Customer Reviews (14)

My favorite book
This book along with "Along the Healing Path" is a necessity in understanding IC and how you can HEAL from it.Catherine is so enlightening and informative.She is a true healer.My boyfriend read this book and really enjoyed it. It helped him to understand what is going on inside and how IC came to be for me. Its so easy to read and makes so much sense that I felt like the author knew my IC exactly..It was amazing.. that when I felt like no one understood me..she did.We all need someone who understands us and..this book can help us to heal.. If she can heal this shows us we all have the ability inside ourselves to heal.Her words are so powerful and strengthening. Catherine Simone has helped me to take charge of my healing. I don't know where I would be today without these books.

Amazing!
As a newly diagnosed sufferer of Interstitial Cystitis this book was a godsend.Thank you Catherine M. Simone for writing your story, and helping us who are still wandering about, flailing to find things that will work for us when the medical community will or cannot.

People helping people.
Catherine brings the human aspect of IC to the reader, as she has lived this painful illness. Her tenacity to overcome is remarkable. Catherine's story is written from the hand of expertise, as she has had to fight for an answer to her pain and suffering. Catherine's story is one of courage and filled with hope for others who suffer from IC.

Awakening
As her other two wonderful books, this one also offers you with hope.She writes about how the mind, body, and spirit are connected and how she came to understand how she "drew" IC to her and how she used it to help her heal the rest of the way.I find this book to be comforting and inspirational and greatly recommend it.Once again, thank you Cath for the hope you give us!

Very interesting.
By revealing some of the mystery behind the spirit, mind, body connection (based on her own experiences), the author makes the point that healing from IC involves more than just healing the body. There is much to think about in this book, and it may trigger some healthy self-reflection. For those who believe in God, the references to "God/the Universe" may be unsettling, and are probably made to appeal to a wider audience. But the principles mentioned are universal in nature. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover Total Wellness for Women Through Natural Healing
From the Introduction:
"The greatest blessing that I have to share with other women is the gift of homeopathy. . . . Every day I see the profound changes that this remarkable method of healing has brought to my patients' lives. That a form of healing that is so simple and elegant and makes so much common sense to patients can transform lives so powerfully, with doses of natural medicine administered months or even years apart, still boggles my mind almost as much as it does the minds of my patients."
—Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman
Inside, you'll learn how to select the correct homeopathic medicine that will help you quickly and gently. This invaluable reference offers practical, time-tested homeopathic and naturopathic answers for such health concerns as chronic yeast infections, fibrocystic breast disease, excessive menstrual bleeding, morning sickness, and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Naturopathic Homeopathic Vitalistic Spiritistic Woo-Woo:
Hey, some citations regarding the vitalism in this book: "the concept of a vital force, or energy principle, had its origins in ancient Chinese and Asian texts [...] this concept [...shared by] acupuncture; Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Tibetan medicine [p.018...] regardless of the type of bacteria, fungus, or illness, the ultimate cause, according to homeopathic thinking, is always an imbalance in your energy system (vital force) [...] much like Chinese medicine, which affirms that the chi or ki must be in balance and flowing harmoniously through the meridians of your body [p.028...] homeopathy [...] brings the vital force into equilibrium [p.029...] by bringing the vital force into balance, homeopathy automatically strengthens the immune system [p.034...] why were you bleeding abnormally in the first place? There was an imbalance in the vital force [p.039...] your vital force, or energy system [p.040...] whether or not you become actually ill depends on the strength of your vital force [p.054...] homeopathy can still help you in a number of ways: to strengthen your vital force [p.178...] defense mechanism - the aspect of the vital force that maintains health and prevents disease [p.345]." And a little bit of explicit spiritism {vitalism itself is actually 'purposeful life spirit'}: "many illness arise out of an emptiness of spirit, a profound feeling of disconnectedness, separation, and isolation from god or divine love [...] such a state of poverty of spirit precedes a serious physical illness [...] the idea that body, mind and spirit are intertwined [...] homeopathy is one of the only forms of medicine that can integrate and heal all three gently yet powerfully [p.004]."And of course, "homeopathy is a medical science [p.017 & 345]."But, in reality, it is profoundly not true that science contains or supports the vitalistic and the spiritistic.Typical ND epistemic conflation posed as an epistemic delineation. ... Read more

