Interstitial Cystitis (IC), aka painful bladder syndrome, can produce mild to debilitating pain for those affected by it. For me, having been living with it for the last 9 years or so, I have learned a great deal about the condition and things that have helped me to manage my pain. While sharing my experiences in the IC community, I came to realize that many people struggle to manage their pain. Medications are not always effective (and certainly come with some extreme potential side effects, such as heart attack and death). This leaves many people to be alone in their struggle. There is only so much known about the syndrome and as a syndrome it is not technically a disease, but a collection of symptoms; which should emphasize the lack of knowledge that even doctors have about the condition. I’m here to tell you that you can manage your IC symptoms. I have done it in the past. I lived relatively pain-free for years, prior to my last pregnancy. Flare-ups happened at most once a