Vent! Am having a bit of a crap day. External irritation for first time in a while. Wondering if it was the couple of sips of coffee I had this afternoon. Gah. Will back off it for a while I think. Am still struggling with handling the advances and retreats.
 
Hope - have tried yoghurt and seem to be tolerating it fine, which is great news. And today was pretty good, up until about 6pm.

ps deir on the sex, have you tried recently? Maybe worth trying very gently if you haven't - you may be surprised. Managing to have sex again really made me feel better about everything, and it's rare now that I feel I can't manage it.

Vent: Agreed on the sex thing- I really miss it but had SUCH a bad time after having it a month and a half ago that I have not tried again.  It sometimes makes me feel inadequate, but the anxiety that comes with sex is just too much for me.  So exhausting. 
 
Hope: It was a really great day overall- I'm finally teaching art again after a year of not teaching and have just gotten a studio space for me to work in myself.  It feels AMAZING to be able to think about things other than IC all the time and I have such gratitude for the time that I am pain-free and functioning normally.

VENT - still haven't shaken off my bad run - slept through last night and felt fine this morning, then diarrhoea at 9ish set off all my burning! Gah!!!!
 
but HOPE - it's evening now in the UK and things have really calmed down. Feeling achey and a bit sore, but not all burny any more. Phew!

Vent - Matia thought I was doing well enough to try probiotics without anything else to buffer them, she said it was a sign of good progress, well I wasn't able to handle them alone, my bladder was all pinchy! So now I am waiting for my siberian ginsing to arrive so I can start that, hopefully it will work well and not bother me.
 
Hope- I've noticed I am losing less and less hair in the shower now, so that must be a good sign. I did have a few good days again this past week so I really can't complain too much.

VENT - still in my flare (which isn't even that bad, just got used to feeling better). Mailed Dr B yest and we agreed to trying upping my bif to 1/2 a capsule a dose. Seems to have helped a bit - less irritation today, more bif-like burning deep in my tissues, but I seem to get this when I up the probiotics so not too worried. We'll see - I want to get back to a good bit! Felt quite glum over weekend, but reminding myself that I'm only just coming up to five months of treatment so need to be a bit more patient!
 
HOPE - my skin seems suddenly better! Back MUCH less spotty, which I'm hoping is a good sign. Marvellously timed for winter, too ;) Also, this morning, had a great few pain-free hours and went for a lovely walk with my three-year-old. Sign of times ahead I hope! xxxx

Hope- For the first time in a long time I have been flare free for 3 days in a row!  I am feeling good!  I am tolerating 6 bifido and 4 mega a day.  Will be starting the siberian in a couple of days when it arrives!  Hope this upswing lasts!  I'm happy, happy!

Hey Shelby, that's great news!!
 
HOPE - after upping probiotics at the weekend, I had two really good days - especially yesterday. Took my son to a music session at the big music centre in my home town, chilled out at my dad's house (am up visiting) - all really lovely.
 
but VENT - out of nowhere and with no variation of food or whatever, am flaring again today. Urethra just there, and I had some urgency earlier on, which was not appreciated! Am on day 14 of cycle, though, so hoping it's ovulation. Feeling a bit mentally battered by the whole thing today though. The up and down is such a bummer: had that feeling this afternoon of, will I ever be able to relax and count on my health again?!!

Hey, thanks everyone! oof, it's a bummer, this IC, isn't it?! totally with you deir - it's the head stuff that's tough! I can cope with all the physical wobbles - it's how it makes me feel in my head when I have bad days that's difficult - the anxiety that I won't ever get better. If someone said to me, "you'll feel like this for three years and then you'll feel better", I'd take that over "you might feel better next month ... or not ... " any day. The uncertainty's such a battle for me!
 
Am going to go reread some of dr b's posts and some success stories to give myself a boost! And again, am reminding myself that I'm super-early in treatment ...
 
Hope you're doing ok today, deir?

Hey deir, that's great! Keep us posted!
 
HOPE - had a great day friday, basically symptom-free. But VENT - less good yesterday - urethra lit up again. Feels like every time I have a BM it flares everything - nuts! Am away for work and chairing events at the festival where all this started last year, so psychologically a bit tough, being back here and still not being well. Will be glad to get back home tonight ...

Hey there, how's everyone doing??
 
HOPE - I've had a good few days. This seems to be the best bit of my cycle, and I've felt pretty good - a couple of days symptom free!
 
VENT - the only symptom I've been experiencing on my less-than-perfect days is vaginal - sort of itching in my vagina and I think in my cervix(!). Has anyone else had this?! Totally bearable but a bit irritating. Oh - and hair failing out again!!
 
Otherwise, am really enjoying a quiet bit. How's everyone else getting on?

Hey Tinkerbell, just about to read my son a story so v quick but just wanted to say that is AWESOME. Those first few moments when you feel normal are nothing short of miraculous, I agree. Happy to report I've now had DAYS like that. Sucks when it comes back of course ;) - but so envouraging to find your body is capable of feeling that way.
 
And intersting you have the vaginal stuff too! Feels like mild thrush, to me. Speaking to Matia last week so I'll raise it, and try a bit of natural yoghurt meanwhle.
 
oh and HOPE again - I now totally have yoghurt back!!!

