February 19, 2008

Before I begin to detail this incredible journey I wish to highlight that this is a testament of my “almost there” bladder-related story, and my “very there” in so many other ways story (to be addressed later).  But first to elaborate what the “almost there” bladder means: from the beginning of my treatment with Matia I kept a journal in which I would rate my days of bladder free symptoms: 100% obviously being no symptoms, 98% one mild symptom, not lasting long at all, 95%  — 2 maybe 3 mild symptoms lasting around 10 – 15 minutes then gone. And so I would go down the percentage scale depending on the amount, duration and intensity of symptoms. Now the majority of my days is 100%. Once in a while I will have a 98% day and seldom I get a 95% day. I have not had anything less than 95% for a long time now. Do I believe that in due time I will experience 100% all the time– yes!! And incase you are wondering why I am writing my story at this point and not when all my days are 100%, the reason is that I am so exhilarated (understatement) by my healing over the last two years that it warrants sharing it with others who are either contemplating treatment with Matia, or are already on their healing journey and are needing encouragement and support.  Many of these stories were so inspiring to me during my healing that I read them numerous times, especially on the days when my symptoms flared. I hope that my story will help to inspire, hearten and reassure others who are encountering IC that they too will heal.

My bladder history (I’ll try to be brief) is similar to many others who have been diagnosed with IC: as a child I had numerous bladder infections for reasons unbeknown to my doctors and urologists. I was on antibiotics so many times that I eventually developed an allergic reaction to one of the mainstream antibiotics usually prescribed for bladder infections. I had 3 bladder biopsies (painful) and all in vain.  The results gave no clues as to what was going on. As I got older I still got infections but they started to become more sporadic: probably only 2 or 3 per year.  Then in 2006 I got three infections within a space of 6 months. Antibiotics yet again!  (I was also under a lot of stress at work during this time). However, the third infection did not seem to want to clear up, so I was sent to an urologist who decided to put me onto a milder antibiotic for a month (despite that fact that at this point my urine was showing no signs of bacterial infection – odd I thought) and he told me to check back with him once the course was done. I felt no relief, and I was confused about this particular “UTI”. It felt very different to all the others I have had throughout my life. Eventually the diagnosis was done (by the urologist) – IC. I was devastated to put it mildly. I had done some research on this dis-ease and what I read was not pretty. I found out about an IC support group in my area (they treat with allopathic/western medicine) and I phoned them only to realize that this dis-ease is more ugly than I initially thought. And nobody seems gets better!! “It’s a life-long disease,” my urologist told me, and the women I spoke to at the IC support group confirmed this statement. I hit a depression – a bad one (no, I don’t usually get depressed – so this was one more thing I now had to deal with).  My urologist believed that one of my problems is that I have a small bladder and he needed to stretch it (under anesthetic) and then I would proceed with Elmiron (allopathic drug of choice for IC) and DMSO treatments. I made the appointment and ended up canceling it (just as well because once in treatment with Matia – I realized that my bladder can actually hold 3- 4 cups of liquid – yes I measured it ). Luckily for me, the majority of my friends are allopathic doctors, so I phoned them to ask advice. The first one told me,  “Oh, I know the dis-ease, my mother-in-law has had it for years and she is very miserable  — and yes, she has been doing the DMSO and the Elmiron and no, she has had no improvement”. My other MD friend told me, “What your urologist wants to do seems very drastic – first try something gentler, use the drastic route as a last option.” These conversations were my saving grace. The first confirmed what I had read about western treatment options for IC – they don’t produce the results I was searching for. The second phone call encouraged me to keep looking for a gentler, yet exceptionally effective approach to healing. The search began and I stumbled across Matia’s website at 2 AM one morning. Upon reading about her approach to treatment and the results of her patients, I knew I had found the light in what at first seemed like an endless dark tunnel.  For those of you who watch Oprah – this was what she would call my “Aha moment”. I trusted my gut feeling and scheduled my first appointment with Matia in November 2006. The best move I have ever made and not one moment has passed that I have regretted entrusting my health to her. My initial symptoms were urethritis (something I had never experienced in all my bladder history of UTI – this was totally new to me and it was exceptionally uncomfortable), frequency, urgency, pain when my bladder was full or even slightly full, a constant feeling of “a dripping tap” in my bladder, strange sensations in my feet, and the most annoying constant dull urge. I also had to use the bathroom a couple of times at night. I started the diet in November of ’06 and within the first month of being on the diet, I was sleeping through the night. As the days and months progressed so did many of my symptoms start to diminish. My depression began to lift (pretty quickly once I started treatment and noticed results). I was on my healing journey, but like all journeys there are twists and turns and turbulences along the road. There were some good days, some OK days and some pretty bad days. On the bad days I would feel the depression wanting to sneak back in and I would start to doubt if I would ever get to this point of writing my story. My husband gave me some really good advice on bad days. He said: “Stay focused on the solution and not on the problem”. So that’s what I did. When I felt symptoms return, especially after having a good day, I would remind myself that I was working on the solution and this flare would pass, just like others had, and more good days would be on my pathway. When birthdays, and hence cake came around, or dinner parties and everyone was eating anything they desired whilst sipping a glass of wine, and I could not indulge, it took a lot of will power and strength to not sip that wine or eat that cake or chocolate etc. “Focus on the solution,” became my mantra and this got me through wishing I could be “normal” and eat and drink anything I desired like others do.

I remember when I was diagnosed how, “Why me God? What have I done to deserve this?” was trespassing my thoughts all the time. But now I know. Being diagnosed with an awful dis-ease, going through some form of denial and eventually accepting that my body was not functioning the way it should, led me to finding a truth inside me that I now believe is my destiny. Not a great way to come upon this truth, a milder awakening would have been great, but IC seems to be what God (or a Higher Being – whatever your preference is) believes I needed. Had it not been for IC, I would not have met Matia and encountered not just a healing, but also inspiration to embark on my newfound life’s purpose.

Throughout these last two years I have had plenty conversations with Matia, and still to this day every time I speak with her I am still “blown away” at her knowledge on the human body. She never ceases to amaze me. Everything I have asked her (and I have asked a lot) she has a profound answer. Her expertise goes far beyond just bladder health.       Matia has shown me how intertwined our bodies are: mentally, emotionally and physically.  I could write a book on how I have healed (not just my bladder) under her guidance and treatment, but considering this story is already very long, I will now have to be selective with some examples (which will be hard to do) on what all Matia has done for me: just before I was diagnosed with IC, I got weeping eczema only on my baby finger and only on one hand. I went to my doctor as well as a dermatologist who said I was allergic to the soap I was using. This really baffled me because I wash with both hands and all ten fingers – so how come only one finger was allergic and not the rest? Turns out the bladder meridian runs through the baby finger. Matia told me that as my bladder improved so would the eczema. She was right: bladder got better, eczema went away.  Before bladder days I treated the eczema with all sorts of OTC and prescription creams for many months and to no avail. I started treatment with Matia for my bladder and my isolated eczema heals!! Again before IC, I would wake up every morning feeling congested, this too healed. I was diagnosed with IBS as a young child and have battled with it for many, many years. When I told my urologist who diagnosed IC that I have IBS he said, “We have noted that many people with IC also have IBS but we have not made the connection.” Now I ask, “Why not?” If there is a pattern, why has allopathic medicine not addressed this? So many little things that ailed me (that I never ever associated with dis-ease) got better. This brings me to expand on how effective Matia’s approach to healing is. What she has shown me is that when we are diagnosed with dis-ease it is not isolated to one organ, because the body is so intertwined. Thus her treatment does not treat symptoms only, but focuses on whole health: mental, physical and emotional.  As you might have noticed I (like many others) write dis-ease with a hyphen because I now believe that “disease” is just that:   an un-“ease”, a disharmony, something not in sync with the whole. It makes sense that when one part of the body is symptomatic (in this case the bladder) the problem is not only there. Our bodies (cells, organs, tissues, blood, neurons etc) are all designed to support, heal, and strengthen the body. I recall hearing from my ob/gyn that she has come across many patients who have opted to have their bladders surgically removed hoping to find relief from IC, only to be disappointed. They still get “phantom” pain. This statement emphasizes the depth of Matia’s knowledge on this ailment. She recognizes that IC will not heal if only the symptoms are dealt with, that this dis-ease goes far beyond only one organ, that IC is not only located to the bladder but to the body being unbalanced and has thus stopped supporting itself. Knowing this, I now believe that those poor women who have surgically removed their bladders and now have “phantom” pain, points to the reality that IC is not only bladder related, and more intervention on assisting the body to find its inner strength to heal itself is needed. I honestly know that Matia provides this remedy. I totally believe that in many illnesses our bodies have the capabilities to heal itself, to return to its genesis of balance. Earlier I mentioned that when I started the diet, I wished I could be “normal” like others and eat and drink anything my heart desired, and now because of my enlightening journey with Matia I realize that I am “normal”. I think I am more “normal” now than I have ever been. On this pathway to discover the harmony and balance of my body I have also discovered the perfect harmony of nature and realized that Mother Earth has provided the best dessert on this earth. Better than any pie or any chocolate (before IC days I would eat a slab of chocolate every night – for real!). This heaven-on-earth dessert is called fruit. Phase one (the most difficult) of the diet (nothing sweet) really prepares the palate to appreciate God’s given dessert. The sweetest of all. When I took a bite of my first strawberry in months, I was elevated! I never knew strawberries tasted so incredibly delicious, and bonus – it does not make you fat like chocolate does and it has so many anti-oxidants!! What a fantastic way to eat – sweet and nourishing all in one go. No human-made product (pie, ice-cream, etc.) can top that. This revelation made me think about how far away we have pulled from nature and how this has become the root of so many illnesses and dis-eases. I started to read extensively on nutrition and diseases, and found many, many links. My passion for correct eating and body balancing increased so much that many of my friends and family were coming to me for nutritional eating advice. I finally had my answer to “God, why me?” and “What have I done to deserve this?” My newfound life purpose was at last clear to me: I am now in the process of studying to become a certified nutritionist and embarking on a PhD on Holistic Health.

In closing I want to take this opportunity to say, “Hang in there”. Yes, it is a tough journey: it reminds me of a movie that starts at the end. A movie that opens with the result of the preceding action, and at first we don’t understand, but as the film plays out and we see what led up to the situation the character is in; we eventually “get it”. You too will get your answers and your healings. What helped me along the way was to think about it this way: by the time the body becomes symptomatic (frequency, urgency, pain etc) the dis-ease has already been brewing for quite a while. Looking back now I realize that the eczema, the UTIs, the night-sweats (which by the way have also gone now ), the emotional flares, the IBS where all the preceding events that eventually erupted and peaked into IC. This journey was like watching that film that starts at the end and begins to unravel backwards as time goes on. The ailments (as listed above and there more) were the first to start healing (which makes sense now, as they were the fist to start ‘festering”) and then eventually when the rest of my body was strong enough again to help my bladder, it (my bladder) could then take that major, major leap onto the healing path as well. Once Matia had cleaned out all the preceding “scenes” (movie analogy) then the whole picture came together, and the end (the bladder which healed the last) justified the beginnings (the frustrations of the diet, the twists and turns of this dis-ease etc).  I know that this whole body healing, and the discovery of my newfound purpose would not have occurred had I not got IC, which ultimately led me to Matia. 

I speak my truth when I say that had it not been for Matia’s unfaltering care, incredible support: especially when I was fearful, her genuine concern, her dedication, and her incredible, incredible knowledge I don’t think I would be writing my success story. I thank God for her everyday!! Truly!

The year was 1990 …we were in Hilton Head on vacation with friends. One day while sitting on the beach I instantly felt pain like I had not experienced before. The pain was so intense, I honestly thought I was not going to make it back to the room. I immediately went to the emergency room…the diagnosis…..massive bladder infection. At that point, my life took on changes that would have far reaching effects.

Upon returning home, I was in the urologist office at the least once a month if not more. I was always in constant pain and was literally living on antibiotics. I tried to talk with him but his theory was the antibiotic would eventually work. I had enough Cipro in me that had there been an Anthrax scare back then I could have probably “rolled” in it and still been safe.

Finally after approximately 6 years of this fiasco, I decided to switch doctors. My new urologist immediately ran a series of test to make sure there were no tumors, etc., that could be the root of the problem, and then it was back to Cipro. He finally diagnosed me with IC, which I had no idea what it was. I was started on Elmiron, and about 5 other medications to combat this “illness.” I immediately came home and got on the Internet, reading anything and everything I could find about my new found problem. I actually began to have a “good” day every now and then, but they were few and far between. As a last resort, my urologist did bladder infusions….how fun those were! About this same time I read about Matia but decided not to pursue it, but rather go with the “conventional” medicine.

