What a wonderful idea.  I have been in treatment since May, 2008.  I do have things that I am thankful for.  I too recently went for a walk by the river in my neighborhood with my husband and went for a cup of black tea.  This is something that we used to do quite often and had not been able to do since I got sick.  It used to be a run and a cup of coffee but that is okay that it was a walk and a cup of tea.  I know that I will get to the point of being able to run along that path and go for a coffee again.  For now it was nice to get back to getting out on that path and going to a coffee shop and feeling like a person again.
 
Kriste

These "little" things are so wonderful! They are actually HUGE things! I have been working with Matia for about 3 years and I am feeling great (but with still more work to do). I remember when I first started treatment, I felt so much pain and sadness and depression. All I wanted was for the pain to stop. But as treatment went on, I'd notice something that I was able to do that I couldn't do before - like SLEEP!! And WALKING!! Same as you!! I could barely go anywhere b/c just sitting in the car was so painful, nevermind walking. So being able to walk without terrible pain was a good sign I could get better. Sleeping was amazing after so many nights of being wrenched out of sleep by the pain. When I started sleeping better, I believe that my body was able to really start healing. Then later, something so great...I was able to go dancing again!! My husband and I love to dance and people watch at the clubs (not with the teeny boppers, we go to "mature people" clubs lol). When I could dance again, I felt so hopeful that I could get my health, and my life, back. And then, the absolute "proof" that I could be normal again - I was able to travel. I was able to go to Italy for 10 days last summer.  Airplanes, walking, cabs, buses, trains, sight-seeing, visiting family, being a bridesmaid in my cousins wedding...you name it I did it with almost no pain most of the trip! I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought I would be able to do something like that when I first started treatment. I still am amazed at how far I've come and how much of my health and life I have back. And it does come back. It's so slow tho so you have to hang in there and just keep doing what you doing. Remember, the small things are actually very, very big and wonderful! And you ARE getting better so never stop, never give up!!

This is a great idea! I started with Matia in late May 2008. Since that time I have been back and forth on the scale in how I have felt. I'm sure everyone can relate. howeve slowly but surely I notice I am having more good days creeping in where my pain levels are much lower and if I do get a flare  they usually end within 2 days or sometimes a few hours. Its been weeks since I had the swollen bladder bowling ball sensation.  I sleep through the night without getting up to urinate and my insomnia is getting better. My digestion is improving and I can take walks with my dog without any trouble. I have not had any anxiety attacks this month  and my nervous system is feeling stronger. My brain fog is getting better- memory recall and comprehension is sharper though not my spelling and grammar!  My moontime(menstral cycle) is still out of control but I think its getting better. ( at least there are some changes). My bowels still need alot of work but they were pretty messed up. There has been improvement there too.  I am working on increasing  my bladder's tolerance of the probiotic which is moving really really slowly but it is happening.The depression is alot better and I feel like my energy is improving. I have no dizziness whatsoever and that was a horrible problem for me in the beginning. I've  been having dreams that reflect my bodies cleansing process at work. I am really encouraged! There is still so much to do and heal but these changes are very encouraging. I work so hard at this! Congratulations to all who are experiencing positive changes in their condition! Thanks for your support and for reading!Mary  

3 years ago (November) I had booked a Christmas vacation to Europe for my husband, my 2 children and I.  My younger one (who is now almost 10 years old) wanted to go to the top of the Eifel Tower in Paris France. I had promised him I would take him there all the way to the top.  Just 4 weeks before the scheduled date to go on the trip I got ill with IC. I became very ill in a very a short time and we had to cancel the trip.  Life sure became difficult for everyone here in the family.  Within 3 months I found Dr Matia and started the treatment with her.  The road was long and hard but worth it every step!  So I understand the little tiny improvements very well.  Keep going, never stop!  Like I wrote before, it took me a little over 2 years to see more good days than bad. I have been in treatment now since 2 years and 9 months and I am doing great, I have made more improvement. (still have a little to go but have a normal life again).  I go to school again and have a full life.  I feel strong and have lots of energy again.    This year June I had to travel to Europe (my family lives there), my father was illI bought a ticket and went.  I had not been back there for 6 years.  I saw my grandmother who is 88.  I saw my aunts and uncles, my cousins, and some old neighbors They all said I look so good and healthy.   This year Christmas 2008, my husband  the children and I are going to Europe.  I promised my younger one to take him to the top of the Eifel Tower 3 years ago....This Christmas I am taking him to the top of the Eifel Tower, we are leaving December 20.  We will also visit my family there; my parents live in The Netherlands(we will be taking the train from Paris to The Netherlands).  These days I have been traveling other places too. I could not have done this even just 1 year ago. Life is good again.  Life is worth living again. It took time to become ill.  It takes time to get better. Hang in there; you will see you are getting better and better, slowly but surley.Angela.