Product Description
One in three women suffer from cystitis at some time in their lives, and men and children can be affected too. This painful bladder condition brings misery and discomfort and can have a devastating effect on sufferers' lives. The Natural Way with Cystitis takes an up-to-date look at the causes of cystitis, how to treat it and, even more importantly, how to prevent it. ... Read more

Product Description

Secret Suffering: How Women's Sexual and Pelvic Pain Affects Their Relationships is the first book to explain how pelvic and sexual pain affects the lives of women (and men) and their partners in their own words/ The work also provides information on cutting-edge research and describes the most effective treatment modalities. Susan Bilheimer, coauthor, shares her own experiences as a patient who has gone down the painful, frustrating road of living with an illness that is often dismissed and not taken seriously. Robert J. Echenberg, M.D., coauthor, has treated over 700 women (and some men) with the disorder. He shares his decades of experience and expertise as a gynecologist and specialist in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

Not only does CPP interfere with a woman's physical and mental health, it can wreak havoc in family relationships, ruin careers, and wreck marriages. In the majority of cases, women suffer in silence. Even when they do seek medical help, what they find too often is inadequate care, as most doctors, even gynecological specialists, are not properly trained in recognizing, much less treating, all aspects of CPP.

Through classic, new, and emerging research, with statements from experts and interviews with CPP sufferers and their partners, Secret Suffering exposes and gives strong voice and compassionate understanding to this complex disorder. Most importantly, information on effective treatments for CPP, as well as the depression and other psychological fallout it may cause, are presented. Through Secret Suffering, Bilheimer and Echenberg finally shatter the silence, educate patients, build understanding, and demand that chronic pelvic and genital pain be taken seriously by the medical community.

Customer Reviews (12)

This book covers it all, really goes into the nitty gritty of these disorders!
I have read several books on this subject and this is by far my favorite.As someone that suffers with some of these conditions it was so validating the read the experiences of those with similiar tales and also to read that I am not the only one that has been treated horribly by many in the medical community.This book not only addresses all the physical components of these disorders but the social and emotional aspects.I love the chapter for single women especially as that is what I must deal with.In this sex obsessed society it is very hard not to be jaded and cynical regarding relationships with the opposite sex when you are afflicted with pain at the heart of the matter.Ms. Billheimer and Dr. Echenberg have done such a great service to all of us out here that are suffering in silence with sexuual pain disorders!

Secret Suffering How Women's Sexual and Pelvic Pain Affects Their Relationships
As I began reading Secret Suffering I found myself able to identify with each and every topic.I have been a patient for almost 28 years which I feel qualifies me to say that this book is right on target when it comes to the emotional and physical aspects of chronic pelvic pain. I admit I cried through some of the chapters but, at the same time I felt as if it was speaking to me personally saying "You're not alone" and "You have the right to be heard"! I also loved that the authors explain the differences between male and female's way of problem solving and difference between the way we think.It told me to stop assuming and to start asking my partner how he feels.A huge burden was lifted and I learn the true meaning of intimacy. Secret suffering gives the reader a look into the reality of pelvic pain which can be a bit heart wrenching but at the same time very educational. If you're living in denial, if you're feeling guilty about not being able to have spontaneous sex with your partner, if you feel your family doesn't believe you or doctor is far from compassionate I recommend that you read this book.

Gloria Prater, Patient

Think Twice Before Reading this Book
You may notice that most of my comments here are the same as those I wrote in response to Arielle's review...I wanted to be sure to have my own rating acknowledged as well...

While I commend this book on its short chapter on single women, the general conclusion is that many of the single women have decided not to date. I've read numerous other books that have brought this issue to light, but have also given me at least some glimmer of hope, whereas this book left me feeling like I'd be alone forever. I suggest "The Vulvodynia Survival Guide" by Howard Glazer and Gay Rodke, which includes personal accounts of women who have found understanding partners. "Secret Suffering" upset me so much that I showed it to my sex therapist, a woman prominent in her field, who said that she would not recommend this book to her single clients. She said that the lack of compassion on the part of the male partners is especially disturbing and is not representative of all of the partners of her other pelvic pain clients. In fact, although the actual pain is obviously being experienced by the woman, she encourages couples to think of the pain as a problem they share, not just a female problem.

disappointed
I found this book very depressing. The men in the book showed very little compassion for the women suffering from these disorders. I feel like we live in a misogynistic culture where women are expected to please men, and it's okay in our culture if that means women must suffer excruciating pain.

