IC Disease

The IC Network has a great analogy that they use when they describe the importance of managing IC flares early. Here it is:

You walk through your living room with a glass of water and see a flicker of flames at the bottom of your drapes. You walk out of the room and come back ten minutes later with that same glass of water, and see that your drapes are a raging inferno. At what point of time would that one glass of water stopped that fire?? Early! The same is true for managing IC flares and pain.

How true that is. Trust me, I have learned from experience! Catching the flare as soon as it starts can greatly reduce days of suffering and agony. When you first become sick with IC you may not be able to notice the early warning signs of a flare. But once you have been sick a while you learn when a flare is coming on and you can start your treatments immediately.

One thing that IC patients usually have to learn the hard way is that it is okay and it is crucial to stop and rest whenever you feel a flare coming on.  Some people feel that they are letting the disease win and that they are giving in by stopping and resting but that’s not the case.  Learning how to control your flares and symptoms is what you need to do to take charge of your illness and to rule it - don’t let the illness rule you. 

You are not weak, a wimp or flaky if you stop and take a break or take off work for a day or two because your IC symptoms have flared. Do what you need to do to keep your illness from getting worse. By not resting and by not taking pain medication and other treatments when a flare hits, you are setting yourself up for a longer recovery time.

Drink plenty of water to help flush out your bladder - especially during a flare. Moderate your diet and make sure you aren’t eating any trigger foods.

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