until we got married and we found we were in bad pain. I had 3 kids and so did have some remissions of symptoms during those years, but nearing middle age 33 LOL It was bad for me.
Suddenly I read about IC in a medical library and then I read in a magazine about a Dr. who started a support group for al the women who suffer. Drs. were still saying all of us had a mental problem.

Now, I am old, but I still shop well, and soon my daughter is having my first grandchild. I look forward to being a Grandma with silver-white hair.

My biggest mistake was to put my health in the total care of others, who did not care about me. Also, over time I learned that some were not as smart as I thought, and, had i done my own research, and been my own detective, I would have found answers sooner and done less damage. I did better when I got off my duff and found some answers. Stick together and I believe the truth will reveal answers, and many will benefit. You will not solve this alone so my suggestion to the young is really putting your heads together and not leaving it up to big pharmacies. Start support groups in your area, even if you only have a handful, and raise awareness and raise some funds for a cure.


Hugs, Sincerly old Silverfox :cat:

[ICNJess]

I'm 23, but dx'd when I was 20, and really got horrible symptoms when I was 16. I feel for you!!!