We are delighted to announce that the Fall 2022 IC Optimist has been released and is now available. The IC Optimist is the IC Network’s patient magazine and is read by thousands of patients and providers around the world. Our goal is to give you information that you can use immediately to improve your medical [...]
Does any flavor scream autumn more than pumpkin? It's the quintessential flavor of fall. And, even better, pumpkin -- both canned and fresh -- is an IC friendly fruit! Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a variety of pumpkin recipes that go far beyond pie. You can enjoy pumpkin in all sorts of [...]
When you're dealing with a chronic health issue like IC, chances are you spend a lot of time at home. A lot! I have had times where leaving the house meant going to sit on my back patio. For that reason, having a cozy living area is important. And as the weather gets cooler [...]
When bladder symptoms first strike, every IC/BPS patient usually assumes that they have a bladder infection. A quick visit to your doctor, along with a urine dipstick test and/or culture, usually proves that no infection is involved. Yet, for the often confused patient running to the restroom every 15 minutes, it's hard to understand [...]
When urinating hurts, we want to avoid it as much as possible. But the answer is NOT drinking less water. In fact, aside from dehydration, drinking too little water can result in more acidic urine and more pain. So even if it seems counterintuitive, finding ways to drink more water can actually result in [...]
If anything is worse than the frustrating and painful symptoms of IC, it can be talking with your doctor about it. Talking about things like your bladder, peeing and your genitals are not super comfortable topics for most of us. Doing so with an authoritative figure like your doctor can make that even worse. [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTFSCkTIM8w Here at the ICN offices, we receive phone calls daily from women diagnosed with IC later in life who feel lost and alone. For many of you, your symptoms began suddenly with urinary frequency, urgency and pain, especially as your bladder filled with urine. And, suddenly, you couldn't sleep through the night. [...]
Our special Spring / Summer 2022 double issue of the IC Optimist is now available. The IC Optimist is the IC Network's patient magazine and is read by thousands of patients and providers around the world. Our goal is to give you information that you can use immediately to improve your medical care and [...]
Every July 4th, we Americans celebrate the birth of our nation. Folks have cookouts, go to fireworks, play sports and more. But what happens when July 4th rolls around and you're in the midst of a flare? I have two Independence Days I won't forget. The first was way back in 2004 when my IC [...]
As a child, I remember spending so much time on my bicycle each summer. We lived in a small neighborhood of dead-end roads with very little traffic. Biking around was the joy of summer, unless I had a UTI. (That's what we thought it was at the time; sometimes it was and sometimes it wasn't.) [...]
