Worst Flare Ever - Horrible Pain -help

**ibtracy** · 06-21-2004, 07:45 AM

Hi. This will be short as I can hardly sit here. I can't quit crying because the pain is so horrible. I had to leave work early and for those of you familiar with my probation case know that this means trouble for me. It was explained to me at the beginning of the month that if I missed more than 10 hours which after today I will have that they're going to terminate me immediately - that would be soon like tomorrow probably. In some cases, I don't really care and the other side of me is scared to death. The union people told me not to worry and that they would take care of things but she hasn't returned any emails from me in a week so I don't know what's going on there...??? If this is the type of pain that cancer patients have, I hope to GOD that I'm never cursed with Cancer. I'm so tired of being in pain all the time and having to worry about my job. It doesn't matter what I eat, drink - I'm always in pain it's just some days are more tolerable than others. I'm doing the heparin instillations but not seeing much difference at all. I don't know what to do other than curl up and cry - I'm just having a HORRIBLE IC DAY!

**Robin34** · 06-21-2004, 08:00 AM

Hello, I am so sorry that you are in so much pain. I know how you feel. I to am in pain every day, I had to quit my job because of IC I just could not deal with the pain anymore. IC is a true disablity and I think it is illegal for someone to fire you from a job because of that disability. I would seeek legal counsil if they fire you for this. As for the pain do you have any pain meds to take or try a hot bath it helps me sometimes. I know how you feel, I have to take 2 percocets every 6 hours for the pain. I keep you in my prayers .

Robin

***SharonA*** · 06-21-2004, 08:23 AM

Tracy...I am so sorry. Please know that I hope you begin to feel better, soon.

I wonder how much the stress of your situation at work is adding to your pain.

I know that stress can bring on pain quicker for me than anything else.

**ibtracy** · 06-21-2004, 08:59 AM

Thanks for your support and you're right SharonA, they can't do what they're doing BUT they've worded as such in my written warnings that I'm incapable of doing my job tasks listed in my job description even tho the real reason I'm in trouble is because of attendance. The union people have instructed me to hire legal counsel as well as filing an ADA claim because they have violated my rights. If my pain continues and they let me go, I'll file for unemployment, file for a lawsuit and maybe even try to get disability as I cannot function under this amount of stress, tension, pain and fatigue. My body feels like it's giving up - I've been in pretty much constant pain since last October and it's taking a toll on my body and my emotions and my ability to cope with plain everyday life. I don't know how much more I can handle. I need some time off but am not allowed to take any. I haven't been there long enough to qualify for FMLA and they won't answer my question about being qualified for donated sick leave hours.

It's all out of my hands now and don't much care if they do let me go - everything happens for a reason and I'll soon find out what that reason is.

Tonight is my next bladder instillation so maybe that will help a little bit, I don't know anymore. I'm begginning to get depressed because I'm sick and tired of being "sick". IC is truly a horrible disease and for those that don't understand it have no idea how terribly we ic-ers suffer on a daily basis. If only they could trade bodies with us - they MIGHT understand.

I'll keep everyone up to date, personally if it weren't for my husband and girls - I would run away. :dogrun: Not that it would do any good or anything but it sounds good, doesn't it?

I think it's time to contact my uro again and let him know what's been happening at work. He suggested some time off a few weeks ago but I told him no because I would loose my job. I can't say that I really care anymore...

***ICNDonna*** · 06-21-2004, 09:08 AM

I do agree that contacting your uro is a good idea. For one thing, if your pain is worse and you've been self instilling, you could have an infection.

Also --- getting away from the stress of that job should help you significantly.

Sending gentle hugs,
Donna

**ICLori** · 06-21-2004, 09:51 AM

I'm so sorry you are going through this.

Do you have to have that job to survive? I was just curious because you are married and I wondered if you could survive with one salary. If so, maybe it's for the best for you not to work until your case is brought into a good remission.

I don't know what all you've been able to try, etc. but it seems like this stuff isn't working too good for you, isn't there anything else, and is there anything they can do to keep you comfortable while you are waiting for something to work?

I hope things work out okay and that you will be feeling better soon.