It is a sad commentary on a lack of empathy in men as a whole. I think there are men who would read this book and be ashamed of the behavior of the males in this book. I certainly hope so anyway.

I cannot understand why this book has gotten so many great reviews.

Yes women feel guilty, but they shouldn't feel this way for something that is not their fault. And that guilt should not lead them to feel pressure to engage in sexual activities that are extremely painful.

It's great that this book has brought this subject "out of the closet".

Now it's time to rethink the stigma that is placed on women with legitimate medical sexual pain. It's time for these disorders to receive the publicity they deserve, so that the general public can understand that not only are these disorders physical conditions, but they affect a substantial part of the female population (18 percent of women are diagnosed with vulvodynia- a condition which makes sex impossible in many cases).

A better book is "Let me Count the Ways" by Marty Klein- a book that discusses alternatives to penetrative sex, so that women and/or men who suffer from pelvic dysfunction do not have to feel guilty or pressured to engage in sexual activities that are impossible, uncomfortable, or extremely painful.

WARNING: If you are single and suffering from pelvic dysfunction, this book will only make you despair and feel more alone.

It is not a comforting book at all.

I read this book and felt horrible afterwards...

Finally someone understands.
I have suffered from chronic pelvic pain for almost 30 years.Even though my family is aware of my health problems, until I read this book, "Secret Suffering", by Dr. Echenberg & Susan Bilheimer, I felt like I was going through this all alone.This book encompasses underlying causes for pain, & treatments that are available, but most important to my healing experience- it gave me faith that there are doctors out there who do believe & want to help us,... & the overwhelming feeling of relief that can only come from sharing experiences of those who suffer like me.If you or someone you know has this type of medical problem, educate yourself, seek treatment, don't give up- & READ THIS BOOK.It MIGHT NOT make the pain go away.... but it WILL make you feel better :-) ... Read more

Product Description
Ready to ship June 30, 2005! Over 90% of interstitial cystitis patients report that food choices can affect their symptoms! Confident Choices: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet is written by a registered dietitian who knows what it is like to live with interstitial cystitis. This easy to use workbook can help you determine your personal food triggers and help you modify your diet without compromising nutritional status. Bonus sections include information on nutrition supplements, food intake and voiding diaries, and planning sheets.  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Confident Choices seems to answer thecall
[...]
As I've said before in my reviews to educate the passive reader, Interstitial cystitis is a chronic and debilitating disease of the urinary tract and bladder that affects approximately one million people. It may not be just one singular illness but one incorporating many different illnesses. There is an inflamed and irritated bladder wall that leads to many bladder symptoms. The bladder wall of an IC patient will have stiffening and scarring of the bladder, less bladder capacity as a result of the scarring, small pinpoint bleeding on the bladder (glomerulations) and ulcers in the bladder lining (Hunner's ulcers). 5-10% of IC sufferers will have Hunner's ulcers, the rest have a non-Hunner's type. So much isn't known about the illness, even though it has been around for a while now.

Most IC patients are put on a battery of medications and self help strategies. The #1 key factor in symptom management always seems to be diet. It is the main focus of books, and the diet pages on All Info About Interstitial Cystitis [...] get the most page views and emails. Everyone with IC seems to want to know more about how diet affects them and how they can get the diet to customize to them. Confident Choices seems to answer that call. I was impressed at the ease of the language, talking to the lay person in simple terms and attitude. The recipes recreated in the book were both simple to make and delicious upon fixing them to sample. I found that they did indeed work for me and did not cause me to "flare" (becoming symptomatic).

Julie Beyer is a registered dietitian and health educator that became diligent about the IC diet when she was diagnosed with the disease. Throughout her exchanges with other ICer's, she became acutely aware of what is important to the average IC patient and focused on how to customize the standard elimination diet that so many of IC patients need. At 15 chapters, this book is filled with not only recipes and explanation of the diet, but with worksheets and questions for the patient as well. With it in a convenient spiralbound binding, you can theoretically undo the book and copy the worksheet pages over and over again to use with your doctor or specialist. It is a very helpful book that I found to be an enjoyable read while learning more about the diet than I knew prior to opening the pages.