And may I add, Hallellujah!
Lauren

Hey deir - could just be that it's grains that are particualrly a problem for you. If you can stabilise by limiting them then possibly you'll be able to move up the lists in terms of veg and so forth quite quickly? I really hope so. I know how important rice cakes are! If it's of any interest, I can't seem to do potatoes at all, but have had no trouble adding yoghurt and, in the last few days, goats' cheese back in. Seems like potato is a trigger for me, and aubergine completely screwed up my bowels when I tried it - and I know they're both from the same vegetable family, which is clearly not something I'm much good at handling. Could just be that grains are the same for you?
 
HOPE - had basically a good week. Slightly more symptomatic today, but again not bladder stuff - weirdy cervical itching and an odd feeling in what I can only describe as the cavity of my pelvis - feels like someone's been sort of irritating the bones. How nuts is that?!
 
VENT - just that pelvic thing, really. Oh, and I have a great big under-the-skin spot on my nose! But not sure I can blame IC for that ;) (though actually it has made me alarmingly spotty, on my back at least, so perhaps I will :))

Hope - My hair has basically stopped falling out. I have 10 long, hard fingernails, I have a normal bowl movement basically everyday. My skin looks great, well ok, it has always looked great but now I think it looks even better. I have no more issues with insomnia. My ears hardly ever ring anymore. Last week I had six days in a row of feeling basically normal.
 
Vent - Not much to complain about. I felt not so good yesterday and the day before but today is good again. I haven't tried anything on list 4, I've been to afraid, but I did order organic popcorn kernals so I will try that when it comes. To everyone out there who is still struggling, hang in there, it will get better!

Hey Deir-
That hunger thing seriously sucks.  I know exactly what you're talking about with cutting out the grains.  I would search NatalieL, because she has a recipe on here for what she calls "trough".  She couldn't have grains or even salt!  Anyway, this is hella filling, I havent made it in awhile so I dont remember off hand exactly what it is, and its totally list one appropriate.
 
I would also make soup!  You can totally have home made chicken broth (Just get soup bones from the store or a butcher) and by themselves simmer for 2--4 hrs depending on the size of your pot. Crock pot is also good for this. Next, sautee celery, zucchini, squash, red and green cabbage.  When the broth is done, cook the chicken in it, for 15 minutes (meat that you bought separately), then throw in the veggies.
 
I know you're on the east coast, so this is AWESOME for this time of year.  I'm on list 3 and I still eat this exact soup only with onion.
 
 

Thanks Researchnerd for your tips. I am starving withiout carbs, but they are surely not good for me.
Btw, if you cook soup, what water do you use?  

Tinkerbell, I had the worst sore throat I think I've ever had after dr b added in goldenseal. We eventually twigged and took it out and it went! Also get a bit throaty when I up probiotics. So could totally be die off.
 
VENT am feeling utterly dreadful. Feverish, achey, shakey, sore thoat(!) - grim. And am looking after a three year old on my own today! not sure how we're going to get through to the night!! Suspect cold rather than die off, there's one going around. And also, a bit more bladdery again (can feel it even v early on - it's 7.30am here). But I guess combination of being ill and period due isn't a good one.
 
HOPE otherwise, have had a pretty good week. Bit of vaginal stuff and some faint urgency, but not too bad.

Hey all, just swinging through.
 
HOPE - My IC now seems to be tied v closely to my cycle. The best bit is between ovulation and my period. This month, I got to within a day of my period before my symptoms flared (and then only slightly). A definite improvement on last month! Got my period now and a bit more aware but really not bad. I've had a really decent couple of weeks- bit of vaginal irritation and faint urgency but nothing else really until yesterday when I could feel my urethra for a couple of hours again.
 
VENT - Feeling slightly less good now I have my period and braced for things to get worse over next couple of weeks until ovulation. And my stupid hair is falling out! But otherwise ... really doing pretty good at the minute (touching wood, crossing fingers, etc)

Tinkerbell - ovulation is THE worst time for me. And the urge/frequency thing - I haven't had that for months, but it flared up for a day over ovulation last month. Totally freaked me, and of course noticed it much more as have been feeling so much better. So ... judging by my own experience, it could totally be that!

The morning thing is THE hardest thing about this whole journey I think. Almost started a thread the other day asking does anyone else feel the morning gloom?? I HATE waking up and having to check to see how I feel, to see whether the day's going to be ok or not. I don't really start relaxing untll late morning. Do other people feel like this?!

fahlmank - yes it's exactly that! My symptoms are at their best in the morning too - but it's the uncertainty I can't bear. If I have even a twinge in the morning I know it'l get worse as the day goes on. So I always feel nervous when I wake up, and it's such a mentally crap way to start the day. If I'm still ok by 11 I can figure the day will probably be ok, and I start to relax. But no matter how great I feel first thing, I still don't know what the day holds, so I feel glum!

Hey there hopeful venters - how's everyone doing? Here's my latest
VENT: feeling less good again after my period. had some irritation yesterday and pain in labia/generally in that  area today. Not unbearable but definitely a hitch up from before my period. As ever, hard to grapple with that sense of going "backwards" again, and as usual, I find myself a bit sunk in negative thoughts: will I ever get fully better? how long will this flare last?
 
HOPE: it's hard to be objective about yourself (SO hard!) but even today (a "bad" day) I've had stretches where things have been calm/I haven't had pain/haven't been thinking about my bladder. As far as I can remember(!) this didn't used to be the case. And  - I have my appt tonight! Yay!