Hi, my name is. Lisé. I am 44 years old. I have been a patient of Matia’s for 2 1/1 months now. Let me tell you how I came to be her patient.

I enjoyed normal health with the exception of a heart murmur until around the age of 18-19 years of age. I was very athletic, enjoying many sports and generally enjoying my life. When I was around 19, I began to get migraine headaches. They became more and more debilitating as time went on. I missed out on a lot of fun times, lying in bed in agony. I still enjoyed life when my head wasn’t hurting. In the meantime, I was abusing my body with drugs and alcohol, which I am certain didn’t help my health any. I finally got rid of the headaches at age 31 by getting a massage weekly and quitting my stressful job. I also stopped abusing my body with chemicals around this time. I developed panic attacks which came in frequently at first. I started noticing them when I was getting off drugs. After I was clean for a while, they went away. I found a great man, got married, and life went on.

I was tired sometimes, but didn’t think anything of it. I noticed that my bladder was starting to irritate me from time to time, but just thought they were bladder infections. During my third pregnancy, it started bothering me even more. Of course, I thought it was just because I was pregnant. After I had my son, the bladder symptoms came and went. I went to a urologist who started me on a low dose of Macrobid. I was to take it every time I had symptoms. That worked for a while.

I was pregnant with my daughter a couple of years later and my body just rebelled. My hands became weak, I started dropping things, bumping into walls, knees buckling for no apparent reason, panic attacks, heart palpitations, bladder irritation, joint pain, extreme fatigue, ringing ears, cold hands and feet. I didn’t have all the symptoms all the time, and never put them together as one illness.

After my daughter was born, the pain escalated in my joints, and my bladder had really begun to bother me. I was so tired all the time. I attributed it to my kids and my job. I went to the same urologist complaining of bladder irritation and frequency. He decided that my urethra was too narrow, and dilated it. FUN. NOT! That seemed to help with the irritation for a little while, but then it came back. I asked my gynecologist about it. He referred me to his colleague who was a uro-gynecologist. This doctor also believed after a cystoscopy (with NO anesthesia) that my urethra was too narrow. He proceeded to then dilate my urethra again, with no anesthesia. There were a total of three procedures over three weeks. After the second one, I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to the bathroom without being completely exhausted. I was in extreme pain all over my body, and especially in the pelvic and bladder areas. I asked him if what he did to me would cause all this, and he said no.  

He referred me back to my regular doc, who ran many tests and could find nothing. This led to me seeing a rheumatologist, who diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I was put on medications to control my symptoms, but nothing to get rid of them. I suffered for nearly five years this way, living with extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, panic attacks, ringing ears, horrid bladder, pelvic and abdominal pain. Some days, it was hard to make it through without wanting to die. I thought I was going to have to live this way for the rest of my life.

Fortunately, nearly three years ago, I found two people who started me on the path back to health. I found a massage therapist who understood fibromyalgia, and a chiropractor who uses applied kinesiology and homeopathic remedies. They both brought my life back to a level where I could be active again. It felt good to be back in the ‘real world’. The two things neither one of them could fix was the bladder thing and the pelvic/abdominal pain. Back to the gynecologist I went. He decided I might have endometriosis. He did a laparascopic surgery about 1 1/2 years ago and discovered huge varicose veins feeding my ovaries and uterus. He decided to try hormone therapy to see if my cycles would stop and shrink the veins. I tried that for about 7 months, and couldn’t take the way I felt. I was also on 25 mg Vioxx at the time to deal with the bladder/abdominal/pelvic pain. He felt that a hysterectomy would solve all my problems. I had the hysterectomy last June. I was so depressed after I started healing and STILL had all the bladder pain.

I went to another urologist, who finally diagnosed me with IC last November. I tried Elmiron and Cysta-Q, along with some dietary changes to see if they would help. In the meantime, I decided to learn all I could about IC. One day last November, I was talking to one of my vendors on the phone, who asked how I was feeling since my surgery. I told her I was recovering nicely from the surgery, but had recently been diagnosed with a bladder disease I was sure she would never have heard of. I told her it was IC, and nearly fell out of my chair when she told me she had recently been diagnosed with it. How weird was that? She told me about this wonderful support group and about Matia, and gave me some other websites to surf around on. She gave me the support group leader’s name and number, also a patient of Matia. I called her up and we arranged to meet for dinner. She told me all about Matia.

I wasn’t sure if I could afford to see her, but after some discussion with some of the other members of the Yahoo group, decided I would meet her and at least talk with her. I was a bit nervous, never having been to see an alternative practitioner, and never having had acupuncture before. I brought my husband along with me for my first visit, as he is always objective. I felt very comfortable with Matia right away. She has such a lovely, sweet spirit. My husband felt very comfortable with her, too. We decided that it would be good for me to keep going to see Matia.

I want to tell any of you out there who are hesitant that I already have seen results. I was in so much pain before I went to see her, even with modifying my diet. I have only had one really bad day in the last 2 1/2 months. I used to have really bad weeks at a time before seeing her. I am still experiencing symptoms – don’t get me wrong. My symptoms wax and wane. I have good days and bad days. I am never symptom-free, but I am definitely seeing a difference. I have days when I can go for 3-4 hours without going to the bathroom – days when it isn’t the biggest thing I think about. I also have slept through the night three times. Also unheard of before seeing Matia. The diet is a struggle – I still want my chocolate (but haven’t eaten it). I just take deep whiffs of it for some weird sort of gratification. I am excited about my progress.

If you are suffering from IC, I strongly urge you to consider Matia’s treatment. I have not looked back once, and I am certain I will be rid of this. It won’t always be pretty – the die off is a little tough some days. It is all worth it to get where you want.

Update:
It has now been 2 years since I started seeing Matia. I have enjoyed a vast improvement in all my symptoms and can see light at the end of the tunnel. Most of my symptoms have diminished or altogether vanished. I believe it will just be a few more months before I can taper my treatments. I have turned a real corner during these past few weeks.

My bladder is getting stronger, the intermittent pain on my left side is not so noticeable, and my body is doing a deep cleansing right now. It is the first time I have had really bad die-off symptoms in about 8 months – and I feel so much better on the other side of it! I have been experimenting with spices and have been able to tolerate them once in a while now without any pain afterwards. We have changed my hormones to a bio-identical formula which is working quite nicely. I am sleeping much better – getting up either once a night or not at all.

I can wear jeans again – something I could never do for several years before seeing Matia. My previous wardrobe was all loose-fitting clothing with either drawstrings or elastic waists. I can do much more without fatigue, although there are still days I am tired. Overall, my symptoms are much less than before. I have many good days. I gauge a good day by how many times I think about my bladder, how much pain I am in and how my energy level is. I am able to raise my family, carry on a full-time job, lead worship at my church, take guitar lessons and sing in another band. I am also much happier now. It is amazing how miserable our entire countenance can become when we are in pain!

I believe absolutely in Matia’s ability to help me and others get back to a normal life. I trust her implicitly and know I will be completely well soon. I didn’t get sick in one day, and I won’t get well in one day – it all takes time and discipline, which I sometimes lack. I encourage all of you reading this to make an appointment if you have never seen Matia, and not to give up if you are seeing Matia now and feel things are slow.