Yes! This is a wonderfgul idea..thank you Ballerine and all the others who are contributing. It's been a rough few days, BUT this morning I awoke, thankful for getting up only once in the night..what a difference that makes to restful sleep!.I CELEBRATE a normal bm (first since stopping a fibre supplement)...how uplifting and funny at the same time!I am amazed and grateful that I didn't catch a flu virus that was rampant through my house and family (Matia said I would be surprised at how my immune system was strengthening and she was right..as always)Readng the gratitude notes are such a gift..let's keep this open.. (in treatment for 3 mos) 

I've been thinking about what my little things are for a couple of weeks. I've been in treatment since February 2005 and have experienced a lot of the little things along the way. One of the most amazing things for me is that I'm a morning person for the first time in my life! Even as a child I would have the hardest time waking up and getting going, now most mornings I wake up naturally and my head is clear. Also I have warm hands and feet, not all the time but it's improving. Sometimes my hands are so warm that they're pink, never had that before, it's nice. I am able to ride my bike without having my hands go numb from what I suspect is inflammation related, this numbness is something I've been trying to sort out for many years, and it didn't occur to me that it was related to my IC. I don't feel so anxious all the time which allows me to be a kinder, more compassionate person. I am able to express my emotions better and don't hold things in all the time, that is a big step for me. These are all things that have slowly revealed themselves to me over time. Though I am still in treatment, I feel more healthy and vibrant than I've ever felt my entire life and when I go to bed at night, I look forward to waking up the next day. For that I have never-ending gratitude :)
Carol

Just a short note.  I did not get up to go to the bathroom last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just the other day I was saying to my husband that I don't think that this was possible.  I can't remember how long it has been since I did not have to go to the bathroom at night.  What is wierd is that I had about a three hour episode during the day where my bladder was acting up and my days are usually better but oh well.  Now if I could just deal with my husband's snoring because that woke me up!!!!!!!!!!!  Any suggestions?  I am sure that I will still be getting up at night to go to the bathroom but this was sure encouraging and showed me that it is possible yahooooooo.
 
 
kriste

I have not had a panic attack in a month I haven;t used xanex in 7 months . I have taken a walk every day except one this month. I had a BM every day for a week this month. I have started to do yoga. Pain wise I am all over the place my hormones are getting better but still needs work. I always put my little accomplishments on pretty papper and post them all over my house so I can see them all the time.

I just wanted to say that for the first time in 15 years I have not needed to take anypain reliever/ ibuprofen for menstral cramps. I am experiencing cramps but they are extremely mild and not  really bothering me at all. About 5 months ago I commented on this thread that my menstral cycle was still intense and painful. It had been slowly getting better each month with my taking less and less doses of ibuprofen and now I think I don't need it anymore. I can see a day in my future when I won't have any cramps at all! My cycle has been a contributing factor I beleive to my Ic case- In addition to antibiotics, BC pills I used to consume very high doses of ibuprofen/naproxen to control severe cramps. I think this is really bad for your bladder! BC pills helped my cycle sort of but I didn't like them so I just lived with a painfulintense cycle not anymore cause - Healing is happening! wheee! 

thats great mary and kristie  im happy for u both in your improvements! i thought i would also coment on some little things.my skin and nails are the best they have ever been, my head is getting better i can actually read a book for once without intense head pain.i do have some days when i dont have any bladder pain really!:) im also sleeping better than before..i still have a ways to go but these little things are great to have!:)

