When people come here to this clinic, one of the most common questions is: "have
you seen someone who has symptoms like this before?". The reason is because
as much as there are so many common symptoms, it is true that there are groups of
symptoms. And, depending on who you are speaking to you may or may not have
symptoms in common. Early in my practice I thought to myself, if I could only just
come up with a broad enough treatment, I could find one easy solution that would
help everyone. But, over the years, I have learned the hard way, that there is not
one easy solution. There are many steps involved and those steps are vastly different
for each individual. Every person brings their own unique picture to the condition. And,
of course this seems obvious because, we are each unique in every other way.

This disease involves a complex set of circumstances that effects a person from head
to toe. Thus the variations on the condition itself are many fold. After years and years
of treating this condition, I resigned myself to relax and listen to the person, to what
their body is trying to communicate, and work WITH it and not AGAINST it. As such
it seems a much more effective way to go about treatment.

The vastly different pictures of IC may involve some basic running to the bathroom
much more frequently, but clearly may be depicted by a poor soul being bound to
a toilet seeking relief from one more drop of urine being emitted from her body 
and never finding that relief. It often involves ruined sex lives that ends families 
and takes careers from someone who would have otherwise been brilliant in their 
chosen field if not for their pain. 
 
IC ravages, but, as we have discussed on and off line, through suffering there may
follow the development of things that never existed before. This is dependent upon
what each individual does with their challenge.
 
IC has many faces, many journeys, and carries with it many options. For me, I
look at it as something I want to not only release a person from their suffering 
but, to teach the prevention of. There may be many faces due to
individuality, but there are common precursors that contribute to poor health
that needs to be taught to our children so that we may redirect public health.
This may be done, one person at a time.