Prelief...a relief?

Well, it seems that I just keep putting out fires and haven't really been able to enjoy the fact that my IBS symptoms have improved. Also, my husband continues to remind me that thus far, I have not entered any real data into my posts (although I have been keeping notes in my day planner). I will begin including data at some point; however, now is not the time. There are much more pressing (and burning) issues to address.

Ok, so if things haven't gotten personal enough talking about my tummy troubles, I'm taking it to a whole new level. This is also where the focus of my blog takes a turn and starts really delving into fibromyalgia (and all the fun symptoms that come with it). Last week, I felt as if I had a horrible UTI. The pain was excruciating. I went to the ob/gyn and saw the only doctor available, a kind, older doctor who resembled the assistant coach from the 90's sitcom "Coach," but less bumbling. Doc said that it wasn't a UTI but an overgrowth of bacteria in another area of my anatomy close in proximity, likely caused by something trivial, like the summer heat or a change in bath soap. He wrote me a script for an antibiotic and assured me it would take care of my problem. I asked if it could be cystitis but he dismissed my concerns and sent me on my way. After one day on the oral antibiotic, my GERD was back, lump in my throat and all. Two phone calls to the ob/gyn later, I was switched to another medication that wasn't oral. Let's just leave it at that.

A week later (this past Tuesday), the pain was still there. It felt like my bladder was filled with a corrosive acid that was slowly burning through my plumbing. I made a follow up appointment. My doctor was again unavailable, so I saw yet another male doctor in the same practice. This guy looked like the runner up from the most recent season of "The Next Food Network Star." I think his name was Jeffery- the chef, not the doctor. Anyway, after waiting twenty minutes in the reception area and another fifteen minutes in waiting room number two, I was finally led into the examination room and asked to change. The nurse took my blood pressure and told me the doctor would be in to see me shortly. Twenty-five minutes later, I was still in a state of undress, waiting for the doctor. I peeked my head out the door, sheet draped around my waist, but there was no one in sight. Already late for an appointment with the HVAC guy (who was coming to fix the A/C back at my house), I grew increasingly impatient and decided I would use my cell phone to call the front desk. The shocked receptionist quickly paged the doctor, who casually strolled in a couple of minutes later. After a brief examination, he determined that my problem was not a bacterial infection. His diagnosis was Interstitial Cystitis. Hello?! Wasn't that what I told the last doc? Ok, so I had left out the first word that I couldn't pronounce, but he should have known what I was getting at. However, this wasn't the diagnosis I wanted to hear, since IC can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. My heart sank. Doc Next Food Network Star told me that IC often is associated with Fibro and Endometriosis (I have both). The birth control that I was taking previously likely halted the progression of my endometriosis, which in turn kept the IC at bay (his theory). Now that I was off the Pill, I didn't have the same protection. Stopping the acid blocker didn't help either, since acidic urine burns more. There is a medication that can be prescribed for the pain, but the doctor said it usually takes about six months to see improvement and it only helps about 30% of those who take it. Nice odds. The other two things he has seen help IC are hysterectomy (for those who have endometriosis) and pregnancy. Ok, pregnancy was a treatment option I could get behind.

The next day the pain was better and I was hopeful that these symptoms would soon pass; however, yesterday it was back. The pain was so bad I wanted to cut my bladder out, so I called the ob/gyn again. I'm still not sure where my doctor is because the nurse consulted with Doc NFNS instead of my guy. The nurse told me that I could take Tylenol for the pain and she recommended a supplement called "Prelief" that one of her family members with IC takes. It is a food grade mineral chemically known as calcium glycerophosphate that reduces the amount of acid in foods. Since acidic foods can trigger IC symptoms, many women with IC get significant relief when taking the supplement. I bought it last night and took it this morning. I still have symptoms, so I'm not sure if I took an inadequate dose or if it takes several doses before one sees relief. The testimonials are fantastic http://www.ic-network.com/handbook/prelieftestimonials.html so I'm really hoping that it will work. It's also supposed to help with IBS. Does anyone out there know how long it takes before one starts to feel relief?

This is my question. There are all these doctors who specialize in just part of the human anatomy; as a result, they treat diseases related to their "part" as if the part is not connected to the rest of the body. Do they not get that a lot of these separate diseases/syndromes (IBS, IC, Fibro, etc.) seem to occur together and may be caused by the same thing? Why are doctors just treating part of the patient and not working together with other specialists and the PCP as a team to treat underlying causes of disease? The more research I read, the more I am convinced that Dr. Hyman is on to something. Inflammation seems to do a lot of damage to the body. Why aren't more doctors looking at what contributes to inflammation in their patients instead of just passing out drugs like candy? Only treating symptoms is like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound. Sorry, I use a lot of clichés. Yeah, I want my pain to go away, but more importantly, I want to eliminate the cause of my pain. I'm not anti conventional medicine but there are alternatives to drugs. Let's open our eyes and see the kind of damage we're doing to ourselves with all the chemicals we're surrounded by, the pollutants we're breathing, the processed food we ingest, the chemically laced water we drink, our hectic lifestyles, lack of sleep, etc. etc. We're a mess. No wonder so many people are sick. There needs to be a paradigm shift, and it needs to happen immediately.

Ok, I'm going to get off my soap box for now. Just wait until my diatribe about bad parenting. Yeah, as a school psychologist and former counselor at a group home for pregnant and parenting teens, I've got enough fodder to last through at least 100 posts. LOL.