versefaerie
05-29-2009, 06:45 PM
I must say, since March, when all my mysterious urinary troubles started,
I have been doing much better symptom-wise. I still notice ups and downs as far as frequency and discomfort on an almost-daily basis, but I think upping the Elavil to 25mg a night has made a huge difference in comfort (allowing me to do more things! even exercise!) and Ditropan has helped with the frequency (generic, although I am giving Ditropan XL a chance on its own, less pills to take, etc)...
In the past few months, I have also been strict on the IC diet (as strict as humanly possible), taking cystoprotek AND Aloe Vera...I'm sure the diet has led to less flares, its still hard to tell if cystoprotek/Aloe Vera is working-yet I'll still take them till I know more!
I am getting a cystoscopy under twilight next week! Hopefully, I will get an answer as to what "chronic pain/pelvic/bladder" condition it is that I have, although the urogyn is pretty-darn-sure its IC. After reading Dr. Moldwin's book and watching a couple lectures given by him on IC, its clear that the 'ol cysto used to be the gold standard, but many patients with IC can have normal or almost-normal cystos...I should keep this in mind...
I took a week off of my clinicals after the cysto (they put me to work as an NP student in prison this summer- yikes)...but I really hope I will be O.K. after the cysto. Is taking a week off from working 8-hr clinicals as a Nurse Practitioner student enough time after the cysto? from personal experience...
Thank you for any advice. Kinda nervous about it, because I feel like my symptoms are under SOME control, and I don't wanna throw that out the window before a busy summer-mester...meanwhile I realize it is important to diagnostically check out the bladder, despite the symptomatic consequences.
Thanks for listening/opinions/advice,
~Erica:cat:
I have been doing much better symptom-wise. I still notice ups and downs as far as frequency and discomfort on an almost-daily basis, but I think upping the Elavil to 25mg a night has made a huge difference in comfort (allowing me to do more things! even exercise!) and Ditropan has helped with the frequency (generic, although I am giving Ditropan XL a chance on its own, less pills to take, etc)...
In the past few months, I have also been strict on the IC diet (as strict as humanly possible), taking cystoprotek AND Aloe Vera...I'm sure the diet has led to less flares, its still hard to tell if cystoprotek/Aloe Vera is working-yet I'll still take them till I know more!
I am getting a cystoscopy under twilight next week! Hopefully, I will get an answer as to what "chronic pain/pelvic/bladder" condition it is that I have, although the urogyn is pretty-darn-sure its IC. After reading Dr. Moldwin's book and watching a couple lectures given by him on IC, its clear that the 'ol cysto used to be the gold standard, but many patients with IC can have normal or almost-normal cystos...I should keep this in mind...
I took a week off of my clinicals after the cysto (they put me to work as an NP student in prison this summer- yikes)...but I really hope I will be O.K. after the cysto. Is taking a week off from working 8-hr clinicals as a Nurse Practitioner student enough time after the cysto? from personal experience...
Thank you for any advice. Kinda nervous about it, because I feel like my symptoms are under SOME control, and I don't wanna throw that out the window before a busy summer-mester...meanwhile I realize it is important to diagnostically check out the bladder, despite the symptomatic consequences.
Thanks for listening/opinions/advice,
~Erica:cat: