The Beginning....

So I really wanted to find a place where I could collect all of my thoughts and give any/whatever little help I could for people who are in the same situation as me. Not only am I hoping it may help people, but writing and "getting" it out, also helps me. I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, I have been having a long problem urologically and finally was diagnosed. I also have kidney stones, dysuria, and chronic cystitis (chronic UTI's) and urinary retention. I'm only 20 years old so all of this for someone my age is not common. But boy is it stressful. There is no cure for IC (as people call it), I've been living on 100 different medications in hopes to at least relieve some of the pain that comes from IC. Right now I am out of work, which is a huge adjustment for me because I love my job, and I love to be working. I am having the InterStim surgery on Tuesday, this Tuesday, June 30th. It is a (new(er)) procedure that happens in 2 stages. There is the temporary stage and then if I find my symptom's have improved greater than 50%, there is the permanant placement. I am really hoping it will work, I know it will not "cure" IC, but it will hopefully help me with my frequency, urgency feelings. The biggest thing is I am in urinary retention right now and this will hopefully pull me out of that! I've had a foley catheter in place for the past month, which was finally taken out and I am now performing self intermittent catheterization until my surgery. My urologist doesn't feel I will ever be able to void on my own again unless I have this surgery. So....I hope for the best and wish for the best. It's a very stressful/difficult time for me right now, but at the same time it is not because it is as if I am finally coming to the light at the end of the tunnel and starting a newer more productive life free of a lot of the pain and suffering I have had to go through. Wish me luck, and like I said, the InterStim is kind of new and many people are always asking questions, but there's so little out there they find helpful, I am hoping I can journey with everyone through this and help them in any way possible. Thanks for listening and as always...keep the Faith!

-Renee-