amylr
03-23-2009, 10:44 AM
Hello everyone,
As the title states, I am new here. Im probably one of the youngest members on this forum, if not the youngest. I am 18 years old and currently a college freshman. Last Wednesday, I was diagnosed with IC after a cystoscopy with hydrodistention. Since I was asleep for the procedure and very groggy afterwards, I dont really know much except for what my mother told me. She stated that the doctor said I do have IC and she (my mother) also was pretty sure the doctor said I had ulcers. They had intended on taking a biopsy, but decided that since I am so young it would be very unlikely if anything came back and would just make recovery a bit more extended.
I guess this is the part where I give my background information, right? Well, lets see here...where to start... Ive been having bladder problems since I was about 16, but never told anyone. I kept it a secret because I thought people would certainly think I was losing my mind. Heck, even I thought I might be! However, when I met my boyfriend things changed. We have a long distance relationship so its very hard for me to visit him. On one particular trip, I had a horrible episode on the car ride home where I needed to go every 10-15 minutes. Of course, everyone was wondering what was wrong with me and why I needed to stop so much--frankly, they were getting annoyed. At that point, which was just last September, I broke down crying and explained to my mom that something just wasnt right. She insisted I visit the doctor, so I did. After getting good blood work results, she suggested I go to the gynocologist also. At one point during my Senior year of high school, I had such bad pelvic pain that I began to black out during school and physically couldnt walk. When my mother took me to the hospital, they found a complex ovarian cyst and a simple ovarian cyst. We figured that the pain was just caused by the cysts, popped some pain meds and I went along my way. My mom thought maybe I had more cysts that were pushing on my bladder, causing me problems. Obviously, I didnt. The day before going to the office I had that same exact crippling pain after my morning college class, but I also was urinating every 5-10 minutes. I figured I had just drank too much water that day. I used to hardly every drink liquids because of the bladder problems I was having, so I thought maybe I just had a little too much water. It seems to me that I get really bad episodes right before that time of the month.
Anywho, we went to the gyno who said she couldnt help me but recommended I see a urologist. So I did. Now that I know a bit more about IC, Im guessing the crippling pain I was having was never actually caused by ovarian cysts but was just an odd coinsidence. When I was at the urologist, I picked up a pamphlet on IC and my mother and I filled it out together. Automatically, my mom said, "Hey, this is you." When we went back in to see the doctor, she asked me about 5 questions and then said, "Well, were going to send you for a procedure." She didnt really give me any information, but Im pretty sure she knew what she was looking for even before I told her what was going on, especially since I had told her that when I was at the gyno's they gave me antibiotics for a "bladder infection" because I had blood in my urine-- of course, the culture never grew and they called to tell me I was taking the AB's for nothing.
So basically, everything moved very quickly--no xrays, no kidney scans or similiar things. I had the hydrodistention done, which I was told would really really help, but it hasnt or atleast not that I can notice. I feel like Im urinating just as often as I was before and Im having some mild pelvic pain as well--sort of like if someone is sucking your insides with a vacuum. I go back for follow up appointment in late April, so I guess Ill just have to wait and see what comes next.
Honestly, Im just relieved that Im not crazy haha! I think the hardest part for me was making up excuses for why I couldnt ride in the car for more than 15 minutes or why I needed to dash off to the bathroom 4 times in the same hour. Atleast now I have a real explination.
ETA: Im not sure if any of this is related, but I also have GERD and OCD/depression. Oddly enough, I used to be on Paxil which I have heard is used in mild doses for IC patients. Also, I tend to wake up in the middle of the night and notice that my pelvic muscles are tensed up, does anyone else have this?
As the title states, I am new here. Im probably one of the youngest members on this forum, if not the youngest. I am 18 years old and currently a college freshman. Last Wednesday, I was diagnosed with IC after a cystoscopy with hydrodistention. Since I was asleep for the procedure and very groggy afterwards, I dont really know much except for what my mother told me. She stated that the doctor said I do have IC and she (my mother) also was pretty sure the doctor said I had ulcers. They had intended on taking a biopsy, but decided that since I am so young it would be very unlikely if anything came back and would just make recovery a bit more extended.
I guess this is the part where I give my background information, right? Well, lets see here...where to start... Ive been having bladder problems since I was about 16, but never told anyone. I kept it a secret because I thought people would certainly think I was losing my mind. Heck, even I thought I might be! However, when I met my boyfriend things changed. We have a long distance relationship so its very hard for me to visit him. On one particular trip, I had a horrible episode on the car ride home where I needed to go every 10-15 minutes. Of course, everyone was wondering what was wrong with me and why I needed to stop so much--frankly, they were getting annoyed. At that point, which was just last September, I broke down crying and explained to my mom that something just wasnt right. She insisted I visit the doctor, so I did. After getting good blood work results, she suggested I go to the gynocologist also. At one point during my Senior year of high school, I had such bad pelvic pain that I began to black out during school and physically couldnt walk. When my mother took me to the hospital, they found a complex ovarian cyst and a simple ovarian cyst. We figured that the pain was just caused by the cysts, popped some pain meds and I went along my way. My mom thought maybe I had more cysts that were pushing on my bladder, causing me problems. Obviously, I didnt. The day before going to the office I had that same exact crippling pain after my morning college class, but I also was urinating every 5-10 minutes. I figured I had just drank too much water that day. I used to hardly every drink liquids because of the bladder problems I was having, so I thought maybe I just had a little too much water. It seems to me that I get really bad episodes right before that time of the month.
Anywho, we went to the gyno who said she couldnt help me but recommended I see a urologist. So I did. Now that I know a bit more about IC, Im guessing the crippling pain I was having was never actually caused by ovarian cysts but was just an odd coinsidence. When I was at the urologist, I picked up a pamphlet on IC and my mother and I filled it out together. Automatically, my mom said, "Hey, this is you." When we went back in to see the doctor, she asked me about 5 questions and then said, "Well, were going to send you for a procedure." She didnt really give me any information, but Im pretty sure she knew what she was looking for even before I told her what was going on, especially since I had told her that when I was at the gyno's they gave me antibiotics for a "bladder infection" because I had blood in my urine-- of course, the culture never grew and they called to tell me I was taking the AB's for nothing.
So basically, everything moved very quickly--no xrays, no kidney scans or similiar things. I had the hydrodistention done, which I was told would really really help, but it hasnt or atleast not that I can notice. I feel like Im urinating just as often as I was before and Im having some mild pelvic pain as well--sort of like if someone is sucking your insides with a vacuum. I go back for follow up appointment in late April, so I guess Ill just have to wait and see what comes next.
Honestly, Im just relieved that Im not crazy haha! I think the hardest part for me was making up excuses for why I couldnt ride in the car for more than 15 minutes or why I needed to dash off to the bathroom 4 times in the same hour. Atleast now I have a real explination.
ETA: Im not sure if any of this is related, but I also have GERD and OCD/depression. Oddly enough, I used to be on Paxil which I have heard is used in mild doses for IC patients. Also, I tend to wake up in the middle of the night and notice that my pelvic muscles are tensed up, does anyone else have this?