Stories of hope: “After a year, I was symptom-free”

If there was ever a true IC Warrior, Melissa Szaro is it. This woman embodies what it means to take on the spirit of healing and make it a mission of love. From her first blog, in which she details her adventures with eating raw, to her current website, she is yet another source of great advice, practical steps, and real inspiration for anyone with IC who is on, or about to embark upon the healing path. I recently caught up with Szaro for an interview to find out how she got to where she is today.

1.     For how long did you suffer with the symptoms of IC?

I suffered with IC for one terrible year before I began to heal myself with natural methods. I was diagnosed six years ago, at the age of 21. I had chronic pain in the bladder and pelvic area, all day every day, levels seven to 10. I also experienced frequency, urgency, a burning urethra, painful sex, and increased pain with certain foods, especially alcohol. I just knew it was IC.

2.     Do you consider yourself cured?

I think the word “cure” is misleading. I consider myself healed. It took a long time to heal naturally, about one year, but it only took several weeks to greatly reduce my symptoms. After a year, I was symptom-free. However, I experienced other health issues, like candida overgrowth, hypothyroidism, and leaky gut syndrome. I had no IC symptoms until recently, so I guess you would say I came out of remission a year ago. However, my IC is not at all like it used to be, it will just come and go in spurts, lasting anywhere from a day to several hours. I now know how to deal and heal it, so it’s not as bad.

3.     What steps did you take towards healing yourself?

Research and reaching out. I read lots of books, was an active member of helpful, supportive, positive discussion groups, and I gathered a lot of information and experience from others. I took it all into consideration, meditated on what resonated with me and what I felt my body needed, and starting experimenting, trying out different supplements, herbs, and diets, one at a time, to see what would work. The most important thing I had was hope, and belief that I would heal.

4.     Do you have any theories on what causes IC?

I think that everyone is different, but for my IC, it was an accumulation of toxins from eating lots of junk food with chemical additives, preservatives, GMOs, sugar, yeast, gluten, dairy, and meat. Too much alcohol, drugs, antibiotics, and pharmacueticals in my teen and party years. All of this created a highly acidic body, which is a source of disease. I needed to alkalize! And I think candida overgrowth contributed to a lot of my symptoms. Candida has been linked to IC, and they share some of the same symptoms!

5.     Any hunch on what cures the condition?

Cleaning the body, detoxing, and providing the right sources to heal through mindfulness, herbs, supplements, diet, and lifestyle changes.

6.     Do you think Western medical treatments are helpful (instills, medication, hydro-distention, etc.)?

NO! Most of those things have hurt me more than helped me.

7.     What do you believe is the most important step for someone to take who is newly diagnosed with IC?

Research and reach out. Do not believe what the doctors tell you, that you will have this for the rest of your life. It is simply not true. I have healed, and know many, many people through my support group who have healed. Do not give up hope – read, and experiment!

8.     What do you believe is/are the most important steps(s) towards true healing?

Keeping a positive attitude. Your mind is so powerful! If you keep working towards healing, you will get there!

9.     Any recommendations for IC Warriors in terms of useful resources?

Check out the IC books by Catherine Simone. Her words of encouragement were the first that I ever read, and helped me change my perspective from being defeated victim to being a healing warrior.

10.  Any other tips or words of advice or encouragement for the IC patient?

Join a support group! I started one on Facebook five years ago called Healing Interstitial Cystitis Naturally. Now, we have over 2,000 members! I have friends from all over the world there.

For more tips and advice from Melissa, visit her website: ichangewiththeclouds.weebly.com.