Treating IC has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. It has also been one of my greater pleasures. Watching people go from unhealthy to healthy is an amazing experience. It is also a huge lesson in psychology. We were required to take a year of psychology in school, during our master's level, but, I have to say that it was grossly inadequate. What I have learned in the last 12 years of practice could not be taught in school, or, if it could it would have taken much longer than a year to learn. People are so different in so many ways, but, if you add stress and fear to that variable, it becomes so much more unpredictable. I think even more than that what is interesting is that people forget. They forget where they came from in looking at the struggles they presently face. This is an interesting dynamic to me, largely because I always half jokingly remind myself that noone would ever have more than one child if the mind allowed us to fully remember our pain to its fullest. It is human nature to move on and forget. So, I understand how that happens. But, I think, in the case of IC, it would be better to remember because, this would keep us more focused on prospective health. Often when people become challenged with new issues on the way to getting really healthy they start to consider things that they never would have before and sometimes fall into traps that may lead them down a road that is not in their best interest. This is an easy trap to fall into because the advice that is given them is often so opposing between their traditional western docs and their holistic ones. I think journaling your symptoms sometimes can be too much for some people, but, it may be wise to do, so you do remember where you came from in order to keep perspective on future healthcare choices. I had an old patient come in a couple weeks ago who had been doing great for years, and relapsed. Why? Because she was having diet sodas galore! And, her diet was not good either. She said she was having frequency and discomfort with a general feeling of just being "off". Now three weeks later she is feeling normal again, so, it did not take a lot fo doing, but, this is an example of going back to old habits that are not in your best interest. Another patient this week came in--same story. Only she had been taking supplements of all kinds--just for "health", in addition to drinking alcohol and eating sugar. She will be fine in a couple of weeks also. But, the message is--work hard to get yourself back in balance--but when you get there--don't forget where you came from, and work like heck to keep yourself healthy and strong. Abstinence from alcohol and sugar is only a frame of mind. It is only abstinence if you look at it that way. For me, I look at those things as "why would I want to put a toxic thing like that in my body?" Our body is our temple. We should work hard to appreciate it and only give it what will make it thrive well. And, those foods should give us pleasure and a sense of decadence. So, remember to look at yourself with a clear perspective--1) where have you been? 2) where are you now? 3) where are you going? Choose health!