IT TAKES TIME – BE PATIENT, AND SOMEDAY, YOU WON’T BE A PATIENT ANYMORE!!!!!! You will be FREE!!!!

Lisa’s symptoms started about 20 years ago. They were a little different from the norm. Mainly, she had frequency, urgency, and at the worst point, pressure on the right side of her abdominal/pelvic area. She had gone to doctors, including well known pioneers of IC like Dr. Larrian Gillespie.

Lisa did have a cystoscopy, which ruled out IC, but she had all the typical symptoms. She would have good and bad periods, but she took no medication. Two years prior to seeing Matia the symptoms flared up again. She saw more urologists, one of whom put her on Pyridium. It did not help her. Over time she did go on all the regular medications suggested for IC (except Elmiron), but none of which helped. 

At the end of 1999 she found Matia on the Internet and called her the next day. She went to her during her worst period where she had pressure and frequency. Matia put her on a very strict diet. Within a day the pressure on the right side had gone. She felt normal. She continued taking the herbs for the next 8-9 months. If she indeed did have IC one year later her symptoms were significantly reduced.

Lisa did have relapses, but they were never as bad. She never had the amount of pressure or the duration that she had previously. It has been two years since the end of Lisa’s treatment, she is symptom-free, and she has not been taking any herbs or maintenance for this condition during this time period.

Matia is very thorough and very patient and understanding. She is very meticulous in taking down a patient’s history. She is compassionate, concerned and very responsive to her patients’ needs. Much more so than any traditional doctor that Lisa has seen. Matia is emotionally supportive which helps relieve some of the stress. This is especially good since she believes stress is a big contributor to this disease. 

“Matia makes herself available to her patients when they need help. She tries to explore every avenue of what could be causing the problem. You have to put your trust in Matia, give it time and stick with it. It doesn’t happen overnight”, says Lisa. Both Matia and she went through it. They made a commitment to continue. Matia helped Lisa tremendously.

Hi Friends,

My story starts like everyone else’s, a story of pain, confusion and unobtainable answers. Maybe some of you can relate.

I’m not exactly sure when the pain started, as it seems like I’ve always had it. I never had many urinary infections, when I was young, so I didn’t really correlate the two. My horse fell on me at the age of 17, causing much internal damage, I’m sure. I started on birth control pills at an early age to regulate my periods and was on antibiotics as a small child for sore throats. I had an extremely difficult pregnancy and delivery. Mostly, I have never eaten healthy and my diet has always consisted of sugar, lots and lots of sugar. I’m sure, the combination of all of the above, contributed to IC.

The first negative experience I had with a doctor, was an OBGYN when I was pregnant. I constantly complained of pain, the entire time I was pregnant. Every exam, the answer was, “Oh, It is normal”. I left that practice after my son was born, I still had the pain and this doctor told me, it was all in my head. I went to another OBGYN for pain a few years later. After years of trying to diagnose my problem, she finally told me I had PID, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, a sexually transmitted disease. I had been married for 10 years at this time and told her so. She told me to go home and question my husband, that obviously, he had had sex elsewhere and had transmitted the disease to me. I left that doctor also, still not finding any answers and still in pain.

When I was about 26, I woke up one night, in the middle of the night with all of these strange symptoms. I had an excruciating headache, tingling up my spine and into my head, my heart was pounding and had palpitations, my hands were numb, my legs were numb, I could see stars and I would, at times, not be able to move. I was scared to death. My husband took me to the emergency room. After a thorough exam, I was told I had “panic attacks”, to take “this” (Valium) and go home and just relax. I took a few and it didn’t help, intuitively, knowing it wasn’t from panic. I even went in for an MRI, to rule out MS. This went on for approximately 8 months. Some days were worse than others. Some minutes were worse than others, but I got through it, never really seeing a common denominator to any of it. Eventually, all of those awful symptoms, my “central nervous system disorder” as I called it, sort of subsided. I still, however, had the horrendous pain. 

A few years later, I was still taking birth control pills. One night, after being off for the normal week of my period, I took my “start up” tablet. Within 30 minutes I had all of the “CNS symptoms” back, after not having them for years. While I didn’t panic, as it felt “familiar” and I hadn’t died from it yet and I doubted I would, it was very distressing to have them back again. I went to bed, with my husband checking in on me every 1/2 hour. I awoke with all of the symptoms gone. That night, I took another birth control pill…30 minutes later, symptoms returned. I stopped taking the pill. These symptoms returned on several more occasions. Two more were when I took Ampicillin and Keflex, both antibiotics. The last few episodes, happened right after eating Pillsbury Sugar Cookies. It took several times of eating these and having the symptoms return, before I figured the association. 

I finally found a urologist who specialized in IC, through my current OBGYN. I had had a partial hysterectomy, due to the abdominal pain two years prior and he was going in after the ovary that was still intact. After years of going through many urologists, who didn’t know what was wrong with me, this doctor not only believed me, she diagnosed me. However, over the next 12 years I was on constant medication. I have been on antibiotics (including injections of Gentocin for a week straight at varied times), antidepressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxers, antispasmodics, Elmiron and many, many years of pain medication. I also had DSMO treatments and bladder distentions with many overnight stays in the hospital. I have to give this doctor credit for one thing…she gave me pain medication when I needed it, which was almost daily, and she really cared about me. I don’t know if I would have survived the pain, without her. 

I poured myself into my work and my business. I worked such long hours, I didn’t have time to cook and so I continued to eat sugar, dyes and foods full of antibiotics and preservatives. I did anything to keep my mind off of the constant pain and allow myself to collapse into bed at night to try and forget the pain, not realizing that all of the time, I was still contributing to the IC with the way I ate and the constant antibiotics. At this time in my life, I had a continuous bladder infection. I finally had to give up the long hours, my body; physically, emotionally and psychologically just couldn’t take it any longer.

A few months later, while being on 7 medications at one time and still in so much pain, I sat down one night and did a search for IC. I came across this website and starting reading the entire site. It fit right into my new pattern of life. I had slowly started changing my traditional values and philosophy of life. My dogs were now on a healthy raw diet. I know about herbs, Bach Flower Essences, crystal healing, Reiki, and Animal Communication. This was a doctor who practiced Chinese medicine, totally natural AND specialized in IC. There are no coincidences in life. I was led to this site and instinctively knew this was where I was supposed to be.

The night of my first consultation I was so excited. The second I heard Matia’s voice, I knew this wonderful lady could and would help me out of this black hole. I also knew it was not going to be easy. She told me we would work this out together and that she would always be there for me. She told me she would help me get off of all of my medications and not have the pain any longer. I’ve never looked back and I’ve never questioned any of this for one second. After talking to Matia, and listening to her explain how all of the things contribute to IC, all of the symptoms I had, all of those years ago, were understandable. Birth control pills, antibiotics and sugar, all contributed to my body breaking down. I was not some hysterical female who was having panic attacks. 

I was right, the first few months were most difficult. It was February and Valentine’s Day was approaching. All of the TV commercials were about chocolate! My son came home with Dairy Queen, I almost bit his head off. My husband came home with homemade chocolate chip cookies from his mother. He also got the brunt of my anger. My body was going through withdrawals and the yeast was screaming to be fed. But, I never gave in. Matia told me that someday, sugar would be like a toxin to my body. I am to the point that if I smell anything with sugar in it, I get nauseated. Again, Matia was right.

I have been with Matia for 10 months. I am off ALL synthetic medications. While I understand the limited diet is difficult, I have found I love eating again. I have found calmness in my life and the pain is mostly gone. I still have my ups and downs with fatigue, and I am still on the very strict diet. However, each time there is a problem, Matia is quick to come to my aide, knowing what I need and working it out. The good days are now outweighing the bad by far. I used to only dream of this, now I am living it. 

While Matia and her herbs have turned my life around, I have also recognized that this is not just about diet and herbs. This is about balance. My entire life was out of balance. I was addicted to sugar, I overworked myself, actually, I overdid a lot of things. I am working on this daily and I am becoming increasingly aware of coming back into balance. I find I am heading towards a healthier, happier lifestyle with the loving help of Matia and her staff. I cannot thank each and every one of them enough, for giving my life back to me…actually, for giving myself back to me.

Update: 
January 24th, 2008 was another birthday for me, a mile marker of life. I am celebrating my 5 year Anniversary of my new life. What I am celebrating?  I am not only commemorating 5 years with Matia, I am celebrating moving into my sixth year towards a continued balanced and healthy body!

Ok, let me break it down. Was this an easy path? Definitely, not always. Did I feel good all of the time? Absolutely, not. Do I continue to have cravings? Occasionally. Do I still have challenges? Yes, but I know I can get through them.  Do I still have some of the anxiety and pain? Yes, but now it is not every day as it once was, for years and years. Now, it is mostly limited to when I travel.  Do I still rely on tools and herbs to help me, yes, but I look at them as a part of nourishing and supporting my body, not as something I need to get me through the times of crisis, as I once did. 
  
So, what did I do in times of crisis? I turned to the person that knows my body, like no one else. Matia not only helps through physical crisis, but through all of the emotional and mental ups and downs too.  She is so nonjudgmental in her quest to help her patients heal. You can tell her anything and she will be supportive, giving and beyond that, come up with a plan to help you through. Our bodies are one: spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Each aspect is not separate but all tied into one being.  The herbs and supplements, which differ from patient to patient, help nourish the physical. Matia’s reassurance and guidance help your spirit. Each gets the sustenance it needs so the other parts can come back to life 

We all have a different history, so of course, each of us have a different “relationship” with IC.  Mine has been a story of difficulty, challenges, anxiety and pain. I now know my body enough, through the help and support of Matia, to know when I can push myself with something new, or when I need to back up and try it again later. There is always that hope, that the next time will be successful, as I have had many successes with food. I am now eating many foods on list three and have even added in some fruits. Can I eat them all of the time, No. Is that a problem, No. In life, we get unexpected treats. This is how I feel about fruits. Occasionally, I get an unexpected treat!   Matia once told me, that one day, sugar would be like a toxin to me. Trust this piece of information. I never thought that it would happen and she was so right. I cannot stand the smell of sugar, especially chocolate. It literally, makes my stomach queasy. 

So, the question you all want to know: Do I think I am totally cured? That question doesn’t matter any longer, because I have the tools that I need to get through whatever comes my way. I have Matia. I have my family and my animals that give me such assistance and comfort. But most importantly, I have myself.  I trust that if I can get through this, I can get through anything.  I feel as though I have been chosen. That I am being handpicked, as after all, how many people truly have this relationship with their body, where they can listen to it and hear what it is saying. Think of that gift. You can listen to your body. This program is not just about your relationship with Matia. It is about your relationship with yourself. It is a gift beyond getting rid of the physical issues.  It is truly rediscovering YOU. 

For those of you that are in a place where you feel that your family does not support this program, please know this is not just about physically healing. This is about finding who you are again. Standing on your own two feet and getting rid of the fears. As you heal physically, you will also find the confidence to move on emotionally. With the experiences of peeling off the layers of sickness, your family will support you. And if they don’t, this path isn’t about them. This path is about you and YOUR health, not theirs. You will become stronger and in that newfound strength, your family can’t help but be encouraged and revel in seeing the healthy you.  

I am not the person I was, before starting on this program.  My husband knows a “new Wife”, my son knows a “new Mom”, my brothers know a “new Sister” and my parents know a “new Daughter”. This disease no longer holds my body every second of the day. Yes, there are still times when I have issues, but I don’t expect to never have any.  We are humans, living in a non-healthy environment, with toxins in our food, water and air.  But, I am no longer in fear, Matia and this program has taken that away. She has given me the support and confidence to take responsibility for my self and my body, so that I can stay positive and has taught me how to live as healthy as I can. I have been given the support of herbs and knowledge from Matia to reach that goal. It is a gift that not many people are given and one that I am forever thankful for.

Karen was in really bad shape when she went to Matia. She had pain and urgency. She is not clear on all the dates but she had been diagnosed with IC. She had DMSO treatments for about a year, which made it worse. She also worked with Dr. Fugazzotto on the antibiotic regimen. She took them for 3-4 months and they did not help. She noticed no change after that time.

Karen was a big skeptic about Chinese medicine but went to see Matia after a recommendation from her naturopathic pharmacy. She was in severe pain, and Matia immediately started Karen on the herbs, acupuncture and a special diet, in her case not that strict. 

It took her about a year to see the results. She would seesaw back and forth, which is the nature of the disease. It was a gradual process. The whole time Matia was very reassuring and very knowledgeable in the use of her herbs. She had to constantly adjust them to get the right mix. After two years she was was symptom free and no longer on any kind of maintenance or herbs. This continues two years later.

Matia is really good and always available. Karen would call her at night and on Sundays when she was not feeling well, and she was always responsive. She is totally wonderful.

My battle with IC began on New Year’s Eve of 2000. What a great way to start the millennium! For the first time in my life I got a urinary tract infection. After about 2 months and 8 rounds of antibiotics I was not getting better and I was in serious trouble. I learned about IC and wanted to get a diagnosis because I thought it would quiet the uncertainty that was plaguing me, so I had a cystoscopy/hydrodistention done. After the procedure the urologist said he did not think I had IC but that there was some inflammation on the lower part of the bladder. Of his own volition, he had decided to cauterize (burn off) that area in the hopes that new tissue would grow. I was in much more pain after that procedure than before, and had really not been given any useful information. Although I was never technically diagnosed with IC, I had an inflamed bladder that was very painful so as far as I was concerned something serious was wrong.

Since then I have been blessed to have found Matia over the Internet and began seeing her. I started seeing her in June 2000 and have since stayed with her. My journey has been a long and tough road but I am very glad to say I am well on my way to being feeling like my old self. Initially, large amounts of bacteria and yeast were found in my stool so that was our first concern. I slowly began to improve on the herbs she gave me. During this process there were many set backs and many bad days. Once your body is out of balance due to illness it takes a long time to get it back in balance. The yeast alone took me over a year to get rid of and I am still dealing with some of the residual symptoms. I also had other symptoms than bladder symptoms. My stomach felt so bloated all the time it looked like I was pregnant. I remember that in the beginning, even drinking a glass of water would make my stomach balloon. Also, about 6 months into my treatment I began having vaginal problems. I would have constant swelling and sometimes tingling, sensitivity and itching. These symptoms have proven to be the hardest and most frustrating to get rid of, but I know in time that these too shall subside. As of today I feel that my bladder is greatly improved and I don’t have that generalized sick all over feeling anymore. My stomach is flat again and I have started adding back in more foods that I can tolerate. As I work on ridding myself of the vaginal problems, I have good weeks and bad weeks but seem to be having more good days than bad as time goes by. For some reason I usually feel really good during my period, then not too great the first week after, and then slowly start feeling better and better as I get later in my cycle. Matia thinks that this is due to the fact that the later along I am in my cycle, the more tissue and “nutrients” are present in this area which is what I need.