My biggest mistake was not calling Matia immediately, because after the pain of the infusions subsided, I still was dealing with the pain from the IC. After much thought, I took the big step and called her. Immediately I had a sense of “calm” that I had not felt in years. She assured me that if I was willing to “commit” to her, she felt confident that she could help me. (At this point, I think I would have walked on cut glass if it would have eased my pain). She sent the needed forms to be filled out and thus my journey with her began. She explained that diet was so important (which had never been explained to me before). This was a HUGE commitment on my part because I LOVE sweets and fruit. I had problems with the first batch of herbs that she sent. I broke out in gigantic welts all over my body. We stopped all treatment and waited for these to subside. Here again she reassured me that we would get to the bottom of the problem. We then started out again on different herbs and to put it simply, “what a difference a day makes.” I am so much better. Now my good days are many and my not so good are few. I still have flares from time to time but we address them as they occur. I have all of the confidence in the world that together we are making this work. Hope is a wonderful thing to have and I get that from her. I have been working with here about 5 months now. I know I will still have some “bumps” along the road and it is going to take time but I know that together we will conquer this horrible thing called IC.

I encourage any of you who are reading this website and are not currently working with Matia to “take the leap,” ……she is but a phone call away. For me it was the call that changed my life….it will be for you too.

In early January 2000 I started feeling like I had a chronic bladder infection. I felt a burning in my low pelvis, but I felt most of my irritation after I urinated. This irritation was accompanied by a sensation to empty my bladder after I had already urinated. I immediately started drinking lots of water and cranberry juice. I went to my gynecologist and they told me I had a slight yeast infection and perhaps that was what was irritating me. I immediately started taking an over-the-counter yeast infection medication. After that treatment didn’t effect my symptoms I went back to my gynecologist. They did more tests, but couldn’t find anything. They referred me to a urologist. 

I then went to a urologist and had 3 appointments with her. She filled my bladder through a catheter, which was excruciatingly painful, to see if my urine flow was normal. She filled my bladder with different liquids to see which were irritants to me, also very painful. By the 3rd appointment I was in tears and the only thing the doctor could tell me was, she thought I had IC but wasn’t sure and thought that if I had IC it was a mild case and I should try some sample drugs that she gave me. I asked what the drugs would do and she really wasn’t sure if they would do anything. She referred me to an internist who would take a sonogram of my bladder to insure that there weren’t any cysts or fissures, etc. I had the sonogram which told me I had, from what the internist could see, a very healthy bladder and uterus.

After these 3 months and much pain from both my IC and these appointments I had no answers. I was seeing a chiropractor who I had told my story to. She had a woman in her practice that was a healer and practiced acupuncture. I made an appointment as a lark, as I was at the end of my rope. I am not the most open-minded person when it comes to health and medical issues. I went to this acupuncturist and though she was very gentle and sweet, the treatments were doing nothing for my symptoms. After seeing her once a week for 2 months she went away on a retreat and had a replacement acupuncturist come in. This new acupuncturist was very clear and performed acupuncture like a Western medicine doctor which I was comfortable with. She spoke in clear terms and said if she couldn’t help me she knew a specialist who I should see. After a month of treatment of both herbs and acupuncture my symptoms eased a bit, but the results weren’t enough. She referred me to Matia Brizman.

The moment I met with Matia I felt such a sense of comfort and security. Matia is clear and concise and so incredibly thorough. She treated my like a Western medical doctor and again I was very comfortable with that. I have seen Matia for 2 years and I feel like I haven’t just addressed these symptoms, but I have changed my life and health and I am symptom free. My process with Matia was rigorous and hard. I was seeing her twice a week for a while and we changed my diet drastically and changed herbs, but the outcome was so positive. I am by nature a skeptical person and the thought of acupuncture and herbs would have been laughable to me 3 years ago, but I am a convert to Eastern medicine now after my experience with Matia. Currently I have little to no symptoms. I try to maintain a sugar-free diet with little alcohol, as those are the two things that seem to trigger my discomfort. Also, Matia and I strongly feel that part of the reason I am doing so well is that I discontinued taking birth control pills. I am no longer taking any herbs and see Matia every 6 weeks for a follow up appointment. I am a huge advocate of Acupuncture and herbal remedies with a trained specialist as a guide, and I will forever be indebted to Matia for helping me through this with such kindness and love. She clearly does this because she cares about people.

I started to develop periodic symptoms of IC in my early 20s, over the course of which I was misdiagnosed and treated for recurring prostatitis, non-specific urethritis, and pelvic muscle spasms. At the age of 27 I began to develop a problem with urinary retention and frequency; at the time I finally sought a urologist to investigate the problem, I was visiting the bathroom about every 35 to 45 minutes, and waking up three or four times a night. As the urologist worked toward a diagnosis over the next two and a half years, the IC symptoms magnified enormously: I began to have burning pelvic pain, at first on and off, and then the frequency gradually increased to the point where it was almost constant.

I was diagnosed with IC at the age of 30, and began the traditional regimen of Elmiron, Prozac, and Hydroxizine, along with diet modifications. Over the following year and a half I certainly made significant improvements. The magnitude and frequency of pain decreased on the whole, as did the urinary frequency itself. I had long stretches of up to three months during which I felt almost normal. But I continued to have intermittent, very painful flares.

When I first met one of Matia’s IC patients who told me about her treatment, I was quite leery about the idea of acupuncture and disinclined to believe that herbal treatments could be effective. Where was the proof? As I continued to talk with her, however, I was struck over and over by one fact, and that was that this patient, who was forgoing traditional western medical treatment altogether, had, over the course of 10 months, made exceptional progress in lessening her symptoms.

I saw Matia for the first time at age 31, in the midst of a flare that had been constant at that point for almost two months, and began a regimen of acupuncture, herbal treatments, and further diet modification. Within two weeks I was feeling tremendously better. Within three months I began to experience absolutely normal days for the first time in seven years; days where I visited the restroom two or three times, didn’t wake up once at night, didn’t give IC a second thought.

I’ve been seeing Dr. Brizman for treatment now for six months. On three or four days during that time, I’ve experienced quite bad days, the kind which in the past have been a signal of the inevitable approach of a months-long flare. Under Matia’s treatment, these days have been isolated exceptions from which I’ve immediately returned to feeling normal. With respect to IC symptoms, my time in treatment with her has easily been the best six month period in the last seven years. That correlation may fall short of traditional western medicine’s burden of proof, but it’s more than compelling for me; I will all but personally escort the next IC patient I meet directly to her door.

Update:
Over the past 6 months, I’ve had only three or four medium-grade flares, which Matia has been able to get under control each time within a matter of days. That said, the intensity of the flares continues to diminish, as does the duration. If I feel a little off one day, I virtually always feel normal again the following day. There’s no question that I’m continue to make progress.