Thank you everyone for this thread. I think we can't forget to keep this going. For me it helps me even more then the stories because it is an ongoing prgession of detailed progress. I think often when your well people forget everything that they have healed. Even things that are non bladder related because the whole body is being healed here not just the bladder. Alot of people are amazed by this. Now I sit here with anxiety and headaches and it is already lessened as I read these positive posts even my own I have to keep plugging a long we all do.
SO thank you and lets not forget this thread. It is a life saver

in my appointment with Matia the other day she was asking me how I was doing and I was having a hard time explaining- it was as though in my current feeling which was a "so-so" day and with all the little fluctuating or big fluctuating obstacles or mini flares set off by a car ride or sniffing a lotion- (I couldn't help it- I HAD to) anyway It can be easy to  lose perspective- like you sometimes don't have words or emotions or language to describe exactly how you feel. you are sure that you have improved - other synmtoms indicate this but especially when you feel better for awhile and then lose your tolerence gradually for the way you USED to feel back in the earlier stages when anything could set you off for days at a time... its the unexpectedness that puts us on edge sometimes and that back and forth is soooo hard. It can make you feel devastated and confused and wonder if you have made as much progress as you think you have- and I think IC can also just keep you frozen in that fear and despair. but I keep noticing with a certain faith developing in this process that they are little victories that I 'll get which will go away and I'll feel bad about that and go- "wait a minute... I was enjoying that respite" but then a little later- maybe a few months or weeks and I'll get it back. My most recent improvement which could of course disappear and come back later at any time- but I now for quite a while with no regression have slept through the night without getting up until alarm goes off. I am now sleepy at a decent hour for a few weeks now whereas before I was strangely hijacked with insomina half the night and I  sleep really deeply and wake up not so tortured by waking up with profound deep sadness/grogginess as was the case through the majority of fall/winter. have no idea exactly how or what organ system is shifting? kidney's liver doing better? another werid thing- don't know if I ever mentioned it before but my iris(iridology) which has tons of rips in its fibers as well is mending? and the yellow and brown ring around my pupil is dissapearing. supposedly that inidcates that my GI tract is getting healed of all the funky stuff? Check out your eyes- the Iris and other parts for any changes. I never beleived in Iridlogy until I noticed that this whole time in treatment there has been changes in the structure and smoothness of my Iris. Totally weird but true. Thanks for reading. peaceMary 

huum my eyes have gotten lighter I don't know what that means I used to no t have a pupil when i was young because my eyes were so dark. I was born sick. So  I want to take joy in the fact that I did not get constipated during my period this time. Even though my period was 11 long days not quite nornal yet but thats ok. I have laso had a bm every day this month so far and I look forward to being able to say i have had one every day this month. I know I can do it.

I slept for 10 hrs and I feel so rested. I still got up to pee 2x but i feel right back to sleep. YAY!!!

  I became severly constipated six months prior to my IC onset.  After following the list one diet for almost two months, I have seen huge progress!  At the beginning, I ate the correct foods but not in the correct amounts.  I used to eat 50 carbs/25 meat/25 vegetables then I switched to  33 carbs/ 33 meat/33 vegetables.  My constipation improved after I started eating food in the right percentages.    Vegetables have never been my favorite foods.  I couldn't eat them in half of my lunches and dinners so I started adding them to breakfast quiches.  Then I eat a salad for lunch and another serving of vegetables at dinner.  If I don't eat my vegetables until later in the day, my bowels are negatively affected. Hope this helps.

I would like to say I have now had a bm some days more then one even 2-5 the whole month I didn't get constipated during my period. Now in May I am still going YAY and i am about to start my period again and hopefully I keep my good streak. :) I think something that has helped me is to keep 50% of my veggies raw.
:)Nicole

Well I slept amazing not all through the night I think i slept walked to the bathroom but stright back to sleep. Lots of dreams no anxiety in my sleep about anything YAY no pain going off keeping me up. I still have burning but it's kept quiet enough to ignore and go to sleep. TOday i feel energized and I am hoping the vit D is working it's wonders. Please pray for me that I keep on tract It would be so great to be healed for Christmas.