I truly feel that there is hope for everyone out there with this disease to improve. It takes a lot of time and patience but is worth every amount of effort because the result is getting your life back. While I am by no means an expert on illness or IC, what follows are some things I have learned that have been helpful in my journey. While IC is a very individual disease and what works for one might not work for another, there are still many similarities among each of us so maybe these items will be helpful for you. 

I tried to do as few invasive procedures as possible. As mentioned before I had a cystoscopy/hydrodistention done early on and it made things much, much worse. I do feel it is important to take tests to get diagnoses but after this first horror show I tried to do only the tests that seemed necessary and gave me valuable information. 

I looked into different avenues. I tried mainstream and alternative therapies. While I have been seeing Matia I have still continued to research other therapies and continued to see conventional doctors. In fact, a big break came when I told Matia that my gynocologist mentioned that I had extremely thin and brittle vaginal tissue, which has helped us figure out what is going on with me. By getting second opinions and different views I stumbled across valuable answers. And this being said, I made sure to find healthcare professionals that are open to different things and willing to listen to my ideas. I feel this creates a partnership where you both bring things to the table and work together to get better. Furthermore, I made sure to take my doctor’s recommendations as just that. I made sure to be well informed about my options and realized that in the end I know what is best for me. I only do things that I think will be helpful. Listen to your body. We all have an innate sense about ourselves and what is going on in our bodies. Trust your inner instincts. More often times than not, they will be right. 

I kept a log of my progress. This was very important for me to figure out what was going on with my symptoms, especially as they related to my menstrual cycle. With IC patients, almost anything could be irritating you so being as detailed as possible is a great way to figure out what’s going on.

Summer 2002, I suffered what I thought was a UTI while studying abroad in Europe. I knew something was wrong when I had to pee what seemed like every minute of the day. My bladder also felt like a 50 lb. weight and ached all day long. There was even an instance or two when I lost control of my bladder before finding the bathroom. I felt so ashamed.

When I returned to the states, my gynecologist prescribed Cipro and Ampicillin for the “UTI”, but neither antibiotic worked. Later, I saw a urologist who offered to fill my bladder with water and give me a prescription for a drug that would alleviate the constant pressure in my bladder. I finally realized that western medicine did not have a “fix” for my condition. I was devastated.

That evening, I stumbled upon this website, I read Dr. Matia Brizman’s philosophy on IC and body imbalance and decided to join the Success and Interstitial Cystitis discussion group to learn more. I took some time to talk to a few members and read as much as I could about the treatment process. I started Matia’s diet Thanksgiving weekend of ’02. Thanks to this diet, the pain and pressure in my bladder tapered off within one month. Because I was thrilled with the results, I decided to follow through with Matia’s herb treatment (I’m a long-distance patient). I have been treating for almost 3 months with Matia. At this point, my frequency has gone from 10-12 times a day to 4-6 times a day and 4-6 times at night to 0-1 times a night. It is truly a miracle.

Though I feel the closest to normal these days, I know I still have a ways to go. I thank God for Matia’s dedication to treating patients of IC and the wonderful support I’ve received on the discussion group. I also thank Jane and Alyson for creating this website.

In June 2001 I had my first UTI. I went to the doctor, checked positive for bacteria, and I was given an antibiotic. I believe I got the bacteria from a hot tub the previous week. Within a day the symptoms were gone and all seemed back to normal. The following September I noticed the same symptoms: frequency and my bladder felt “funny”. I went to the doctor and she took a urine sample, which showed some bacteria. She gave me the antibiotic Macrobid, which did nothing. The symptoms remained. The doctor gave me another course of antibiotics, a sulfur drug. My symptoms increased over the next week. They included: bladder pain, major frequency, sore inner thighs, and lower back pain. Basically my whole pelvic region felt like it was on fire. We tried one more round of Amoxicillin and Pyridium, still nothing changed. My doctor mentioned Interstitial Cystitis and referred me to a urologist.

In the few weeks before my appointment I learned everything I could about IC. I was also interested in finding a natural way to treat whatever it was that I had. That is when I found Jane Peters, the co-author of this site. She told me about Matia Brizman of BOMA-Med and her experience with traditional Chinese Medicine. After seeing the urologist I was told that I either have a mild case of IC or a severely damaged bladder lining. He mentioned Elmiron. The possible side effects of hair loss, ear ringing, and that it might not even work ruled that drug out for sure. I researched and compared Chinese medicine with traditional alternatives. For me, it seemed so much cleaner and healthier. I knew that I could not live with the constant pain and discomfort that I was feeling. I would much rather treat my body in a natural way, with food and herbs. After talking with Matia I was given hope and encouragement that I could improve with her treatment. I believed that she could help me with whatever bladder disorder I had, instead of masking the pain while my situation became worse. 

I began Matia’s IC treatment in mid-October of 2001. I follow a strict diet designed for IC patients and I take herbal supplements prescribed by Matia according to my symptoms. I am a long distance patient, so I do phone consults every 2 weeks and she sends me my herbs as needed. Since my symptoms are mild compared to most, I have been able to feel results right away. Over the last 4 1/2 months I have had many ups and downs, but I definitely feel like positive change is happening to my body. My frequency has backed off a little, I still go to the bathroom more then I used to, but not every half hour like I did when this all began. I have bad days where my bladder burns and the pressure makes me very uncomfortable, but I can function through my day almost like normal. When I have good days I can go on 3-mile hikes, the movies, and shopping with out the stress of pain or finding a bathroom immediately. I feel like I have more control over my life than my bladder does. When this began I was losing myself to the constant bladder pain and the depression of feeling my life had been destroyed. Being able to have days when my discomfort is mild gives me so much to look forward to and the hope I need to continue to improve. Even though I have not met Matia in person, I do not feel like my treatment is not as thorough. She takes the time to listen to me as I describe everything that I am feeling. She answers all of my questions and addresses all of my concerns. She is available when you need her and is understanding and supportive of your pain and discomfort. I am thankful that I have found her.

Update, June 2002:
I am approaching my 8th month and I have noticed a significant change in my body. I have gone 3-4 days with barely any bladder discomfort. I still am aware of my bladder and sometimes when it is full I feel some irritation, but for the most part my discomfort is very mild. When I do feel bad the irritation only lasts a few days and I am usually able to keep that under control with a few herb changes that Matia advises. I notice when I am very tired and dehydrated my symptoms feel worse. My frequency is almost normal, I drink lots of water so I tend to urinate more. My energy level is great and my immune system is strong. I have had no colds or flu bugs all winter and spring. I am confident that my bladder is healing and that I will continue to feel better.

