How I Got My Life Back: My Journey With Interstitial Cystitis

I found this book at one of the most desperate times in my life. I had been in a flare for two months (my longest to date) as well as my first UTI ever. I had undergone two installations by my GYN and was taking a cocktail of Pyridium and a sedative daily. NOTHING was working, yet I got up every morning and got myself to work, came home and took care of my family all while I was suffering terribly. Nobody understands the pain other than other IC sufferers. I dove head on into researching my condition and found this book. I had read similar books on autoimmune disease and holistic healing but this was the first to resonate with me. I was brought to tears reading about Elisabeth's journey since I have personally felt her pain. If you are suffering from IC, I HIGHLY recommend this book, I can't say enough about it! It has completely changed my life. I have followed her instructions and my flare has ended! My inflammation has led to 28 pounds of weight loss without a second of exercise although I am hoping to start soon! Do yourself a favor, don't spend another minute in pain or suffering and purchase this book. The cost of the book is pennies compared to the investment you are making in yourself.

For those who have IC I would highly recommend this book, especially Chapter 7, WHAT YOU ARE EATING MATTERS.The whole book is excellent and well written. Highly recommend!

Some helpful tips on how to improve your life. The author gets it- ic can be debilitating but she gives you options to help yourself.

This book is incredible. Elisabeth is very open about her battle with IC and how she pressed on through painful treatments & debilitating bladder pain that left her struggling to care for her family. From doctor to doctor, she did not give up for her search to find healing. Her story is such a testimony to her faith and her determination. Thankfully she discovered healing through the care of an Integrative Medicine Dr. and after addressing genetic factors, diet & supplements, etc. she was able to finally get her IC into remission. The protocol is not just for IC sufferers, but for anyone battling autoimmune disease. I have battled IBS and leaky gut for years now and have found so much help here-from recommended supplements to diet changes, I am on the road to healing myself. I highly recommend reading this informative & comprehensive "manual" for regaining your health naturally.

I really appreciate anyone looking into treating the root cause of IC. I liked that genetics were included and some functional medicine ideas—if you’re newly diagnosed or have never looked into integrative treatments- BUY THIS BOOK NOW! There’s some great tips for overall health that we should probably all be doing IC or no IC.My hopes for this book were really high. However, part one of the book is spent detailing life with IC. Unfortunately because I live it myself, I don’t want to spend my time reading about the pain and struggles and what didn’t work for other people, etc. I know this sounds incredibly harsh, but I’m reading books on alternative ways to treat this terrible disease, not to be reminded how painful and devastating it can be (many chapters worth). Tell me what to do, what to eat, and how to get better.Lastly, the part I was most excited about was what specific supplements and treatments were used. However, I found that most of them that would apply to my situation contained extremely high levels of B and C vitamins (like 500% daily value in one recommended supplement that I believe is suggested to take multiple times a day). Ouch! That would feel like lighting my bladder on fire. These vitamins are also included in the multi vitamin she recommends which she writes “is the only multivitamin I know of that is bladder friendly” which is surprising, because there’s definitely two actual bladder friendly multi vitamin brands and I’m not sure this one should earn the title “bladder friendly” due to ingredients.

I have had IC for about three years now. It has been such a trying time for me and my family. Elisabeth's book gives me so much hope and makes me strive to do better in regards to my eating and exercise habits. In this book she tells her own personal story of IC and what got her into remission. She is raw and real and so encouraging. Often times it is easy to become depressed and feel like IC is going to be a life long condition filled with hopelessness and despair, but this book has honestly stirred up so much new hope for me! She gives tons of great suggestions and even brand names of supplements so you can research them yourself. I KNOW that my IC can go into remission and to read another story about someone else who did it makes me want to strive for that goal even more!

For the past four years I have been fighting the IC battle. I am always looking for new research and reading anything I can find with regard to IC and any suggested treatments. I am glad the author was able to find so many medical professionals to help her through her journey - most of us aren’t that lucky. I was handed a prescription for an antidepressant and sent on my way. Through my own research I have taken more of a holistic approach as I prefer to not be dependent on strong pain meds. I found that the treatments suggested in this book would put any IC sufferer into a frenzy of major long lasting pain. As stated throughout the B12, detox, etc. required a lot of very strong pain meds. Suggested foods included strawberries, raspberries, grapefruit, asparagus, just to name a few .... all foods that aren’t on most IC friendly lists and from personal experience are far from friendly. This is the first review I have ever written on anything I’ve ever bought or read but I feel strongly that this was a total waste of money and very misleading to anyone who suffers from this disease. Every person who suffers from IC is unique - treatments, medicines, diets are specific to that one person. I would not try nor recommend any of the drastic treatments or procedures discussed.

Very good reading when you have IC.

As a IC suffered at the end of my tether with trials of medicine, cyctoscopies and bladder biopsies, this book gave me hope and taught me how valuable what I'm putting ON and IN my body could be in providing respite and reversal of symptoms. God bless you and thank you!

A bit depressing. I find that most of the people on IC sites and in most books are so depressed. I say change your diet, do something. Yes I have IC - but only 2 flares in six years. Been on Keto for the last 4 years, no flares, last one was because of a fall I had that triggered it. Only lasted a short while.

If you suffer from Bladder issues , especially ICS… this book has great insight and I’d recommend to anyone!

What a waste of money! I have suffered from IC for 2 years, and this book is terribly written and a waste of money! The author is selfish and spends most of her time recalling how bad IC has been for her! It’s written in a very depressing manner and does not give hope for any real possibility of any type of cure or pathway to improvement!There is no index and it’s very hard decipher any real tips to improve your life if you are suffering with I.C.