Walt, your responses really help me. Lately I have been under a lot of stress at home and I've found my relaxation session cut short by restless leg, etc. All of which means the IC issues have really been giving me a hard time. To the point where it's hard to keep my anxiety level low about them. I will start keeping a calendar today. I had 2-3 days of what seemed like very little movement forward, but then realized I had had two periods of 5 and 6 hours each in the last few days where I was essentially symptom free. Yesterday I did not the use the bathroom between 11 and 5, drank water, had lunch, went for a walk, and then again did not have to use it until 9:00 that night. I'm not sure why I'm not jumping up and down about this as I've never experienced such relief. It just seems like the more times I have like those the more the other times irritate me and I have more bad than good. Persistence really comes in here.
It also seems like sometimes I am getting a whole lot of benefit from the relaxation in other areas but none at all in the IC when I have a few bad days in a row. I think the calendar will help with that.
I think one of my bigger joys is that I'm no longer sleep deprived. I could never cope before without numerous naps during the week, I had to get up and down so many times. I never could understand how people had the energy for work, school, family, church, etc. etc. when all I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap. I'm sleeping so much harder now sometimes when I wake up in the morning I wonder if I've had enough sleep and it takes me awhile to realize I'm waking up from sound sleep, something I am not used to.
I have made changes in my diet and am eating better. I always did exercise. I am noticing the small things, not gripping the steering wheel so hard, my nervous system not overreacting while driving or having a dog jump out at me on walks. I stay calmer during stressful times. I am also drinking more water. It's easy to cut back too far on fluids with this problem and since I've only started doing that a few days ago I realize that has had something to do with more frequent trips. I am trying for 6, 8 oz. glasses at a minimum with more on hot days or heavy exercise days, etc. You really have to keep at it or you forget to do it.
Your help has been wonderful.
Follow Ups:
Re: Response to Walt re: relaxation
Posted by Walt Stoll on October 17, 1998 at 09:21:08:
In Reply to: Response to Walt re: relaxation posted by Vicki on October 16, 1998 at 16:22:38:
Thanks, Vicki, for your testimonial.
You can't imagine how much good this does for others who are struggling with these same kind of problems. We ALL struggle to change our lifestyles from what caused our problems to what resolves them.
Your levator ani muscle is the one that is effected the most so it will probably be the last one to come under control. That is not to say that even the least beneficial effect will not give you significant benefits, it will (and it IS).
If we could just get everyone to do the skilled relaxation, they would find themselves exercising & changing their diets within 6 months without saying anything else to them.
The problem is that getting someone to do skilled relaxtion is the hardest thing to do. SO, many times it is more effective to get them to do exercise, or diet, first & the benefits from THAT will eventually lead them to doing the rest.
You are doing fine! Keep it up!
Congratulations, Walt