Self-Diagnosed

[carolinasue]

Hi All,

I'm new today, having just arrived at the conclusion that I am an interstitial cystitis sufferer. Because I have no medical insurance, I spent a lot of time researching on webmd (on all forms it is always listed as my "PCP") :smile tee and really, this is the only thing that fits my long term and short term symptoms.

I've been a frequent visitor to the bathroom ever since I can remember, so much so that it earned me the nickname of "Puddles" in high school. I never linked caffeine-intake with the problem though, so in my 20's and 30's at the height of my career, I drank coffee non-stop. The problems with pain didn't happen til recently though, in the last couple of years. I am now in my early 50's.

The diet changes make a lot of sense. I am staunchly anti-medication unless it's the absolute last resort. And I will often seek natural subsitutes whenever possible, like colloidal silver as a natural antibiotic and after having read about the baking soda remedy, I think I'll try that as well. For issues with acid reflux, all I did to cure it (and it was really bad) was to change my eating habits. My body reminds me whenever I mess up. :smile tee

I've just done a lot of reading and hope to do a lot more before participating more than just to say hello. I'm also going to start back at TOPS for weight loss, but the good news is that both my blood pressure and my blood sugar are fine. I do suffer from IBS occasionally and fibromyalgia-like symptoms, but the solution is always to QUIT THE CAFFEINE and go back to drinking plenty of water. Also eliminating stress and getting plenty of rest always helps as well. I have issues with my neck and back and have plantar fasciitis (foot problems) and I can't do a lot of walking so I have a dilemma about exercise but I do what I can.

I also once read that UTI's (and therefore flare-ups) can be caused by dehydration. A lot of our worst ills are. So my conclusion there is to continue to drink plenty of water, even though it means I'll still make many trips to the bathroom per day and night. Ironically though the more pure water I drink, the less I have to go! It's the same for milk, but no other beverage.

Well, that's about it for me for now, nice to be here, nice to have finally figured out what's been wrong with me all of these years. Now I can learn how to manage it properly.

Thanks for listening!
Puddles :hi:

[ICNDonna]

If you can at all afford it, I do suggest you have your self diagnosis confirmed. There are other problems that can closely mimic IC. It's good that you're following an IC diet. Colloidal silver can be a problem --- it has some pretty nasty side effects, such as permanent graying of the skin.

I'm glad you found the IC Network.

Warm welcoming hugs,
Donna

[SharonA]

carolinasue...:welcome: to the ICN...:)

I know what you mean by no insurance as we have not had any for some time, but I do seek medical help when needed. Since you would be self-insured, my suggestion is to look to see if there are any free medical clinics available in your area. If so, they should be listed in the yellow pages. You could also call your county government offices to get some information on what is available for you. You might even look to see if there are churches in your area that have clinics for low income people. Hospitals are also a very good source for clinic information. I know ours has a list of clinics, both free and based on income.

If you are able to find a clinic, even if they can't help you, they should be able to refer you to a doctor who would work with you as far as payment is concerned. It really is important to have your suspicions confirmed by a doctor for the reasons Donna said.

I also think it important to have a PCP who knows your history and with whom you have a medical connection. My PCP works with me as far as payment is concerned, treats both my husband and myself and has for years. As good as WebMD is for pointing you toward a suspected problem, it is not, nor should it be, a substitute for a trained medical doctor who is able to see you, hear you, and treat you in case of an emergency. Happily, it seems that you have not faced an emergency situation, but one never knows if or when it might happen.

That being said, I am really glad you have found us. :) Just keep in mind that most of us are not medical professionals and we are not able to give you medical advice. We can give you support and suggestions as to what works for us and are happy to do so.

[carolinasue]

Hi Donna,

Thank you for the warm, welcoming hugs. And yes, I would eventually like to get a real diagnosis, I'm working on it. But I have a really good suspicion that this is what the problem is - having had a weak bladder my whole life, and having consumed far too much really strong coffee in my day.

As for the colloidal silver, I have done a lot of reading on that too, and I remember the blue man on Oprah. :shake: Believe me, if I take it at all, it's in moderation. I'm also a believer in getting to the hospital when I really need to, I hope I didn't give the impression that I wasn't. In fact, when an extremely nasty UTI reared its ugly head two weeks ago, in addition to going to webmd, I first paid a visit to the CVS Minute Clinic, where they prescribed me some Bactrim. After the 3 days were over and I still wasn't better, I headed down to the local hospital for another opinion. That was last Sunday. On stronger medication now, I'm feeling much better now. :woohoo:

I'll continue my train of thought in the next post, but thanks again Donna, it's nice to be here.

Warm hugs back to you,
Puddles :hi:

[carolinasue]

Hi Sharon,

Thank you for the warm welcome as well.

It's been a frustrating last five years with no insurance, I can tell you that. It was something I always took very much for granted until it wasn't there anymore. My income level changed and "that's all she wrote". :smile tee

Yes, I'm signed up for the local clinic, but I am one of those people who is in between making too much for free care and too little to pay all of my medical bills. Hopefully they'll work with me on sliding scale. And there is a waiting list for the clinic. As there is for most forms of assistance these days. (sigh)

Fortunately the concept of no medical insurance is really forcing me to change my lifestyle and eating habits. Getting involved in trying to lose some weight, eating better to prevent GERD, early onset diabetes, high blood pressure and now interstitial cystitis is a really good thing to be contemplating at 52. Better now than later.

It's nice to meet you also. Thanks for allowing me to be part of the group.

Fondly,
Puddles :hi: