119.8 at the meeting - clothed, after breakfast, lots of water and with my cell phone in my pocket = )
115.6 - minus everything above
This completes week 21 of maintenance!
I had a bladder infection in July and have suffered...and I mean that in it's MOST literal sense!!...from the same symptoms off and on since then. I did a round of antibiotics in July and assumed everything was clear. I thought maybe there was a bit of infection left or I was hyper-sensitive to watching for the symptoms.
I used to get bladder infections every 3 - 4 months before I had my hysterectomy but had a nice long break without any troubles after that. Except for blood in my urine after really hard or really long runs...which is normal for some runners.
For the past week I've been uncomfortable - in pain - in agony...pick any point along that scale. The agony bits, thankfully, were few...the pain, moderate... the uncomfortable, constant.
I've been trying to manage things naturally here at home...doing what I've learned from past experience. I did some searching online for new treatments and remedies.
I knew I didn't want to wait too long if I did have an infection but I was doing my best to avoid prescription antibiotics.
I broke down and went to the doctor today, expecting the "sample" to be full of blood & pus (sorry!) like all the other times.
Imagine my surprise and shock to hear "all clear, your sample is fine"! WHAT??!! How can that be when I've endured a week of (see paragraph above).
And then MORE surprise..."you have interstitial cystitis". Say whaaaaaa??? "Bladder inflammation...it's chronic but there are treatments to help you successfully manage the condition so that you're not uncomfortable/in pain/in agony all the time."
Ok, I REALLY thought she was making that up. I've never heard of such a thing...I thought she was just saying that stuff so I would be "comforted" or whatever. You know how doctors are...ugh = (
Anyhow, she prescribed antibiotics because sometimes a slight infection can cause inflammation and once the bladder is inflamed, it can be hard to empty and then you really do develop an infection.
I came home and googled "bladder inflammation" expecting to see everything related to bladder infections. MAJOR SHOCK! Not only is interstitial cystitis a real condition...but I REALLY do have it!
Unbelievable!! It described my symptoms exactly and explained ALOT!
So then I was giving Shari (TWGN - see previous post) the report from the doctor and she said "they probably have a support group for it". At which I laughed and agreed with her but really didn't think they did.
THEY DO! And get this...they even have an iPhone app!!! And books! And all sorts of stuff! A little card explaining why you need to go ahead of someone in the restroom line!!! Something I've never even heard of til today and millions of people suffer from it...and I've joined them = (
IC (it even has it's own acronym!) is mostly controlled by diet...discovering what substances inflame the individual's bladder and then avoiding them all together or minimizing exposure to the amount you can handle.
So after my initial investigation, I was feeling very optimistic. I know what it is, I understand the treatments, I CAN DO THIS. I'll eat the right way and then I can go back to feeling well and healthy and not in pain...or agony.
But after letting this information sink in, the word CHRONIC - for the rest of my life - has reared it's ugly head and I'm feeling less optimistic. What if I can't get this "flare-up" to settle down? What if it gets even WORSE?!
They had information on when to seek surgical options...as in the IC is so bad that it's greatly diminishing your quality of life. Well, my quality of life has already been diminished this week, just in trying to make it through the normal activities of the day while feeling like this. Surgery is a last resort. Most sufferers manage the condition to a level they can live with.
It just brought back all those memories of when I had endometriosis and was trying to figure out how to survive the pain and make it through the day. At the end, I was not living, I was simply existing...breathing in and out, taking up space and very little else. Boooo...I don't want to do that again!!!
Soooooo...I need to do some positive self-talk here! I have lots of dietary changes to implement and something is sure to work to help me to feel better!
Some good things:
- I don't have to drink a gallon of water every day like I have been doing! The doctor said half a gallon is plenty. Of course, I'll boost that up because of running but just knowing I don't have to hit that gallon mark is a relief
- one of the treatments for a flare-up is taking Azo, which I'm already very familiar with and have already been taking and it definitely brings some relief!
- I can have some types of herbal teas!! It doesn't have to be all water, all the time!! I've really missed my tea...
- at least now I know for sure what it is and can do something about it
I'm anticipating losing more weight by next week because these antibiotics make my stomach hurt and take away appetite. Also, I'll be eating a limited diet, only SAFE foods, in trying to get the ol' bladder to SETTLE DOWN!
I'm gonna need to name her so I'm not saying BLADDER all the time...yuck, that's a gross word! Maybe Betsy???
