I just got off the phone with my grandmother (step, not blood related) who lives in Guildford, Surrey.  She is in her eighties and has suffered with chronic "cystitis" for many, many years. She had a cystoscopy (normal, of course) and continually receives antibiotics (literally for over ten years now).  I've told her the basics of Matia's thinking and she seems to understand and definitely thinks it could be IC. She has a history of kidney issues (possibly from birth) and has a tyipcal English diet of lots of tea, crumpets, wine, meats, veggies and sweets.

Anyway, I gave her some IC diet ideas today and she is going to try eliminating sugars and some of the other big problematic foods for the time to see if her symptoms subside.  I worry slightly that she will get severe die off from it so I didn't tell her to go full steam, but just experiment with eliminating some things.

She has just been given another dose of antibiotics but is trying not to take them.  She does take acidophilous, though I have no idea what brand, etc.  I didn't get into all the details on that with her due to the overseas phone call.

She has no computer and lives alone.  I asked her if she would be able to find someone who does acupuncture or herbs over there but she has no idea where to begin.  I hate to say, but being in her eighties without a computer, there is no way she will ever travel to the States to see Matia.  I feel like it's almost too late for her to reverse this disease (terrible to say that I know), but I am hoping there is someone, anyone, over there near her who can at least help manage her symptoms in some way, even it it means getting her the proper diagnosis, or who could perhaps give her antibiotic herbs for these flare-ups so she stops taking the damn antibiotics.

I would be most appreciative if anyone can offer some thoughts on someone in or around Surrey/London. I told her that there are quite a few UK patients on this site who must have ended up coming to the US because they weren't getting answers there.  She agreed but it's just not something she is willing to do at her age. Oy vey!

Thanks everyone.