Kelly's Health News...

Last Tuesday, Jonathan and I traveled to Shands in Gainesville to find out exactly how bad my bladder was and to confirm my IC diagnosis. After a few hours of waiting to be called back...it's finally my turn. The doctor explains that they are doing a "simple" procedure to find out the capacity of my bladder...the procedure takes 10 minutes but I have to be put to sleep because it can be painful. I wake up...in a lot of pain. The nurses give me tons of pain medicine to try to help me but nothing is helping. I finally am able to get up and go to the bathroom and find a little relief however now I feel like I am about to be sick. They get me back into the rolling recliner and finally wheel me to Jonathan. After several doses of nausea medicine and another bag of fluids...Jonathan then tells me the NEWS!

A normal bladder for a female my age should hold 1000 cc's. Someone with IC's bladder will hold around 750 cc's. My bladder would only hold 450 cc's. WHAT?!? The doctor was able to stretch my bladder to hold 500 however there is nothing he can do to fix the damage. Wow! No wonder I have been miserable the last year and had these problems most of my life!!! I go back in a few weeks, July 7th, to see what else there is to do and to be put on the only medication prescribed for IC. So, please just keep me in your prayers. It's great to know what has been going on but also not so nice to know you have a very damaged bladder!




Jonathan took my picture right before I went in for the procedure!!