Summary

This book is more than just a story about a person with severe IC who recovered. It is a book about hope. To Wake In Tears is about how I got IC, how I came to understand IC, and how I treated it in order to get well. It offers dozens of physical and emotional coping tips, many alternative treatments that you can try at home, and attempts to explain the various IC related symptoms and illnesses. If you are looking for something to hand to someone in your life who doesn't understand IC, so that you can say, "Here...this is what it feels like. This is what I'm going through." I think this book will help. Whether you have mild, moderate, or severe IC, I hope that To Wake In Tears will help you to not only understand your IC better, but to help you to get yourself well.

Table of Contents

The tears….

Chapter 1 - My Story
Chapter 2 - I Remember

Understanding begins….

Chapter 3 - Searching For Answers
Chapter 4 - What is IC? & Why is it all so confusing?
Chapter 5 - Other Symptoms of IC
Chapter 6 - Available Treatments

Strength in tears….

"The Pain of IC"

Chapter 7 - Dealing With Doctors
Chapter 8 - Why consider alternatives?

A healing path….

Chapter 9 - "What exactly did I do?"
Chapter 10 - How I See IC
IC and Bacteria
IC and Candida
Chapter 11 - An Uncharted Path
Chapter 12 - "It’s a combination thing."
IC and Allergies
IC and the Thyroid
Chapter 13 - A Missing Piece
IC and Mercury
Chapter 14 - Healing Pains and Healing Joys

Alternative ways…..

Chapter 15 - Alternative Healers and Therapies
Chapter 16 - Alternatives You Can Try At Home

Remember to breathe…..

Chapter 17 - Physical Coping Tips
Chapter 18 - Emotional Coping Tips

Finding your path….

Chapter 19 - Now what do you do?
Chapter 20 - Taking Your Power Back

References

Other Sources of Information

Exploring IC Through the Internet

Appendix - The America On Line Interstitial Cystitis
Patient Research Questionnaire