I went off anti-histamines a few months back , and I have just recently stopped taking Elmiron altogether as well (after tapering down for months from 600 mg a day), and as those medications wash out of my system, I continue to feel good and stable.

I went back to Europe again this year on a three week vacation, and had virtually no pain at all; the degree to which I used to feel absolutely limited and confined by my IC is a circumstance of the past.

I’m looking forward to the next milestone, which will be starting to re-introduce some of the forbidden foods back into my diet. On that note, I have to admit that I have already occasionally indulged when I shouldn’t have over the past few months: A few weeks back I had HALF of a large pizza (not half a piece mind you, but half a pizza), and had no subsequent bladder pain at all. I’m definitely looking forward to doing that on a more regular basis!

Cindy was diagnosed in 1992 with IC. She had to be catheterized when she was 3 years old because she could not urinate, so it seems something was already brewing at an early age. Her symptoms working up to the discovery that she had IC were that she had to urinate more than other people, but she attributed that to the fact that she is a small person, and therefore probably had a small bladder.

About a year before she went to Matia. She had a bad bladder infection for which she took antibiotics. The infection went away. One year later her frequency increased. One month later it really hit. She had terrible pain in the bladder/vaginal area, which caused her to nearly pass out. The doctor prescribed muscle relaxants but it got worse. She went to a gynecologist who couldn’t find anything wrong. He prescribed antibiotics. Then she found a female gynecologist who suggested that she see a urologist. He performed a cystoscopy that day, at her insistence, in the office. It was extremely painful but she wanted to know. She had been on Vicodan for quite some time for the pain. IC was diagnosed. He informed her that all the treatments were a shot in the dark.

She tried DMSO once a week for about a year. She went on Elavil also. This helped a little but she felt extremely drugged until she got used to the drug after about 6 weeks. She tried antihistamines and many of the bladder medications that are used for IC. She also started on Elmiron when it was still in it’s experimental phase. After about 6-8 months of this the symptoms started to subside and she cut down on the Vicodan. Side effects developed from the Elmiron. Her hair started to fall out and she had ringing in the ears. She went to an ear specialist who saw swelling and put her on cortisone. It was a pharmacist who told her that it was Elmiron that was the problem.

Finally Cindy found Matia through a naturopathic pharmacy. She actually went to Matia because she developed fibromyalgia. Matia suggested that it was the Elmiron causing the ringing and recommended she ask her prescribing doctor to assist her in getting off the Elmiron and all the supplements she was taking, vitamins, etc. After she went of the Elmiron the ringing went away. Matia actually did not start treating the IC because Cindy told her that she was managing. Matia then promised her that she would help her and work with her prescribing doctors to get her off her other medication. This would be accomplished through herbs and they experimented with different ones. At this time, Cindy started to go through menopause. She now had three major ailments that Matia was treating.

Some of the herbs made her feel better, but then herbs would be added to treat the hot flashes, which made her bladder feel worse. It was trial and error finding the right combination. Matia prescribed a natural progesterone cream, which eliminated the hot flashes. Finally, Matia found the right combination. By this time Cindy had been off the Vicodan for over one year after taking it for 4-7 years. A stool test was done and bacteria were found which are common in IC patients. Matia then added herbs to kill the bacteria.

Overall it took between 1 and 1 1/2 years for Cindy to stabilize. She still has very mild symptoms, which are really nothing to mention according to Cindy. Her frequency is down a lot.

Cindy believes that Matia has helped immensely. She did not want to put any more synthetic drugs in her body and she knew they were not helping her. She was determined to rid herself of the pain and her dependency on drugs. Even though the herbs caused her a lot of problems at first, she knew that Matia was going to help her, and she was determined to stick it out. Matia kept telling her that she was going to help her and Cindy believed her. There was nowhere else to go. It was blind faith. Cindy felt that Matia had a rare knowledge of IC, and she is proof that Matia’s system works.

Cindy says that you have to have the will to get better also. Being so sick in the past had allowed her not to take responsibility for a lot of things and she decided that she did not want to use that excuse any more. She knew that the drugs were possibly harming her. She would sit with Matia and go over in detail what was going on in her body. Cindy would follow her instructions including paying attention to her body. The more information Cindy would provide Matia the easier it would be for her to help her.

Cindy cannot say enough about Matia. She is extremely gifted and has so much compassion.

Around the time I first launched IC Success I found a practitioner of Chinese medicine and Acupuncture named Matia Brizman. I found her through one of her patients online. I was told such wonderful things about how she had helped many to get well from IC, that I decided to conduct a telephone interview with her for this site. The positive energy that this woman exuded was like a magnet. We immediately hit it off and I was impressed with her intelligence, her view on the causes of IC, the methods in which she used to attack the illness and most of all her kind and caring heart.

At the time I my IC had improved a great deal but felt in my heart that I could do more. Sometimes my bladder would still get irritated, especially before my period, and sometimes I still had some minor vaginal irritations. One new thing did develop and that was allergies. I had minor skin eruptions on my arms and once in a while a nasty flaming red rash between my legs near the vaginal area (I would later find out that the rashes were yeast related). Now these were not things that plagued me everyday and the majority of the time I felt fine but I thought that it would be better to address these issues now rather than risk them spiraling out of control and getting me sick again. The trouble was that the less that was wrong with me, the harder it was to figure out what to do to get to the next level of wellness. I pondered on what could be left and what I could do to fix it. Clearly the infection was gone. I felt that in my heart, mind and body. Could it be yeast, I thought? My inner voices whispered candida to me.

I went back on the yeast free diet and started to take anti-fungals again. The diet made me feel good, however the anti-fungals usually gave me vaginal burning within a matter of days. So I fell into a state of confusion. I would question if it were really yeast or something else? I would go on treatment, feel confused and then go off treatment. I repeated this cycle a few times over the course of a few months. Finally I got sick and tired of doing it alone. I had become so accustomed to helping myself that believe it or not it took me about 4 months after meeting this woman that I was so impressed with, Matia Brizman, before turning to her for help.

I began treating with Matia via phone consultations (as a matter of fact, I have not met her face to face till this day). She would talk about my history and my current symptoms and from there she would make a special mixture of herbs for me and send them via Fedex. In addition she also put me on a very strict low-carb, sugar free diet. Needless to say, being a practitioner of natural

medicine, she is completely against antibiotics. She believes that bacterial infections played a role in many IC patients cases but uses herbs to combat those infections instead. In my case she believed my current problems were mostly, if not all, yeast related due to my history with birth control pills and the long-term antibiotics that I used. Often when we discussed my problems, time and time again she would refer back to “those antibiotics that I took”. In one breath she was glad that I had gotten well and in another she did not believe antibiotics were the right way to seek recovery. However she is wise enough to accept and respect other people’s choices, including mine.

Early on when we discussed my treatment we thought there was a strong probability that I would be done in only a few months since I was so close to complete recovery. Wrong!!! As it turned out I had many layers of candida and toxins in my tissues. One way in which to confirm this is to treat it. When you experience die off you know that there is poison coming out of your system. Especially when you feel better afterwards. Matia would use herbs to slowly drain the evils from my body at a steady pace so that I would not have to suffer too much discomfort all at once. Then every so often WHAM, she would hit it hard. During these times I would experience many uncomfortable die off symptoms, including increased bladder irritation and frequency from the all the cooties passing through my bladder. Sometimes it felt like I had IC all over again and that was a little hard to deal with. Much time had passed by since feeling these symptoms and I had lost much of my threshold to tolerate them. During these times I would use my mind to control my discomfort. I would tell myself that this time these symptoms were a good thing because it was the result of poison leaving my body. In addition my vaginal irritations increased with treatment from all of the evils coming out through that region as well. It was the vaginal irritations that I had to deal with the longest and most consistently during my treatment with Matia. They were annoying but bearable. In addition, other die off symptoms for me included (get ready for this people):

Sore throats, profuse night sweats, itchiness, burning scalp, dandruff, dry skin, acne, thirst, fatigue, sour stomach, snotties in the back of my throat and congestion in my chest, chills, coughing, anxiety, foggy brain, tiny little stomach cramps, depression and last but not least my favorite… mad dog doo doo breath. Although hard to deal with at times, these die off symptoms were bearable and if a particular die off symptom became too intense Matia would pull back on treatment and slow it down.

I treated with Matia for just over two years (so much for me getting away with a few months). Now please don’t be concerned about the length of time it takes to get well. There were times that I was not feeling well for days or even a couple of weeks during periods of intense die off, but for the majority of the time I still felt really good and I lived my life completely.

I had days and even weeks during treatment where I did not feel a single solid symptom. Nothing!!! So I did not sit around waiting for it all to go away. I did not allow waiting for complete recovery to consume my life in between. I did not tell myself that I would only be allowed to do things once I got completely better. That would have driven me mad. I lived a happy and healthy life in between. I did all the normal things, and for me that included taking 10 mile hikes and going to the gym 3-4 days a week. Plus I can tell you, out of sight out of mind. The better you feel and the more consistently you feel completely normal, the less you even think about the existence of IC. Your life goes back to normal and if you allow yourself to do so you do move on. IT’S SO WONDERFUL!!!

One thing that was true for me (and you may want to note this for yourself in case it is the same for you) is this. The better I got the harder it was to get even better. At times I stayed at the same level of wellness for months until I finally made more progress. Recovery felt so close yet so far away. It still amazes me to this day, how long it took to continue to get better than I already was. So if you are symptom-free and are still in the process of working towards a complete recovery do not be discouraged with the time it can take. Learn to have patience and understand that you cannot force your body to recover. You can help but understand it will do so in its own time.

Today I have no symptoms but still work with Matia to increase the strength of my bladder. In addition I continue to exercise and eat right. I believe that every one of us has areas of weakness in our bodies. Unless we have a family history of certain illnesses, most of us don’t know where those weaknesses lie until something goes wrong. For me I now know that my bladder is an organ in my body that will always need attention and care to keep illness from striking it again.

Except in terms of continuing to help others, I do not think about IC. I do not fear a relapse of IC because that is no way to live. I did not do all this work to conquer this illness only to live in fear. If it ever does happen again I will deal with it then. I take comfort that my friend Matia is out there to help me should I need her, and I know in my heart that I would fight like hell should I have to face it again. I am not afraid of it anymore and my mind is free.

If you are wondering if I regret taking long-term antibiotics I don’t. They healed my infection and did A LOT to get me better. It was what I knew at the time and I perceived it as the best option for fighting IC related infections. I am grateful that they worked for me as well as they did. They did however contribute to a lot of yeast in my system and it took me a long time to get rid of the problem. I felt so bad before antibiotics that even with the yeast problem I still felt A LOT better once they healed that infection. For that I have no regrets. However, since I have experienced Matia Brizman’s treatment program I feel that if I had it to do all over again I would have her treat me for the infection (and everything else) from the start instead. I know how powerful her herbs are and I believe that one could treat IC related infections under her care successfully without incurring the massive yeast problem that can come with antibiotics. In addition working with her will take all the “guess work” out of your hands that exists when treating yourself.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to believe that you will get better. If you tell yourself that come hell or high water you are going to get well than you will. Anyone that I ever spoken to who got better was hell bent on getting there. Be relentless!!! It is very normal to have your moments where you feel discouraged, negative and sorry for yourself. You are only human and that is a normal part of the process. I believe that relentlessness and a positive belief system is part of the reason Matia is so good at what she does. She does not give up on her patients and if a certain treatment is not working she will try over and over until she finds what will.

We all have tragedy and pain to face in our lives, and no one is exempt from that. Though I feel very strongly that we can either allow our pain to grow our souls and make us better human beings or we can allow it to destroy our lives completely. That choice is before each and every one of us in every painful experience we face in our lives. IC is a horrible disease that causes many so much pain and heartbreak, so I will not try to say that it is a good thing. Though I will say that my painful experience with IC did result in some good in my life. I grew as a person and recognized just how short and how precious life really is. There were many things that I did not appreciate before I got sick, and now that I am better I know not to ever take them for granted again. Sometimes in life a taste of the sour will give us a greater appreciation for the sweet.

I have had IC for eight years. I was 54 when my symptoms started. I woke up one morning and had IC. As I look back I remember that I had had frequency at times, mostly in the mornings for several years prior to the onset of IC.

I tried all the usual treatments and medications that are available for IC. Nothing really helped much. My main symptoms were frequency, burning, irritation and pressure. About a year and a half ago I started Dr. F’s long term antibiotics. After four months I could stand the yeast no longer. Even taking anti fungals and adhering to a yeast-free diet I still had a big problem with yeast. After that I took Biotic Silver for 16 weeks, no change. I then took Diflucan for 28 days. I got a vaginal yeast infection the last week I was on Diflucan. I had been trying to decide about starting treatment with Matia. Camille had told me about her prior to my starting the antibiotics. ( Thank you Camille).

In February of 2002 I started with Matia. I am going into my eighth month with Matia. I have had some improvement but still have a way to go. I will stick it out and stay until I am well.

It has been a long and a difficult road for me. I have been on my own in my struggle with IC. I am so grateful to have found such a caring doctor that I have found in Matia. I thank God for her.

It is 6:30a.m. in the morning and I have just woken up and am getting ready to go workout at the gym and begin my day. Things are different now than before. I don’t have anxiety about my health, in particular my bladder. My thoughts are about how to enjoy the day and not so much about surviving the day. I eat what ever I want and sometimes even enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. My life is normal —now. I am happy and healthy and I have come full circle. It was not always like this.

About 3 years ago, I was suffering from IC, a painful bladder disorder. Getting no help from western medicine and trying DMSO treatments that were incredibly painful and antibiotics. My life did not change until I came across Matia Brizman. My guardian angel of sorts. Things changed dramatically for me at that point. I started feeling better as soon as I started treatment and have been getting stronger and stronger ever since. Matia’s patient ear and expertise made me feel better as each day went on. I knew instinctively that I was going to be fine. I understood that my body would heal because I was finally giving it what is needed and recognized —– the right herb formula. All I think about now is having a baby. Yes, I am finally moving on and I hope to pass along what I have gained in the process.

Hang in there! And, believe in something that is bigger than yourself. Trust in the expertise of Matia for she understands the body as a whole system.

March 4, 2008

I received the email regarding Oprah. I hope that she does the show and does it in a mature, compassionate and informative fashion. I’ve had this horrible condition for about 10 years. I was suicidal for many of them. However, I have been helped immensly during the last 2 1/2 years by Dr. Matia Brizman in L.A. She is a Dr. Of Traditional Chinese Medicine @ Bomamed clinic. I know that the NVA focuses on pharmacuetical research and tradional western medicine practices however, I must say that none of that ever helped me – only made me much much worse. I encourage you and others in the NVA to talk to Dr. Brizman about her methods of treatment. She is truly a remarkable woman and healer. Please do not put limits on what NVA will explore in order to help women with vulvodynia. Dr. Brizman literally saved my life. And now I am able to enjoy my life again and live with minimal to NO PAIN!!!! I NEVER believed it could happen. Again, Dr. Brizman SAVED MY LIFE. I am sure that she could do the same for at least some of the other brave women out there struggling with this. In fact, I think Dr. Brizman should be on Oprah!!! She has the most comprehensive and practical knowledge of ANYONE I have ever met regarding vulvodynia. This includes each and every one of the 35 (yes, 35) MDs who I have seen for help with this horrible condition.

My name is Annmarie. I am 29 years old and have been with Matia for a little over three months. My story began at a very young age. I was born with an anatomically malformed urinary system; my ureters weren’t implanted correctly in my bladder and the valves that prevent backflow of urine in to the kidneys weren’t working (actually a fairly common disorder in females). I was in and out of the hospital with severe bladder and kidney infections all the time for the first four years of my life. Needless to say, I was pumped full of antibiotics during this time and was put on prophylactic courses of antibiotics for three plus months at a time. I had surgery to correct the problem when I was four and it completely took care of the kidney infections and the bladder infections gradually improved until I stopped having them in about sixth or seventh grade.

My freshman year of college, my gyno put me on the pill to help with my irregular and excruciatingly painful menstrual cycle. It did what it was supposed to in that regard. After about six months of being on the pill, my bladder started acting up on me. I would have horrible bouts of pain, bladder/urethra spasms, urgency and frequency. At this time in my life, I had also begun drinking alcohol, having sex and eating horribly. I was a fairly typical college freshman. I think it was a combination of all of the above that started me on the path to IC.

My “UTIs” (as the docs labeled them) were increasing in frequency fairly rapidly. Once I got one…it didn’t want to go away. I would go to the doctor, he’d put me on antibiotics, I would be better for a bit, and then the symptoms would come back. This went on for quite a while. Finally, my doctor put me on a prophylactic dose of Macrodantin. I actually stayed on Macrodantin for a full year before I got the guts to tell my doctor he was nuts! It did help reduce the frequency with which I would get the infections, but it certainly didn’t take care of the problem. At this point, I was getting infections (or what I thought to be infections) at least once a month. I would hurt so badly I would sometimes just sit and cry. I would be in the bathroom every five to ten minutes and there were times, especially at night, when I would just set up camp in the bathroom. This would last a couple of days and then lessen to the point where I could actually function. I was sick to death of going to doctors. Sometimes I would just take AZO or Uristat and wait it out and sometimes I would go to the doctor and get an antibiotic. Either way, the pattern was the same. The antibiotics weren’t really helping at this point, but I still felt better emotionally and mentally if I was doing what the doctor told me to do.

I then decided to go to graduate school for physical therapy. It was a high stress time for me. The first two years of grad school, the pattern remained the same. I would have an intense flare-up every month or so, but then I began to notice that I would have mild pain at random times as well. Then things just gradually and steadily worsened over the past few years. The flare-ups were even more intense and becoming more frequent and I began to have that underlying level of pain at more regular intervals. I went through all the regular channels. My family doctor sent me to an urologist who did a cysto, urodynamics test (pure misery) and hydrodistension. He then proceeded to tell me that though there were signs of chronic inflammation and that the neck of my bladder was red and raw, that I didn’t have IC. He said I had spastic bladder and put me o Ditropan, which did absolutely no good. I went back, he changed me to Detrol, which still did no good. He then added Elavil. The Elavil actually helped with the pain somewhat, but I was only on 15 mg and I was having to take naps at work to make it through the day. I took myself off all these drugs and went to see an urogynecologist. He did a potassium test in office and confirmed my suspicions of IC. He then said “good news, you have IC but we can fix it.” He proceeded to hand me a prescription for Elmiron and told me that it has a 90% success rate and no side effects (ummm…who has he been talking to?) and also upped m Elavil. I took the stuff for three days and said screw it. I decided I was not willing to start taking more meds to try and mask the problem.

During all of these trips to and from doctors, I had been planning my wedding (married July 2002!). I was scared to death that I was going to be in pain at my wedding and on my honeymoon. I was in so much pain at this time that I would just curl up in the fetal position and cry and pray for relief. I was taking AZO like crazy, it was the only way I could function at work. The bladder spasms were awful. I was scared to go to the bathroom because I knew how much it would hurt. I was taking prescription pain meds so I could sleep at night. I had researched IC and treatment options and I was pretty hopeless. I then stumbled across this website one day. It was the first time something actually made sense to me. I talked to my husband (fiancé at the time) and we decided that when we got back from our honeymoon, we would investigate Matia’s program further.

I got through the wedding and honeymoon by taking AZO around the clock. When we got back from the honeymoon, I emailed Jane to ask her some questions. She was very supportive and encouraging. After some thought, I decided that it was what I wanted to do, what I needed to do to be healthy and my husband agreed.

I started following the diet as soon as I got home from my honeymoon and I had my first appointment with Matia in late August. The progress I have made has been incredible. I haven’t had a bad flare since mid September and for one month now, I have had very mild pain only. I can go three hours (more at times) without having to go to the bathroom and I can sleep through the night without waking. It’s nothing short of absolutely amazing. If I never got any better than this, I would be thrilled. But, Matia and I are forging ahead to get me 100% completely healthy! I have complete faith in Matia and her ability to help me heal. If it weren’t for her, I am quite sure that I would be on the road to disability. Matia is not only guiding me on the road to recovering from IC, she is leading me down a path toward optimal physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Angie woke up in pain one day about 3 years ago. She went to the bathroom and had pain for the rest of the day. She went to a doctor who put her on antibiotics and a dietary regimen. She feels that green tea was the cause of her IC. She drank a tremendous amount of it and it is full of tannin. As it progressed She went to several doctors. She was treated for dry skin and a bacterial infection. No one understood what was going on.

Angie was referred to Matia, through a naturopathic pharmacy. Matia calmed down my pain significantly after the first visit with acupuncture. She also continued to see urologists and had two DMSO treatments. After the second one she felt she wanted to die, she was in so much pain. She called Matia in agony. Matia took her immediately and relieved the pain.

After this Angie continued exclusively with Matia. She had to go back and forth adjusting the herbs until she got the right mix. It is not the same for everyone like Western medicine. Chinese medicine is meant to adapt to the individual.

Angie did not have candida but she did have bacteria, which she attributes to eating a lot of sushi. She no longer eats this.

It took about 18 months for Angie to feel significantly better, and about 18 months later she was able to eat and drink anything she likes without any side effects. Now she continues to be symptom-free without treatment or maintenance.

Angie says that Matia is like no other medical professional she has ever met. Her father is a doctor and she went to the best doctors money can buy. Matia is the only person that assured her that she would get better. She had so much confidence in her and her knowledge of Chinese herbs and medicine. Angie feels that 50% of improving is having hope. No one is going to find a medical professional like Matia. She is compassionate, and we as women need that. If you have lost hope when you get to her she will renew it.

My story of Interstitial Cystitis dates back many years. It seems now that every minute of my life has influenced so much of who and what I am today.I began experiencing stomach pain and doctors weren’t sure at that point if I had Crohns disease or irritable bowel syndrome. A few years later I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my spine and eventually developed double spinal curvature and scoliosis. During my first year of college I had a severe case of gastroenteritis and I was diagnosed with IBS. Irregular and difficult periods meant I was put on the pill and I started taking codeine for pain. It was during this time I began experiencing bladder problems.

During the next few years I had multiple UTI’s and yeast infections and in July of ’96 I visited with a urologist and I was told me I had embedded bacteria and a 6 month course of antibiotics would clear up the problem. I didn’t tolerate the antibiotics very well so only took them for a few days. The flares continued every few months but since they only lasted a day or two I lived with them.

In ’97 I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and tachycardia and I was put on a medication to help with the symptoms. It was during this time I discovered I also had fibromyalga and chronic fatigue syndrome, and hyperactive thyroid. I was put on several medications including anti-anxiety meds, anti-depressants, and large doses of melatonin (to help me sleep). Then in May of ’99 I experienced the worst ‘so called” UTI of my life where I was voiding blood. It turns out that this UTI was the first major flare of my IC. I never really felt that I had completely gotten rid of the pain after this and it was early the following year that I woke with the IC pain that never went away.

Treatment for me in the beginning included several rounds of antibiotics, weekly heparin instills, and all kinds of “sample” medications for pain and inflammation. Nothing helped. I had a continual yeast infection from the antibiotics and my gynecologist diagnosed me with vulvadynia. I started on Nystatin for the yeast and I douched with boric acid. Nothing was working and I was getting worse. I was next diagnosed with hypoglycemia. I was angry, upset and frustrated. I was engaged and we were to get married in a year. I needed help and I wasn’t finding it.

After hours and hours of research about IC and all of these related diseases I found out that not only was there no cure, but also no real hope either. I began a support group in Los Angeles to help both others and myself. No one seemed to be any better off than me. Then in July of 2000 I found Matia Brizman. I had never tried acupuncture before and didn’t know anything about Chinese medicine. After my initial call to her, during which we spoke at length about the treatment program, I made an appointment. As with most people who try something that they are unfamiliar with, I was skeptical. One of her patients told me something that I pass onto everyone I meet who has IC and tells me, oh, I have tried acupuncture before and it didn’t work! This is what I tell them… if you are diagnosed with IC, would you go to an Internist or to a urologist? They always tell me they would choose a urologist. So, would you go to a someone who treats all kinds of diseases and ailments with acupuncture and Chinese medicine, or would you go to someone who specializes in IC? It’s really a very simple question!

It is now September, 2002 and I have been with Matia for a little over 2 life changing years. Going to Matia’s clinic for treatment is like having therapy/support sessions. Not only do I feel like a million dollars when I leave her office, but I feel revived and energized. She is caring and compassionate, not like any medical professional I have ever met (and I have met many!!). I refer to Matia as “my bottle of pain pills” since she has always been just a phone call away! I have always followed Matia’s diet to the letter. I don’t cheat. I don’t do anything, nor do I take anything without consulting with her first. I follow her treatment program exactly as she advises me to. I don’t skip doses, I don’t add in things or take them out. We talk about what’s going on in my life to adequately compensate. As a result, I no longer have any of the symptoms of my IBS and I stopped taking my meds as I didn’t need them by the 6th or 7th month of treatment. My yeast has completely gone. Not even a trace is left. The hypoglycemia went away very quickly. I don’t feel the ups and downs at all today. The chronic fatigue left without me even realizing it. My hormones were tested and the results sent to Matia. With adjustments to my formulas, I only experience mild fluctuations now and they are getting better each month.

To tie in a few other loose ends, I discovered that my spinal curvature and scoliosis, along with my rheumatoid arthritis were all connected to my IC. Although I cannot have my spine straightened, I no longer have the intense pain associated with the deformity. As my body has been balanced, the pain has lessened. I went to the doctor for a physical about a year ago. I wanted to check my vitals and have a blood panel run. My main concern was my thyroid. When I received the results I was happy at the outcome. My levels had gone down (much to the surprise of my doctor) and they are considered to be within the “normal” range again.

