newly diagnosed

[mrg]

I am 33 years old and currently attending college to finally get my degree. I am just recently married and found out that I have IC as well as endometriosis. I was diagnosed and had the surgery 2 weeks ago. Needless to say, my marriage hasn't been the way it should be due to the problems I have and most of all the intense pain I feel during the times my husband and I are intimate. I have so many questions, but the main issure I would like some guidance on is my new 'diet.' I was given a list of foods, but I am having trouble figuring out which foods cause me more pain. I keep a food diary along with the pain I get after eating, but is it best for now to just eat certain things be themselves so I know what I can and can not eat. For example,instead of eating a dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn, should I eat one thing at a time? I am thankful for any help/advice I receive and I am also thankful that this website provides a chat board so that I can interact with others who have IC.
Once again I would appreciate any advice I can get right now,
Sincerely,
Michelle

[ICNDonna]

The Patient Handbook at http://www.ic-network.com/handbook has a diet section that should help you get started.

And there are some books in the ICN Shop that will help.

Donna

[mrg]

thank you for the information...i haven't had a chance to fully explore this website and i'm excited to see what is out there that i can begin to read and learn.

[ICLori]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome, and that I hope you will be feeling better soon!

This message board is great - I don't know what I would have done through the years without it!

Blessings,
Lori

[mrg]

thank you for the welcome..it's great having a place that i can talk to other people with IC and share my concerns, etc.

[meme]

Welcome to the boards. The diet can be confusing at times, but once you find your triggers it will get much easier. For most of us I think the main things to avoid are Tomatoes, citrus, and caffine. Some of us are able to tolerate some of those while others can't hardly look at them. I'm okay as long as I use moderation. Extreme moderation when it comes to tomatoes, like maybe a slice of pizza or salsa once a month. I knew at the beginning that if I ate anything like chili or spaghetti that it would cause me imense pain, but I didn't think that my one soda a day was really bothering me that bad because the pain was tolerable. I haven't had a soda in a year now, and believe me it has made a difference in the amount of burning that I have. I was diagnoised with endometrosis too. It and the IC make it difficult to be intimate sometimes. I can usually tell when its going to hurt before we even start so I'll avoid it and do something else, otherwise the key is nice and slow. I've noticed that I have more pain being intimate when I'm ovulating, so I really try to avoid it then, I just tell my hubby that it hurts and he's pretty understanding. Have you started any meds yet? It took me awhile but I finally found a combo that has really been helping. For the longest time I thought I could deal with it on my own, I shouldv'e went and saw my uro and got on meds a lot sooner, them with the diet and I can lead a pretty active life. Try to always enjoy the days you feel good and remember that when you feel bad a good day will come along soon. Hope this helps.

[abroussardp]

hello everyone
I'm 35 years old and a new ic patient. I was reading some of the comments and it seems like a few women have endometriosis as well as ic. Is it common to have both and what tests did you take for endometriosis?

[leelee88]

:welcome: to both of you!

It seems to be common to have endo with IC, I know alot of us on here have both, but I dont know if theres a connection or not..

[mrg]

meme, i just had my surgery 2 weeks ago...i went in to treat the endo. and came out with ic...my gyno. wants to put me on elmiron (sp?)...and i take prelief before i eat any foods i'm unsure about. that's the extent of my meds...i am a full time student with no health insurance so thankfully i have my parents that paid for my surgery and my doctor is trying to get me the elmiron for a less cost since i qualify. my gyno will also begin the procedure where they fill my bladder up ( i am told i have to have this done 10 times) next week and he is doing this for free. are there other meds out there that might benefit me better? thank you for the concern
abro.....i'm unsure as well if there is a connection but i do remember when i first went in with symptoms of endo., my gyno was convinced then ( this was 2 years ago) that i also had ic. there weren't any tests i took for either, although i was put on lupron (for free thanks to my doctor) for 6 months and finally the pain was too intense, so i got the surgery. i am a new member to this network.i just joined yesterday, and the immediate response and true concern is so welcoming...and everyone is so nice.....i'm 33 (my birthday is jan. 3rd) and i'm glad that there is a place such as this so that we can share and learn from.