Blessings, Lori

**ibtracy** · 06-21-2004, 11:24 AM

Hi thanks again for the replies. It's not an infection - this is just the norm IC flare up. I've taken 20mg of Oxycodone and 2 Lortab 7's and it's just now getting a little better. It hurts so bad to walk around and as soon as I empty my bladder the pain starts all over again. I don't know how in the hell I'll be able to work tomorrow if I'm still feeling like this. I think I'm becoming immune to my pain meds and that might be part of it. If I can't work tomorrow then I'm almost positive they will let me go they'll just be clever as to how they word it - it won't say anything about being absent it will be that I can't perform my job but the union reps told me to let them keep saying something that's not true it will only help my case even more. I'm just getting concerned that they union gal never returns my calls or emails now - getting a little nervous.

I can only do my best and in the end it will be up to them. If they do fire me - I'll get unemployment for a little while and then I might consider trying to apply for disability. My husband will kill me but what can I do at this point?

**jen_dahling** · 06-21-2004, 11:37 AM

Just a thought.......
After reading your story and many others like it I was wondering if maybe the pain meds you are taking could somehow make the symptoms worse? What if there is some chemical component in certains meds that can cause and/or make the bladder flare up worse than when the flare began? The bladder and everything that has to do with the "triggers" seem so be so wide ranged that I just can't help but to think that for some of us we could be making it worse and not know it. Has anyone thought of this before and brought it up to your uro/dr?
Hope you feel better soon!
Jen

I am just referring to pain meds, NOT treatment meds.

**ICLori** · 06-21-2004, 11:50 AM

Jen, I hear you, almost every pill I take makes my bladder flare. Prelief does help, but even with that some meds (especially antihistamines and tricyclics, anything that dries out my mouth) still bother the heck out of my bladder.

Might be worth it to take all pain meds etc. with prelief just in case.

Blessings, Lori

**Katrina** · 06-21-2004, 11:50 AM

ibtracy, ((((((hugs)))))))) so sorry things are still so hard. I do think what other people said in their posts are good to think about .....be strong girl!

**toolally** · 07-05-2006, 09:53 AM

I am in the limbo stage of being diagnosed. I am in pain every day with pressure, burning, just a general feeling of being uncomfortable and unwell, I have had a flexible cystoscopy and the uro said the likely diagnosis will be IC but I now have to wait for the next procedure which he said was a scraping of the bladder wall under general which may give me some relief, and they will also do a biopsy, I also have to have a ct scan, is all this normal? I really feel lost and reading all your stories makes me feel how do you all cope every day, I have only had this problem since April although I have had undiagnosed abdominal pain for over ten years, I have had 2 laproscopies and all they could come up with then was IBS although now my doctor is saying the problem all along could have been with my bladder. I also get a lot of pain and a sort of stiffness in my groin - especially on the right side, does anyone else have this?
I have also been looking into the IC diet but don't know where to start and also feel a bit half-hearted about doing it until I get a firm diagnosis - if it is not IC I really don't know what is wrong with me as I can really identify with so much of what you people talk about.
Hope someone can help me to understand what I am up against!

**ICLori** · 07-05-2006, 09:59 AM

Hi, welcome! It sounds like you very well may have IC, and trying the diet (although it's a pain) might really reduce your symptoms. Hopefully someone will post a link to the IC patient's handbook on this site - it has so many great recommendations for treating the pain, like with a hot water bottle or heating pad, or ice.

One doctor came on the site and claimed that he was having great success with treating IC patients using the method that you describe, so I'd say, go ahead and try it! Hopefully you will get better afterwards. You might be in increased pain for awhile afterwards, though, until you get better - hopefully your doctor will prescribe you good pain pills to take. And of course, during the procedure you will be anesthetized so that you will not feel any discomfort!

I hope that you feel better soon, and I hope that all goes well.

Blessings,
Lori

**Arizonagirl** · 07-08-2006, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by jen_dahling

Just a thought.......
After reading your story and many others like it I was wondering if maybe the pain meds you are taking could somehow make the symptoms worse? What if there is some chemical component in certains meds that can cause and/or make the bladder flare up worse than when the flare began? The bladder and everything that has to do with the "triggers" seem so be so wide ranged that I just can't help but to think that for some of us we could be making it worse and not know it. Has anyone thought of this before and brought it up to your uro/dr?
Hope you feel better soon!
Jen

I am just referring to pain meds, NOT treatment meds.

ALL narcotic pain meds (that I've tried) make mine worse. Ibuprofen helps some but anything with codeine, percoset, even morphine makes my bladder hurt worse.