Update:
I have been in Matia’s care for 22 months and I am doing great. My discomfort is mild most of the time. 3-4 times a month my irritation and pressure will only last for 1 or 2 days. I no longer will have intense discomfort that lasts for a week at a time. My daily routine is much like it was prior to IC. I do not have to schedule my activities around my pain and frequent trips to the bathroom. I sleep through the night. I am comfortable traveling and I do not fear being far from a bathroom. My diet is still limited, but I do enjoy eating tomatoes and I drink coffee. At this point in my treatment I feel like I my symptoms are completely manageable.

John is a trial lawyer in Tennessee. He was a college athlete, and rugby player. He had years of discomfort misdiagnosed as prostatitis, for which he was treated with antibiotics. It would recede for a while and then come back. At one point it came back and did not go away. His symptoms were frequency and a nagging, sharp pain in his lower back and prostate area. He would go to the bathroom and not be able to urinate. He was miserable. A doctor did look around but only found inflammation which he did not think was IC, and again antibiotics were prescribed. The doctor did not suspect IC because it was thought to be primarily a women’s disease.

John went everywhere looking for relief. From a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, to UCLA, to Columbia Medical Center. He had all sorts of terrible tests done. His prostate was massaged, drained and he even had surgery on it. Nothing helped. He was still miserable. A urologist in Nashville finally did a cystoscopy and diagnosed IC with Hunner’s ulcers. This was in 1998 or 1999. He was put on Elmiron. John did see a gradual improvement with Elmiron. 

In 1998 or 1999 John found Matia and came out to Los Angeles to see her. She has supervised him ever since. When he comes to Los Angeles he has acupuncture treatments with Matia. She monitors his progress and adjusts the herbs as necessary. 

John said that he did not totally follow the regimen but he got much better after he did what Matia told him, He tends to cheat on his diet. He knows that if he were stricter he would be doing so much better. However, even his bad spells are better than his best days before. John has a great deal of confidence in Matia. He knows that everything she does, if it does not make him better, is not going to hurt him. She has always been very kind to him.

(Name changed for privacy) 

Before I met Matia, I was very ill for over a year. I had Atrial Tachycardia (irregular heart beat), palpitations, acid reflux problem, muscles/joint ache problems, constant headaches, fever/chills, bladder irritation, etc. My life was a nightmare. I remembered that life was not worth living, and that I prayed for my health to be better everyday. I’ve seen so many Western doctors, tried so many different medications, done many medical procedures, but nothing really helps me. I was constantly ill. My first experience with IC was in November of 2002. I remember feeling so much pain in my bladder, thigh, ankle, lower back, etc. After seeing several doctors, who didn’t know what I have, I decided to see a Urologist. I got my bladder examined (cystoscopy), and the doctor told me that I got little sores in my bladder wall, and so he told me that I had IC. At the time, I didn’t care what I had after going through what I have gone through. Quite frankly, I was happy that someone finally told me what I had. 

I didn’t know what IC was and so I decided to do some research on IC before taking Elmiron, which was prescribed to my by the Urologist. I was in constant pain due to the irritation that I feel in my bladder area. I couldn’t sleep many nights, and so the only thing that I could do was to pray that someone can help me, and one day my prayer was answered. I stumbled upon this website, and read through many success stories about Matia, and decided to give Matia a try. Thank you to the folks who put this website up. I’m half Chinese and Vietnamese, and so I didn’t have any problems trying out herbal medicines. Quite frankly, I would rather try herbal medicines because they have little or no side effects.

I first talked with Matia in April 2003. She was a very nice lady who is very compassionate with her work. It was very rare to find a doctor who knows what your going through, who listens to you, and who really cares about how you feel. After speaking with Matia, she told me that I have too much bacteria in my body and what I needed to take to make my immune system stronger. I decided to stop taking all Western medicine and take what Matia told me to take. She told me to eat healthy and follow the types of food that I should eat within this website. It was very hard to be on a strict diet, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed that my IC symptoms were starting to get better. After my second session with Matia, she told to take something else for my acid reflux problem. At the time I was taking both items, and I noticed that I was feeling better everyday and that I was able to eat better. After three months of taking the over-the-counter items Matia prescribed, she decided to send me the “special” herbs. After taking the herbs for a couple weeks, I felt better (more energy, less palpitations, less bladder irritation/pain, etc.).

It has been a year since I first spoke with Matia, and I am still talking to her (every 6 weeks), and I feel like I am getting my life back together. Matia continues to listen to me when I discussed with her my symptoms, and she would provide me with different herbs to ease my pain. I must admit that I am not where I want to be, but I am getting there thanks to Matia. I appreciate all the things that she have done for me because without her I would still live in pain. I hope to fly out to Los Angeles soon to meet her so that I can thank her. 

I feel like I am starting to wake up from the bad nightmare that I have before I met Matia… and enjoy my life once again.

My story is no different from anyone else who has IC except for maybe the minor details. When asked to write my story, I said that I had no story to write as yet. I have only been in treatment for 2 months, so I decided to write a message of hope and encouragement instead. 

Mine has been a battle of necessity. Quite frankly, we either live with this disease or – well, I don’t like the alternative. I have been through quite a lot over the past 30 plus years of living with this ailment. Sometimes I thought I couldn’t hang on. I’m not sure what kept me going – maybe the fact that I had two little boys to raise. I have a great husband who has always been supportive even when no one knew what was wrong with me. My IC went undiagnosed for many years.

My love for the arts helps give me a reason to go on as well. Music, dance, literature, art, etc. are good for the soul. Mythology helps me immensely. I believe it helps us live in our world. Someone mentioned to me that they thought I had great courage to have gotten through all the years of this disease. We all have fears. Maybe courage is just facing the fears and not giving in to adversity.

I haven’t been with Matia very long. I really don’t know how this treatment will go with me. I do know, however, that I agree with her thinking. She has taken on an astronomical task in trying to help some very sick people get well again. I sincerely hope that I will be one of those people. My ability to hang on at this point is seeing the progress that others ahead of me are making. My husband said that he is impressed that Matia looks on each person as an individual and tailors the treatment to that individual.

Reading some of the success stories on the web site makes one realize that anyone with this disease has had an uphill battle. Some of these stories are amazing and an inspiration to anyone thinking of starting this treatment. 

Not everyone has the same ability to cope, some people are weaker in spirit than others, and everyone’s pain threshold is different. We have to try to help others by being patient and not being judgmental. We don’t know another person’s personal battle or private fears. IC is a devastating disease. It touches every aspect of our lives. I pray that we all come through this ordeal with Matia’s help and guidance. 

Our ultimate success with any given situation probably lies in our ability to make and accept changes in our lives. Making changes is sometimes frightening. Alternative medicine is about accepting responsibility for our lives and making changes when necessary. Conventional medicine does save lives, no doubt about it, but on the other hand it seems to offer “quick fixes” to long-term problems. Perhaps in giving up our current methods of treatment and going with the art of Chinese medicine, we are unmasking this disease in all its ugliness. In doing so, we allow these natural herbs to cleanse, nourish, and rebalance our bodies, eventually carrying us to a new level of health and well-being.