We worked a little harder on the mitral valve prolapse and fibromyalga. The medications I was taking were difficult and grueling to wean off. I attempted the one for fibromyalga first and thought about giving up many times. While under my doctor’s care and guidance, I weaned down, as Matia balanced my body with the Chinese medicine. I am happy to say that I have been both medication free and not affected by fibromyalga now for almost a year! Last but not least was the mitral valve prolapse. Since I was anxious about eliminating the med for this, we worked very slowly and steadily. Again, with the guidance of my physician, I dropped the dose each week down a little further and Matia compensated with my herbs. It took about 2 months, but now I am happy to say that I am medication free and unaffected by mitral valve prolapse.

My IC is what we are continuing to work on. I am vastly improved from where I was the day I began Matia’s program. I still have some pain and flares, but I can function, go about my day, work full time, and live my life. I can walk my dogs, travel, and even rock climb, mountain and road bike! I don’t need to be close to a bathroom every moment and my life doesn’t revolve around my pain. I have control, and each and every day that goes by, I am improving.

I don’t want to anticipate the day when the pain stops and never comes back. I have experienced weeks in a row with no pain. That to me is a miracle in itself. From where I came from to where I am today, all I can do is thank God I found Matia.

My company transferred us to Indiana/Ohio in March, 2002 and I continued to be monitored with the same care and attention I received while in Los Angeles. In September, 2002 I transferred back to Los Angeles. I must say, I am really happy to be in close proximity to Matia once again.

When I was diagnosed with IC in August of 2001 I thought my story began then, but now I realize it started years ago. I had always had difficult periods so when I was seventeen I was put on birth control pills to help with my heavy bleeding, cramps, and headaches. That was 15 years ago.

Nine years later I was told I may have endometriosis so I had a laparoscopy done which proved that I did have minimal endometriosis. Right after the laparoscopy I thought I had a urinary tract infection. I had had so many of them before that I just thought that was what it was. I was put on Cipro and it didn’t go away in one day like the times before. After taking the antibiotics for seven days the pressure and urgency hadn’t gone away. This time I just waited for a week or so without anymore medications and it went away on it’s own. At the time I had no idea what it was, but since it went away I just forgot about it. Shortly after that I was put on the pill continuously to avoid having my period, because I had so much pain during my period from the endometriosis. I asked and asked if this was dangerous. Over and over I was told it wasn’t.

For six years I was on the pill continuously without having a period. In those six years I was the sickest I’ve ever been with headaches, severe allergies, and of course urinary tract infections. Needless to say I had taken all kinds of antibiotics, had steriod shots for different things, and was putting synthetic hormones into my body over and over again…and not having a period to top this all off. I should’ve known this was bad for me. In May of 2001 I went off the pill completely and that’s when I started feeling the agony of IC. I had pressure and urgency all the time. I urinated often, but not a lot of urine came out. I again thought I had a urinary tract infection. I took Cipro again and it didn’t help at all. I thought I had something else. So, I went to another doctor. She thought I had a yeast infection. By the way, all of these tests had come back negative. But, they kept giving me antibiotics. I kept taking them thinking that they knew best. I finally told my gynecologist that I needed some serious care that something was wrong and it wasn’t in my head. He took me seriously and sent me to a urologist in the end of July of 2001. Off I went to the urologist thinking this doctor was going to make me better and take this awful feeling of pain and constant urgent feeling of urinating away. The uro said he thought I had IC and wanted me to start on the IC diet. He also wanted to set up a cystoscopy and hydrodilation. I agreed without doing any research first. That was a dumb move for me, because these two procedures actually made me worse! After this surgery I had pain in my bladder and my urethra. Pain I had not had before and it was terrible!! It felt like something was grinding in my urethra and my bladder kept me up at night with pain, which I found out later….the pain was from my bladder having spasms. I went back to him and he was of NO help at all. He just put me on Detrol LA and told me to stay on the diet and just try to not get stressed out. That was it. His only advice. I even got a second opinion and he said the same thing.

I was depressed, confused, lost, in pain, and felt completely alone. I knew I had to take this into my own hands. I decided to do some more research. I joined a site for IC. While I was on this site I read a message on a message on a board about an alternative doctor someone was seeing. I emailed that person and she told me all about Matia. I was hesitant to try it at first, because I knew that she would have to treat me long distance being that I don’t live in California. But, I took a long look at my alternative. I didn’t want to take medications for the rest of my life that might not work and I didn’t want to be miserable forever. So, I decided to try Matia’s approach. That was in September of 2001 and I thank God everyday that I decided to go through with Matia’s treatment. She had brought me to a point where I felt a million times better in only 4 months! I am now entering my seventh month of treatment and I rarely have any bladder symptoms. When I do, they’re very slight and not the horrifying pain and pressure I felt just seven months ago! I have also recently started going to the bathroom at night only one time instead of the 3-4+ times I used to go before this treatment.

If you have IC and you’re struggling with the pain, the depression, the pressure, the sleepless nights etc…, please listen to me when I say that nothing else had helped me and no other doctor had any suggestions that were worth trying. Matia is very caring and patient. Just what a medical professional should be and she alone has diminished my IC symptoms along with other ailments I had and I know in the end I will be free to live my life without the symptoms of this dreaded illness, thanks to her. 

Here’s an update: I’m now a year and a half into treatment and am happy with my progress! I had extreme fatigue where I would not be able to even stand in my kitchen and cook and now I have enough energy to teach kindergarten all day long and then move furniture around in my classroom afterwards….heavy furniture I might add! That leads me to my new found strength! I have been so incredibly weak and am now able to not only lift everyday things without struggling, but like I said move furniture and work out using light weight or no weight on machines three times a week or so! These are HUGE gains for me!

I’m not always feeling 100 percent where fatigue is concerned, however I have MANY more less fatigue days and moments than before and MANY more energetic days now. As far as my bladder goes, well I don’t have very many symptoms anymore. If I have endured a lot of stress, worry, anxiety, etc., or have a lot of emotional die off then I have bladder symptoms… same kind of thing: pressure, feeling like worms are crawling around in there, even level 1-2 pain which only lasts for a day and sometimes not even a full day, and just plain old discomfort. But, if I’m rolling along in life doing quite well where stress is concerned then I’m feeling nothing in my bladder! I don’t go to the bathroom very often anymore I think I only go about twice a day during a work day where as before I was having to go every hour and a half and when I began treatment I was going constantly. During the night I get up once to go to the bathroom and I even have nights here and there where I don’t get up at all!

I’m still going through some tough die off, but I physically feel a million times better and… I am beginning to feel NORMAL again.