Many IC patients are familiar with common things that can cause IC flares from diet to car rides. But, there are also some lesser known flare triggers that we need to be aware of like vaginismus. It's something many women haven't heard of, but it needs to at least be on the radar of IC [...]
My husband and I were married for nearly 10 years before we decided to have a baby. IC was certainly a factor in postponing our family a while. But I finally felt like my body would cooperate well enough. I had all the usual fears and concerns of managing pregnancy with IC. I worried about [...]
What's one of the worst things you an do to a hollow organ? Millions can attest to how painful a very full bladder can feel, especially on long car rides when bathrooms are few and far between. Thus, it is ironic that patients with bladder disease often must undergo a hydrodistention with cystoscopy to allow [...]
You may have heard the term “small fiber polyneuropathy” in the past few years in some of the newer, cutting edge discussions of chronic pelvic pain, central sensitization and chronic overlapping pain conditions. Research studies are now showing that a significant number of pelvic pain patients have observable neuropathies in some of the smallest nerves [...]
The internet is such a part of our lives that we don't even notice it sometimes. Many of us use it to watch television shows or movies, listen to music, connect with friends and look up information. And lots of us also use it for online medical research to find ideas for new treatments, self-help [...]
Candida & Bladder Pain, Tailbone Injuries, Scoliosis Pelvic Pain, Relationship Tips, The Latest Research, Hot Bladder Friendly Drinks & More The Winter issue of the IC Optimist, the magazine of the IC Network, is now available. It is currently available for download for all of our members and will be mailed shortly to those who [...]
Promising to love someone in sickness and in health is a common wedding vow. You pledge to love your spouse no matter what. But when one of you has or later gets diagnosed with a chronic illness, that changes everything. Unlike other health crises, chronic illness, like IC, is another lifetime commitment you make -- [...]
Approximately 70 % of all American households have a pet, so it makes sense that many IC patients also have pets.(1) Taking care of a pet with a chronic health condition can be a challenge, but the benefits can outweigh the drawbacks. And research has found that pet ownership has all sorts of positive health [...]
The whole point of setting New Year's resolutions is to have something to look forward to in a new year. Resolutions give you goals to work toward and ways to better yourself. Figuring out how to realistically set New Year's resolutions when you have a chronic health condition, like IC, can be challenging. IC affects [...]
The FALL issue of the IC Optimist, the magazine of the IC Network, is now available. It is currently available for download for all of our members and will be mailed shortly to those who requested printed copies! Members can now download them from their membership pages in the ICN Shop. Print issues will be [...]