When we choose alternative thinking, we are going against the grain. Since alternative medicine is not widely accepted in our society, by choosing to use this method of treatment, we are opening ourselves to criticism. Ultimately, each person has to decide for himself which path best suits his needs, and not worry about what others think of that decision.

Even though we have no control over what IC does to our bodies, we do have control over our attitude toward the disease and life itself. Through the years of living with the pain and anguish of this disease called IC, I still choose to love, laugh, and try to find happiness. For myself – I choose life.

Although I never had IC, I lived my whole adult life with constant attacks of acute cystitis. I was on antibiotics as many days as I was off and one urologist even insisted that I take antibiotics every time I had sex! For obvious reasons, I also suffered from Candida and was gassy and bloated much of the time.

Fortunately, I found Matia Brizman who, with herbs, acupuncture and recommendations for minor lifestyle changes, helped me rid myself of chronic infections. 

Finally, at age 50, I hardly ever think about my bladder, am free of Candida, and can enjoy sex without worry.

Thanks, Matia!

Thirteen months ago I began working with Matia Brizman. I had debilitating bladder symptoms, chronic pelvic pain, frequency that was intolerable and was considering going on disability. I have worked for 13 months with Matia…weekly telephone consults. She is brilliant at reading an individual’s symptomology.. Basically, every week, I tell her what my symptoms are and she suggests various herbal formulas. 

The herbal formulas have been right on the money. My body has responded. I’m enjoying health that I never could have imagined. I did not go on disability. My professional speaking career is booming. The only symptom that I still have is slight frequency…very slight. If you are at the beginning of the program, I encourage you to be patient and believe in the process. It does work! There is no one else in the world (and I mean in the world) that knows this disease like Matia. I shudder to think where my life would be had I not met her.

If you would like to have further information regarding my recovery please email me at janeboucher [at] mail.com

I have been suffering from Interstitial Cystitis for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I had to urinate a lot. I thought this was normal because my mother and sister frequently use the restroom. At fifteen I was diagnosed with Mononucleosis and recurrent Strep infections and was prescribed antibiotics. From this point on I took antibiotics almost constantly for about 3 years. This led to many yeast infections and other problems. At this point the urgency and frequency of my urinating became worse. This was very difficult in high school where people are apt to make fun of you for much less. I was tested for bladder infections, which occasionally came back positive, and so I took more antibiotics.

Each year my bladder became worse. Nonetheless, I thought this was normal, or I just had a small bladder. I went to quite a few urologists who either thought the condition was in my head or wanted to follow up with many invasive tests. I was finally diagnosed at 26 years old with IC after having a cystosocopy performed in 1996. My bladder was perforated during the procedure and I was catheterized for the following two weeks. I believe this procedure may have made me worse because prior to this I didn’t have pain with IC and afterwards I did.

In addition to IC I have had problems with headaches and digestion. Both problems were so bad that I basically survived by taking Tylenol, various other pain medications, Tums, and Pepcid. For a while I could not eat a meal without following it with some form of antacid.

I was also trying every possible procedure and medication that Western medicine had to offer for IC, including the old favorites DMSO, Elavil, Detrol, Elmiron and many others. I was basically living off antibiotics and these medicines. I also had yeast infections all of the time. To further complicate matters I had been taking birth control pills on and off for about 15 years.

All of these medications just seemed to be making me worse. So at the end of 2000 I began searching for alternatives. I tried quite a few things including herbs and aloe. However, I was trying everything on my own and didn’t really know what herbs worked and which ones may be harmful. I also decided to get off of the birth controls pills, as I wanted to avoid contaminating my body any further.

I searched the Internet constantly for information regarding alternative treatments for IC. This is when I found a message by Jane Peters regarding Matia. I called Matia a few days later. I was skeptical, and felt that I needed to do some more research. I also spoke to Jane a few more times and she persuaded me to give this a try. After coming to the conclusion that I’d tried everything I could do on my own, I began working with Matia in January 2001.

Matia is one of the kindest, most understanding people I have ever met. She seems to have the patience of a saint, which is definitely needed with this condition. She has spent countless hours discussing my symptoms with me. It was so nice to finally have a doctor who would talk to me. I have been taking Matia’s herbs and following her recommended diet for about a year now. I did cheat on the diet for the first few months, but do follow it correctly now.

Today, I am better in many ways, but I have a long way to go. I rarely, if ever have a headache or stomachache and my digestion is so much better. I still have urgency and frequent urination, however, the abdominal pain I began having after the cystoscopy in 1996 has almost completely gone away. I also, have more energy and look physically better than I used to. There are other things that have gotten better too, but I will not bore you with the graphic details. I believe that I have a long way to go. However, this is the first time in my life that I have hope, and the belief, that I will continue to improve. I am looking forward to the day that I don’t have to sit on the aisle at a movie theater, travel without worrying where the next restroom stop is located, and eat some of the foods I love again.

I used to think I was a healthy person. Sure, I drank too much cola and smoked the occasional cigarette, but I had been a vegetarian since the age of sixteen, didn’t eat in fast food restaurants, rarely drank alcohol and generally believed that it was okay to indulge occasionally as long as it was in moderation.

From the age of twenty-three I’d noticed a few odd problems that were all dismissed by my doctor. I had chronic headaches, severe allergies that were getting progressively worse every year, extreme debilitating bouts of vertigo that came on just as mysteriously as they left, and strange rashes and breakouts on my stomach, arms and chest. At times I felt like a bit of a hypochondriac wondering if I was being overly critical about what could be “normal” occurrences due to the aging process. Doctors had no explanation for my problems, and passed them off as “nothing to worry about”. Twenty-three was also the year I stopped taking the birth control pill against my doctor’s advice that the pill was safe. My family physician was at a leading women’s hospital — how could she be wrong about women’s health? Yet I just ‘felt’ that something wasn’t right with my body and I determined that it was time to stop taking the hormones. Seven straight years of altering my body chemistry seemed long enough.

Several years passed, and while I felt that certain problems were increasing exponentially, I did what the doctors said and dismissed them. One day after five months at the most stressful and emotionally and spiritually draining job of my life I took a week’s vacation with my spouse. During the course of the trip mysterious problems developed that seemed to come from nowhere. I had the constant need to urinate, but when I got to a bathroom I couldn’t go. This caused endless problems during the trip since we were traveling around and wanted to see and do things where no bathroom was in sight. I also developed an extremely itchy rash on my legs, arms and stomach that I assumed had been caused by the sun, yet I had been very careful about my sun exposure and had worn a very high sun block.

Upon returning home I went to a new doctor recommended by a friend thinking it was merely a bladder infection (I’d never had one before) and that I just needed a doctor’s confirmation. The doctor did some tests, took my word for it and assigned me a week of antibiotics, which I took against my own better judgment. When the first course made no improvement and my symptoms worsened, I was prescribed a second round. By this time I was in agony. I had a sharp, dull pain in the lower left side of my abdomen, I had the constant need to urinate with no relief, and getting to and from work during a snowstorm was becoming a stress-inducing battle. I tried all the common herbal remedies for bladder infections — which only contributed to worsening my symptoms. I cut out coffee, pop, and all kinds of other junk foods and diuretics with no luck. A second round of antibiotics with no relief proved that something else was going on with my body and I needed to investigate further.