  I am so happy today.  Matia has found herbs that soothe my bladder without irriating it.  My bladder is so sensitive that it was flaring each time I tried a new protocol.  Now I can start working on getting off Ambien and Hydroxyzine :D

I am so happy for you Sharron,
I pray for you that you will continue on the path to wellness.  Congrats to finding a good combo.

  My hair has really started to thicken up and people have commented on it.  I am so happy that my body is slowly getting better.  I had been worred that my Elmiron thinned hair was going to stay like this forever.  My hair hasn't looked this good in years!

Today is the beginning of a big breakthrough.  Normally I have to take a narcotic pain pill in the afternoon to manage my pain.  Today I took one minor pain pill in the morning.  I haven't taken anything since and that was twelve hours ago!!!  I am so excited!

Well it's been 3 months and i have not had anymore  stingling leg pain anymore.

it's so nice to hear that your leg pain is gone!
it gives me hope that mine will also disappear some day vicky

It is amazing but I have not had any burning for 1 week now.  I have been even able to enjoy a little walk in the evening without that constant urge to pee.  I don't remember getting up last night to pee either so don't think I did.  I have to say this sure feels great and unbelievable.  I have cut a lot of foods out so I know I have a ways to go so that my body is not so sensitive but if I can enjoy myself while I am getting there it won't feel so discouraging.  It just might be tempting to not be so strict about things but I know that I have to.  Thought I would post this because I know people have been struggling with the issue of burning.  There is relief!

I went off my antihistamine with no problems.  i have terrible allergies and was afraid that dropping hydroxyzine would cause more pain.  I am so much more alert and have more energy.Today I am celebrating adding mozarella to my diet!  The possiblities are endless omlettes, pizza, normal sandwiches.  I better get to the store LOL!

Ok, I waited a while to post here until I could finally say that several things have tangibly improved for me, even though not related to bladder.
My skin has finally -finally!- gotten much better... hooray, I'm not a pepperoni pizza face anymore.
When I'm feeling well I can have sex and it doesn't hurt anymore afterwards.
I can get waxed & have natural nail polish no reactions.
My period's finally come back for the most part.
I gained my lost weight back.
I am very very very thankful.  Can't wait for the bladder to kick into high gear next.
What a wonderful idea of ballerine's to start a continuing thread on this.

Two major things:I never thought it is humanly possible but I started pooping on my own everyday without probiotics, without sesame seeds, without ANY help. I compared my stool to the scale Matia provided and it is perfect :))My period comes like a clock and it is COMPLETELY PAINLESS!!!! I used to faint from pain every month before started seeing Matia  4 years ago. It is alomost inconvinient, because I get no warning signs these days.I started finally thanking this horrible desease for showing me a better way to live!

Hi Natasha and Ballerine,how long did it take for your period pains to become better since you started treatment?  I'm only 4.5 months in treatment so I don't have improvement in my cycle pains yet, but it sounds wonderful that these pains will also get better after a while My bowels have already improved a lot, so I will focus on the positive things!Vicky

Hi Ballerine and Natasha,Thanks for your replies!  I think it will take quite some time for me because my biggest problem now is endometriosis and that can cause a lot of period pains.  I'm glad it has already improved for the both of you
Ballerine, nice to hear that you are from Munich, are you in treatment for a long time now?
Vicky

a few weeks back, i had a full week of my vulvodynia feeling calmer - not great but definitively calmer. it was the first time in over 10 months of treatment that that feeling lasted that long. i can't even put into words how much that spell meant to me. of course, i'm back in crapville and working on finding the right combo again which is incredibly frusrtating, but wanted to at least share that piece of good news. also, my period came totally uneventfully for the last two months. this month especially. no pms, no bloating, and very minor increased vulvar irritation right before it started (usually i have a more major surge in irritation right before i start my period). was on a roadtrip out of town, stopped to go to the bathroom, and low and behold, there was my period right at 26 days. since i wasn't super irritated, didn't even think it could be starting. very cool.

Well after a year + of my anxiety robbing my life God threw me the worst cavities and I think it was his way of letting me know I can face the world more then I know. SO I went to the dentist it was my first time out. I made it with out xanex and not only did I have to go once but I went 4x 9 caities in all I am in pain today and recoevering my bladder is a mess and my mouth is killing me. I am proud of myself though and I wanted to share.