Posted on: 11 Nov 2022
Shane is a 61-year-old artist who lives in Summerville, South Carolina. Shane spent many years going to his doctor for urinary tract infections that he kept getting. After a while, there was no infection found, but he still had a lot of vaginal pain and still had to pass urine often. Shane is also female to male transgender.
After he moved to California, he was referred to a urogynecologist who diagnosed him with Interstitial Cystitis (IC). This brought him a lot of relief after having struggled for many years.
His new doctor treated him with injections into the bladder, instillations and many cystoscopies, where his bladder was dilated, Hunner’s ulcers removed and medicine was put into his bladder.
The only thing that helped him over the years were the cystoscopies, which put him in remission for over a year at a time. His last surgery was July 2022 and he is hopeful it will lead to a long remission.
It is of great value to be patient with someone who has IC and to find kind, caring doctors who listen to you.
The below resources can be used to help you learn more basic information about Interstitial Cystitis (IC):
Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Patient Guide
Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Fact Sheet
Check out more survivor stories like Shane's on our Survivor Story home page.
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