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My name is Diana. I am 36 years old and was officially diagnosed with IC three years ago, although I was symptomatic for a long time prior. It took one year to make the diagnosis. At that point I was up all night in the bathroom, throwing up everyday at work from all the pain, going to see my ob/gyn weekly, and worried I had bladder cancer because my dad had died two years earlier from the disease. Did I mention that I have four small kids and am a lawyer? At that point in my life I was undergoing huge amounts of stress. Going to see the same urologist as my dad had at the same clinic did not make things any better.

Once diagnosed, my life started to improve but not without major changes. I had to adjust my entire lifestyle. The IC diet was the first step. Second was beginning a regimen of Elmiron three times a day and Enablex twice a day. This was not enough. Weekly bladder instillations and biofeedback were next, but again, were not enough. I had to stop going to the gym (workouts were causing flares) and get more help in the house.

It took three years of ups and downs, but I can finally say my condition is stable. I still take my meds, go for bladder instillations and biofeedback every two weeks, continue to follow the IC diet strictly, and do not partake in any strenuous activity at all (not even lifting a case of water at the grocery store). In addition, I also take anti-anxiety meds as my stress levels are still very high, which is likely why I still live with chronic pain everyday and go to the bathroom at least twelve times a day. Though I still have major flares, I’m ok.

I have learned to live with this condition and am grateful every day that things are not worse. I am willing and happy to accept my life as is and will be thankful to just maintain the status quo. My attitude is that nobody’s life is perfect. Everybody has something they are dealing with and it could always be worse.

Diana Metlege