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 [...]
Last year the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) made news in a couple of ways that could aid researchers in determining the root cause of interstitial cystitis in some patients. EBV is one of the most common human viruses and is found globally.(1) It most often causes infectious mononucleosis, which you might know better as mono or [...]
The latest IC Optimist has been released and is available for download or purchase. It is in the process of being mailed to our members. This issue is dedicated to the many variants of IC. From fibroids to gut dysbiosis, lyme disease to endometriosis, there are many potential triggers for the symptoms we associate with [...]
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 [...]
I apologize in advance if this column offends anyone but we do, on occasion, need to talk about intimacy and how IC can impact that. For those of you who know me, you know that I'm very direct about the issues that we struggle with. I believe that IC can strengthen rather than weaken our [...]
When we are prescribed an antibiotic, we are under the assumption that the antibiotic is going to kill, and only kill, bacteria that might be causing an infection. What if that antibiotic also kills mammalian (human) cells... cells that are imperative to our life and our body functions? Researchers now believe that this is exactly [...]