The next 6 months went by very slowly and painfully. I went through a variety of stressful tests until I was eventually recommended to an urologist. During this time, the tests also indicated I had cysts on my ovaries accounting for the sharp pain in my abdomen. After a three month, wait the urologist put me through another series of painful and invasive tests over the course of a few months. During that time, I did a lot of my own research, but without a doctor’s confirmation I just didn’t want to admit that it was as bad as it was. There aren’t a lot of bladder-related problems and I only had symptoms for one ailment — a disease called Interstitial Cystitis. With a name like that it had to be bad and I didn’t want to admit that at 26 years of age I might have a ‘disease’ that doctors knew nothing about and for which the symptoms could potentially be alleviated, but for which there was no cure.

The day I went in for my diagnosis was a memorable turning point. The urologist sat me down in his office and very coldly informed me that while I didn’t have all the symptoms — namely bleeding cysts in my bladder, my bladder capacity was about one third the size of a normal bladder and I probably had Interstitial Cystitis. His course of action was to begin with putting me on a two-month course of antibiotics ‘just to be sure’ there wasn’t any bacteria in my body despite the fact that I had been through extensive testing on several occasions. If that didn’t work he would follow up with a bladder distension (an invasive procedure in which they stretch your bladder with water) and a lifetime prescription of Elmiron® — a drug that alleviates some symptoms in approximately half the people who take it, and which, if it worked, I would be taking for the rest of my life. When I asked the urologist about the safety of taking a two month course of antibiotics his response was, “Don’t you want to get better?” despite the fact that I had already been determined to be infection free and antibiotics had only served to worsen my condition. When I asked about my reduced bladder capacity and what I could do to improve it (I was already dehydrating myself in order to avoid constant bathroom stops), his reply was that I should “drink less water”. Eventually he just got up, walked out without saying a word and never came back — leaving me sitting there wondering what had just happened. The doctor’s office never bothered to call me to schedule a follow-up appointment for any of the procedures he mentioned. They just wrote me off without saying a word.

That day, on my way home, I looked at the antibiotics prescription in my hand and decided that I couldn’t put my body… my life, in the hands of a doctor I didn’t like or even trust. I felt that it wasn’t asking too much that I be allowed to ask basic questions of the person in whom I was counting on to advise me regarding my health without being treated like a disobedient child. Since he was supposed to be the best, I felt it was time to explore other options — I turned to alternative health.

As soon as I got home I called around asking friends if they knew anyone who could recommend a naturopath. I had never considered an alternative health practitioner prior to this for financial reasons. Alternative health care just isn’t covered in my part of the world. However, I decided that paying for good treatment wasn’t a frivolous way to spend my money and it was time to give it a chance. In the end I chose a naturopathic doctor from the phone book who specialized in women’s health. When I first walked into her office I was a mess. I was psychologically and spiritually destroyed because I had also been grieving the very recent deaths of two extremely close friends. The dry winter heat had aggravated my already sensitive skin leaving me with a red, blotchy face. I looked physically toxic (my liver and kidneys were overloaded) and I was emotionally drained and tired from dealing with this disease. Yet that first appointment was amazing because for the first time I had hope that I was doing something about this and that I might get better. I asked questions and she answered them. She was friendly, articulate, compassionate, and most importantly she treated me as an equal and as an intelligent adult who had a right to be engaged in a dialogue regarding my own health. I was astounded. I had never experienced this with an MD.

I stayed with this naturopath for well over a year. Her help was vital in my healing but it wasn’t enough. She helped me gain a better understanding of why this had happened to me. She helped alleviate a lot of my secondary symptoms and lead me on the path to a better understanding what I needed to do to get better. However, in the end I realized that I had come as far as I could with her leading the way. She didn’t have an understanding of exactly what was wrong with me and what needed to be done to overcome it. And I was so sensitive to everything. I can understand how frustrating this disease can be for someone who is treating it. Sometimes the symptoms seem irrational and appear to happen for no reason. In one second I would turn from bad to worse. The biggest problem had manifested itself in the bladder, but that wasn’t where it started. My whole body was messed up.

January 2001 marked my second anniversary with I.C. I was really tired and distraught about what my next course of action was going to be. I was determined that this year I would get better. But I didn’t know what to do. I’d had allergy and sensitivity tests yet I knew I was still eating things that were making me react. I couldn’t travel down the street without prepping myself, let alone getting out of the city. I felt like a 27 year old stuck in the body of an 80 year-old woman. I was tired of turning down invitations to go on trips, visit friends who lived across town or stressing over simple things that most people take for granted such as sitting through a business meeting. I was tired of focusing on the pain in my bladder and organizing my day around my good times and bad times (I was always better in the late date than the morning). I was tired of keeping a mental map of what routes in the city were most ‘public bathroom friendly’. I had bathrooms systemically categorized and cross-referenced in my head according to quality (is the bathroom clean or disgusting?), accessibility (is the bathroom free or do I need to make a purchase?), quantity (will I have to wait in line or are there multiple stalls?) and location (how far is it to the next bathroom, is it on route to where I’m going?). Trivial information such as this became vital in keeping my sanity intact.

A friend alerted me to a book she was reading called “Eating Alive” by Dr. Jonn Matsen N.D. In basic terms his book follows the premise that disease starts with inefficient digestion. Over the last few years I had learned to pay attention to my body. I knew that my I.C symptoms were greatly influenced by what I ate, and I knew I had serious digestive problems. On my first trip to the family physician two years prior, I mentioned that everything I ate made me sick to my stomach and that I was bloated all the time regardless of what I ate or how much I ate. She insisted that I was a vegetarian and that I just “ate a lot of beans”, despite the fact that I had been a vegetarian for over 10 years and had never had this problem. I read Dr. Matsen’s book and his follow up “The Secrets to Good Health”. Both of these books do an excellent job of explaining how our entire body functions in coordination with our digestive processes. I followed the diet he lays out with my own modifications based on known sensitivities, and I started taking supplements to improve my liver health and to remove yeast and toxins from my body. After the first three months I felt a definite improvement in my physical well-being but I still had all kinds of I.C symptoms. Again I had reached a plateau where I felt I had come a long way but I needed some guidance to take me further.

At five months I found BOMA-MED from an interview with co-founder Matia Brizman D.Ac., L.Ac. about her practice and how she treats Interstitial Cystitis. I liked what she had to say about I.C., and how she thought people came to this disease. It followed along with my own theories, and made me feel assured that I could trust my care in her hands. She works from L.A. but because she takes long distance patients I was able to begin treatment. The first thing she did was alter my already limited diet significantly. I was shocked when she listed off the things I was still eating that were irritating to the I.C patient. Things that I knew to be healthy, and are to most people, were doing me more harm than good. Matia treats every patient uniquely, which is a relief since we are all different and came to I.C. in different ways.

