Yes, I regularly read on the ICN until I discovered Matia and our fantastically supportive group of ladies here. SOOOoo thankful to have discovered ICAMA.... thank goodness for this alternative option to heal.

I wonder who pays for it. Whoever pays, orders the tone. I think it is sponsored by pharma corporations.
I was reading it in very beginning. It made me seriously depressed. 

I blame that damn website with contributing to my sense of doom even now that I have found Matia. Horrible. I wish I had never looked at it. You're right - totally bankrolled by big Pharma. They have a serious interest in keeping everyone sick

I don't know why I still go there sometimes and look around! I am always depressed when I leave! Maybe I am looking to help a newbie who talks about being healed naturally so I can lead them to Matia, who knows. All I know is most of them seem so sick and take soooo many medications, it's really sad. I find it amazing when I see that some of them actually get into remission. They all push that stupid diet which includes so much sugar! Yea a vanilla milk shake is going to make my bladder feel better sheez!

 
Well, the message I got is: there is a chance that you may have a somewhat decent existence IF you find right combination of medications and go through enough invasive tests. Until then, keep trying and keep paying. And don’t even mention that IC may be yeast, bacteria related. Natural route won’t possibly work.
My question is: why not to try natural route before succumbing to soooo many aggressive life-destroying medications? I read about side effects of those medications. It is hair raising information. Doctors never mention about side effects, like they don’t mention about the fact that cystoscopy may have adverse reaction. 
I won't say anything any more publicly, but if someone has a question about cystoscopy send me an email.
 

I think that website is terrible. Has anyone ever looked at the Interstitial Cystitis Association on facebook?!?! Those women post the saddest stuff... it is SO depressing... I sometimes look at it just to be thankful at how far I have come. I have been tempted to post something about Matia but have been too scared of what kind of reaction I would get.

No condemnation, but I believe that some people, due to lack education or simply by personal choice, look for ways to continue unhealthy lifestyle AND get better. Guided by doctors, they take chemical compounds (medication) to merely mask and suppress symptoms. That doesn’t get to the root of the problem.
I, too, ran to doctors looking for a magical pill, and then a super knowledgeable doctor only to learn there isn’t such. It took months of internet and library research to come to a conclusion that traditional approach won’t help. I made mistakes along the way by letting western doctors further extend physical and emotional damage. I earnestly took pills some of which could have killed me. Not being able to decrease pain, urologist put me on heavy narcotics. I was running red lights on the way to work and was a total nut case.
 
People have a right to make their own decisions. The problem is that the most profit-generating approach promoted as THE ONLY choice. It takes something extra ordinary to find an alternative option that ultimately works just as well if not better. I spent a lot of energy looking for hope that traditional route did not offer. Coming across Matia’s website was like finding life supplies on deserted island.

Leelee- Don't post about Matia on ICN- forst off- it actually gets censored immediately!! Can you believe that? They've worked it into their computer program. Ugh. I posted her name spelling it incorrectly to see and lo and behold it came up fine. Matia actually asked me not tp post on there. It is so sad the strange anger a lot of people have for alternative medicine. 
 
Blondy- You hit the nail right on the head. I think much of our culture has acceptsed that it is normal to have a moderate or high degrree of unwellness. I run into this all the time with my kids. When I tell most people that I don't want the kids eating artificial color or whatever or that I want to nurse Nora until she is at least 2 so she can gain the benefits of breastmilk- they look at me like I have two heads- ther's always that idea- "OH- they'll be FINE!- Stop being so WEIRD" Even now that I have been ILL FOR 6 MONTHS people think I should worry about making sure my kids eat well!???
(BTW- I don't walk around spouting these things!! I'm not that annoying! LOL It's only when it comes up)
 
ANyway- The great news is all of us have founf this better way!!

I think I read in one of the older success stories on this site that the person found Matia via the Dr. list on the ICN site. So I wonder what happened that at one time you could talk about her there and now it's not allowed. I too am soooo glad I kept looking for a safer alternative. I am feeling great today btw, and yesterday was a good day too! Hope everyone else is feeling well!