Rainwilds
11-02-2008, 11:12 AM
Hello everyone,
My name is Ally and I am 21 years old. About two months ago, I was diagnosed with IC.
I don't want to ramble on too much if I can help it, because I'm sure you all feel the same things I do (if not the same, possibly worse, etc).
I feel at the moment, that I just need some support from people who understand. So here is a little of my story ...
Everything was going well in my life up until the age of 17, in the year 2005. I was never sickly and was always doing well academically and with life in general. I couldn't wait to finish school and head off to University! But after I finished school, I went on an overseas trip ... and when I came back, things were different with me.
About two weeks after my return, I developed increasingly severe UTIs. One became so terrible, that I then developed a Kidney Infection. I had blood and other icky things in my urine. Often, I would nearly pass out from the pain of them.
When I contracted one of these infections, the doctor would proscribe me with the usual dose of antibiotics and send me on my way. The infection usually passed ... only to return a short time later, perhaps every two weeks. Eventually, the doctor prescribed me with Macrodantin, stating that it would ward off infections. I was on this for three months. But lo and behold, the infections returned.
Eventually, however, things began to change. After about two years of these on and off infections, I went to the doctor, but the test on my urine began coming back clear! Yes, "Crystal clear!" they would say, "Isn't that good!" ... NO! I thought! I felt like I was going crazy, often, I would demand they do a retest, "Look, I'm certain it's an infection, I've felt this way before, the symptoms are exactly the same!" So they would send of a sample for an overnight culture, but, it would be clear.
Now, without boring you too much, I'll tell you quickly about the symptoms I would experience. If I wasn't having an 'infection', I would often still be in pain. In the beginning, it would be a soft dull ache, just lower of the lowest part of my back. It would drain to the front and I thought nothing more of it then it being ovulating pain.
But, over time, as the infections increased, so did my pain, becoming much more intense. Because of the bleeding I was experiencing with the Kidney Infections, the doctors were becoming confused. "Look, with your mother's history, endrometriosis is high on the cards here," was what the doctors were starting to say.
Thus, it led to me being booked in for a laproscopy in January of this year. At this point, I was in so much pain that working/studying were now a no-no. All I could manage were a few hours here and there. I was become increasingly desperate to find out the answer, to get treatment, to get better.
Alas, the laproscopy showed clear. Now, I wasn't hoping there was something wrong with me, but I was longing to know that I wasn't crazy!
Moving the story fast-forward, however, I finally fell on a lovely GP when I came out of hospital and she is the one that led the investigation back in the right direction - my bladder!
I was referred to a great Urologist, and was booked in for a Cystoscopy in October of this year. And what did they find? "Just as I'd excepted," said my Urologist, "... you have Interstitial Cystitis! After the dilation of your bladder, the walls began to bleed ... etc, etc".
Wow! After, almost four years of pain and fear, I finally knew what was wrong with me! I wasn't crazy!
I apologize for the long blurb (and don't blame you if you can't get through it all) but I guess I just really needed to get that off my shoulders to somebody who could understand.
I lost the friends I thought were true in this (because I couldn't go out doing the typical young thing) but at least I have a loving family and an exceptionally supportive fiancé. I still feel blessed ...
Anyway, once again, sorry for the babble, but I hope I can be a support too all of you too, however possible ...
Take care,
Ally
My name is Ally and I am 21 years old. About two months ago, I was diagnosed with IC.
I don't want to ramble on too much if I can help it, because I'm sure you all feel the same things I do (if not the same, possibly worse, etc).
I feel at the moment, that I just need some support from people who understand. So here is a little of my story ...
Everything was going well in my life up until the age of 17, in the year 2005. I was never sickly and was always doing well academically and with life in general. I couldn't wait to finish school and head off to University! But after I finished school, I went on an overseas trip ... and when I came back, things were different with me.
About two weeks after my return, I developed increasingly severe UTIs. One became so terrible, that I then developed a Kidney Infection. I had blood and other icky things in my urine. Often, I would nearly pass out from the pain of them.
When I contracted one of these infections, the doctor would proscribe me with the usual dose of antibiotics and send me on my way. The infection usually passed ... only to return a short time later, perhaps every two weeks. Eventually, the doctor prescribed me with Macrodantin, stating that it would ward off infections. I was on this for three months. But lo and behold, the infections returned.
Eventually, however, things began to change. After about two years of these on and off infections, I went to the doctor, but the test on my urine began coming back clear! Yes, "Crystal clear!" they would say, "Isn't that good!" ... NO! I thought! I felt like I was going crazy, often, I would demand they do a retest, "Look, I'm certain it's an infection, I've felt this way before, the symptoms are exactly the same!" So they would send of a sample for an overnight culture, but, it would be clear.
Now, without boring you too much, I'll tell you quickly about the symptoms I would experience. If I wasn't having an 'infection', I would often still be in pain. In the beginning, it would be a soft dull ache, just lower of the lowest part of my back. It would drain to the front and I thought nothing more of it then it being ovulating pain.
But, over time, as the infections increased, so did my pain, becoming much more intense. Because of the bleeding I was experiencing with the Kidney Infections, the doctors were becoming confused. "Look, with your mother's history, endrometriosis is high on the cards here," was what the doctors were starting to say.
Thus, it led to me being booked in for a laproscopy in January of this year. At this point, I was in so much pain that working/studying were now a no-no. All I could manage were a few hours here and there. I was become increasingly desperate to find out the answer, to get treatment, to get better.
Alas, the laproscopy showed clear. Now, I wasn't hoping there was something wrong with me, but I was longing to know that I wasn't crazy!
Moving the story fast-forward, however, I finally fell on a lovely GP when I came out of hospital and she is the one that led the investigation back in the right direction - my bladder!
I was referred to a great Urologist, and was booked in for a Cystoscopy in October of this year. And what did they find? "Just as I'd excepted," said my Urologist, "... you have Interstitial Cystitis! After the dilation of your bladder, the walls began to bleed ... etc, etc".
Wow! After, almost four years of pain and fear, I finally knew what was wrong with me! I wasn't crazy!
I apologize for the long blurb (and don't blame you if you can't get through it all) but I guess I just really needed to get that off my shoulders to somebody who could understand.
I lost the friends I thought were true in this (because I couldn't go out doing the typical young thing) but at least I have a loving family and an exceptionally supportive fiancé. I still feel blessed ...
Anyway, once again, sorry for the babble, but I hope I can be a support too all of you too, however possible ...
Take care,
Ally