Though IC is a chronic condition that never goes away, it can ebb and flow sometimes. Symptoms can be better some days and awful on other days. I have gone for months at a time with my IC symptoms mostly controlled through diet and medication and then suddenly a flare hits out of nowhere. I [...]
As we move forward into the full-swing of summer, cookout season is at its peak. While having friends and family over for a cookout or attending one you’re invited to can be fun, it can also be challenging when you are limited by your IC diet. Instead of just saying no and missing out on [...]
Our last order of CystoProtek® came with an unwelcome surprise, a new cancer warning on the bottle. Required by Proposition 65, a California based law that requires that any product or ingredient associated with cancer be clearly labelled, the CystoProtek® bottle now says “Warning: Cancer & Reproductive Harm (Prop. 65).” After a week long delay, the [...]
Chances are really good you’ve heard about CBD oil. It’s been making rounds through social media and is seemingly everywhere touting benefits for everything from pain to sleep to anxiety to epilepsy. It has become a huge industry with analysts predicting the market in the United States will reach $1 billion by 2020.(1) But, what [...]
Endometriosis is often talked about by IC patients, because the two conditions co-exist in a lot of IC patients. A study in 2007 reported that 66 percent of patients had both IC and endometriosis while endometriosis.org puts that number higher at 80 to 90 percent.(1)(2) No matter which figures are correct, the connection between the [...]
As an IC patient, Ashley Corby can spend a lot of time in the bathroom. And that’s exactly where she was back in 2010 when a friend signed her up for open mic night. While she had been told she ought to try doing stand-up comedy, she hadn’t actually tried it before. That night changed [...]
At every successful IC and pelvic pain clinic, there is often someone on staff who becomes the lifeline for their patient community. They work behind the scenes to provide support and encouragement to patients who are struggling. For the newly diagnosed, they take the time to educate and inform. For patients in flares, they take [...]
For the fifth year in a row, Dr. Robert Evans (Wake Forest Baptist Health) was voted physician of the year by the IC patient community, capturing 27% of the vote! It is remarkably well deserved. Dr. Evans compassion, empathy, and kindness has fostered a medical care environment that patients flock to, with some traveling thousands of [...]
We are delighted to announce that Nancy Larson PT, WCS (Creative Therapeutics Physical Therapy) has been selected as the 2018 Physical Therapist of the Year. Every year, the IC Awareness Month campaign accepts nominations for medical care providers working with IC and pelvic pain who are compassionate, supportive, knowledgeable and caring. Nancy's nomination shows that [...]
One tip for avoiding IC flares is to manage stress. It’s right up there with diet and hormones when it comes to triggering IC symptoms. But there are times stress not only can’t be avoided but it kicks us in the face. Unfortunately, crises happen in life. We lose loved ones. We lose our main [...]