I have been in treatment under Matia for seven months and I still have I.C. It took me 28 years to get to this stage, so I imagine it will take my body quite some time to improve. I know that I will be better eventually. The results in the last seven months have been astounding. Almost every single symptom is gone except for the bladder problems. They have basically left in the order they arrived. There was a time when I couldn’t lay flat or turn my head in a certain position or the world would frantically spin like a nightmare merry-go-round. That is completely gone. My allergies have also cleared up. In the past, the month of August was a write-off due to extreme allergy symptoms that left me weak and broken down. I went through this past August with almost no symptoms AT ALL! I can vacuum the rug without breaking out into a fit of sneezing, hacking and itching. My bladder has been a lot better. I went on a short trip in a car outside the city – something I never would have done before. I still have bad days, but I usually know now when something makes me sick whereas in the past it was a frustrating mystery. My sensitivity has decreased. I no longer react in a heartbeat.

It isn’t all sunshine and roses. I have to maintain incredible will power in order to keep to the diet. I am not allowed to eat anything sweet – sugar aggravates I.C. symptoms and that includes fruit and sweet veggies such as carrots or beets. The list of foods I can’t eat is much greater than the list of foods I can – making eating outside the home an impossible task. That combined with no alcohol makes socializing difficult. So much of our social world revolves around food and drink and the habits we form around them. Avoiding them within a social context is a test I try to avoid. Stress still sets me off so I have to be careful at all times to avoid stressful situations and force myself to take it easy and relax as often as possible. I am extremely sensitive to the sun and have to be careful to avoid too much exposure to it. My whole world revolves around my health right now. It comes first and foremost before everything – a self-consciousness that is necessary, but difficult to maintain.

As cheesy as it sounds, I can see the positive side to all of this although I’d rather not have gained my insights through such extreme experiences. I have obtained a knowledge of self and the workings of my body that few ever experience. I am hyper aware of my body and have come to trust my actions in doing what it needs. I have gained a hyper-sensitivity to smell that is both incredible and annoying simultaneously. Although I am still ill I feel I am actually in my physical prime and it is growing exponentially. I have been forced to concentrate on my physical self in a healthy way that is separate from vanity and appearance. Most importantly I will never make the same uninformed mistakes, and I will never be allowed to deny when something is wrong with my body because I’ve been through something that will always keep me focused and my actions regarding my body in check.

**The disclaimer part. I have only begun to scratch the surface regarding any of the topics discussed and I am not a certified health practitioner. These are merely my own personal experiences. It is important that if you have a health concern that you talk to a reliable, certified health practitioner.

My story and relationship with my urethra and bladder began 2 years ago when i was experiencing severe stress in my life due to a licensing exam and deep ambivalence about my work, which I personally refused to look at and do anything about until my body literally gave out from underneath me. I remember the day I felt, for the first time in my life, my bladder. Before that point I had never had any problems with that part of my body. However, I suffered from horrible allergies since early childhood, aches and pains in my back and sciatic nerve, and suffered also with severe depressions. I am also a recovering alcoholic and drug addict (21 years sober). I also love, and I mean love, sugar and made sure I never had to give it up like so many other things I had to stop, in fear they would kill me.

So, getting back to that infamous day when I sadly and painfully was introduced to my bladder. I was sitting in a staff meeting and was feeling particularly enraged over something, but of course did not say a word. In that moment I felt a sharp pain surge up by my vaginal area and wasn’t sure what it was. When I got home from this meeting I remember feeling anger, like once again I had not spoken up for myself,. I felt a lack of power and felt taken advantage of. I know that I am stressing “feelings” a great deal, however, in my story their repression has a lot to with the onset of this insidious disease. Over the next couple of days I began to have a significant amount of pain in my vaginal area, yet it wasn’t my vagina that was hurting. So I took out my trusted book, “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom”, and found out that I had a bladder infection. I called my doctor who prescribed Bacrtim or whatever.

Thus began the ridiculous 13 month cycle of doctors, tests, antibiotics, pain and very little – no, make that no relief from the established medical profession. I went from doctor to doctor complaining of profound pain, frequency, and urgency. Nothing helped, and no one had any answers. I had test after test and all of them came back with no significant findings. I finally found a doctor who performed a test and found that I did in fact have a swollen and severely infected urethra, however, my bladder walls seemed fine. I was a practicing therapist at the time with a stressful case load, and the pain from sitting endlessly in a chair for at times, 10 hours a day was just about killing me. I must interject that I also did not want to be in that chair anymore and was dying to get out of that chair and find other parts of myself that I think I was too frightened to acknowledge. So, one Monday night after 10 hours of work I came home exhausted and feeling so much pain in my bottom area I thought I would pass out. I literally could not take another step without passing out from the pain in my vaginal area. My husband took one look at me and said, “Enough, Elise, no more!!” That next morning I woke up and called all my patients and sadly told them I was sick and would not be returning. It was a devastating ordeal stopping therapy with so many people I had come to care for. I also felt like my vaginal area was on fire and I had some kind of flu down there that would not quit. The stress of speaking to people and referring them to other therapists only made my symptoms worse and worse throughout the day. So, after 20 years of working I had to stop from an ailment that no one knew anything about, and I did not know how to heal. I was scared to death!!! I didn’t know who to turn to, and became very, very depressed. The pain was worsening and the doctor I was seeing was of no help at all. he never spoke of diet and put me on 11 rounds of antibiotics. One day while examining me, he even called me by the wrong name! What a disaster, I felt so belittled and hopeless.

While on a trip to Hawaii with my family during the holidays I made a promise to myself that I would do anything to get my health back in the next year. I vowed to the Gods that I would be healthy in body, mind and spirit and whatever it took I was going to do it. I was tired of sitting everything out, I was tired of being so depressed, so vacant of spirit, so run down and I was especially tired of being in bloody pain every single day and crying endlessly. I returned from that trip with resolve to find something or somebody that would help me heal. I found sweet Matia on the internet and decided I had nothing to loose. I began treatment with her on January 26, 2002. I remember the day, for it was my new beginning, and also the day I stopped eating sugar for the first time in my life. Remember, I was a major sugarholic!!! Yeast must have truly loved me as a host, I even had it in my bloodstream!! So, I took Matia’s hand and I began this long, hard road to recovery.

Every week I visited Matia and cried and hurt and felt horrible. I felt that way for many, many months. My bladder cramped, my vaginal walls ached, my back ached, my head ached. I was depressed, bloated, angry, and scared that this would never end. I had terrible urgency that kept me up at night and made me miserable during the day. I just could not find a place in my body that was safe and quiet. I was desperate for a place within myself that was well. I wrote in a journal every day and brought it to Matia describing in detail every pain and ache. She was all I had and she never let me down. I stayed in a great deal of the time and started to truly evaluate what got me to this place in my life. I wanted to learn from this dreadful dis-ease, so that I would never have to visit it again.

It took a long time for me to feel better. I can say that today I am feeling better, I even forget that I have a bladder, for now it just melts into the rest of me again. I still have a ways to go with some other symptoms-abdominal cramping, back aches, etc., but I am confident that all will be well again. I stay on my diet though it is very hard some days. I take my herbs and follow my treatment protocol from Matia. My depression has lifted and I am looking for work again!!! I truly believe that we all can heal and feel safe again in our bodies. This is such a dreadful and isolating illness, yet through it all I somehow felt that those parts of my body were trying to tell me something -There is metaphor in illness, if we listen. I have been too frightened to listen at times in my life – I am listening now and I like what I am hearing. Take heart, if I can get better (and I’m a pain in the ass!!!) so can you!!!! SO CAN YOU!!!!!