I look forward to the new printings of this book and any future offerings from this author. You can find more about her at her website.
[...] ... Read more

Product Description
Reference book for people with cystitis ... Read more

Product Description
This book has been created for patients who have decided to make education and research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it also gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it tells patients where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to interstitial cystitis (also Hunner's Patch; Hunner's Ulcer; Painful bladder syndrome; Pelvic Pain Syndrome; Trigonitis; Urethral Syndrome), from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on interstitial cystitis. Given patients' increasing sophistication in using the Internet, abundant references to reliable Internet-based resources are provided throughout this sourcebook. Where possible, guidance is provided on how to obtain free-of-charge, primary research results as well as more detailed information via the Internet. E-book and electronic versions of this sourcebook are fully interactive with each of the Internet sites mentioned (clicking on a hyperlink automatically opens your browser to the site indicated). Hard-copy users of this sourcebook can type cited Web addresses directly into their browsers to obtain access to the corresponding sites. In addition to extensive references accessible via the Internet, chapters include glossaries of technical or uncommon terms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Guide
I have found this very helpful while searching for more info on my disease. I would stongly recommend this, especially to those, who are new to the disease.

Great guide
I have found this to be a great guide while searching for more info on my disease. I would recommend this strongly to especially those, who are new to the disease.

The Book's Audience
Designed for people who are new to interstitial cystitis, this sourcebook has been created for patients who have decided to make education and Internet-based research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it is designed for patients who are less familiar or are new to the Internet as a medical research tool. It tells the reader where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to interstitial cystitis, from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are compiled and reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on interstitial cystitis. Following an introductory chapter, the sourcebook is organized into three parts. PART I: THE ESSENTIALS; Chapter 1. The Essentials on Interstitial Cystitis: Guidelines; Chapter 2. Seeking Guidance; Chapter 3. Clinical Trials and Interstitial Cystitis; PART II: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND ADVANCED MATERIAL; Chapter 4. Studies on Interstitial Cystitis; Chapter 5. Patents on Interstitial Cystitis; Chapter 6. Books on Interstitial Cystitis; Chapter 7. Multimedia on Interstitial Cystitis; Chapter 8. Periodicals and News on Interstitial Cystitis; Chapter 9. Physician Guidelines and Databases; Chapter 10. Dissertations on Interstitial Cystitis; PART III. APPENDICES; Appendix A. Researching Your Medications; Appendix B. Researching Alternative Medicine; Appendix C. Researching Nutrition; Appendix D. Finding Medical Libraries; Appendix E. Your Rights and Insurance; ONLINE GLOSSARIES; INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS GLOSSARY; INDEX. Related topics include: Hunner's Patch, Hunner's Ulcer, Painful bladder syndrome, Pelvic Pain Syndrome, Trigonitis, Urethral Syndrome, Urgency frequency syndrome.

Great Reference
Being new to the disease I found this to be a time-saving directory of information and academic sources.

A Disappointment
I was very disappointed when I reviewed this book. It was almost as if the author(s) went to a search engine, and the NIH's Medline, and the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) did a search for IC then made a book out of the results. Of course, the problem with this is that that many of these listings will become (if they aren't already) outdated and "old" information. The book was apparently not reviewed by someone who has knowledge of the IC community, as it listed old and outdated addresses as well.

In conclusion: In my opinion, just a few hours on the web "today" will yield more current and useful information than that provided by this book. For those seeking information on IC, I suggest a search on "google.com" instead.

Jill O. ... Read more

Product Description
This monograph presents an overview of the increased clinical and basic research on interstitial cystitis, a urologic disorder which is much more common than was ever believed in the past. Authors from both the United States and Europe have contributed chapters on its epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and management. Much of the information has never before been published in the medical literature. The concise presentation of the topics provides an update in terms of the present status as well as a platform for beginning new research en deavors to combat the disease. ... Read more

Product Description
Are you fed up suffering from persistent cystitis?This book explains the cuases of cystitis, including the roles of sex, diet, bacteria, and candida.It gives emergency advice to help you cope as soon as an attack begins, along with self-help approaches to make cystitis a thing of the past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

COPING WITH CYSTITIS
THIS IS A WONDERFUL, INFORMATIVE BOOK THAT I ADDED TO MY COLLECTION SINCE I HAVE THE DISEASE.IF YOU HAVE THE ILLNESS, I RECOMMEND HIGHLY THAT YOU ADD IT TO YOUR LIBRARY! ... Read more

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

Product Description
This book teaches you how to prevent cystitis from starting and offers a plan that can free you from it for good. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Self help at its best!
Angela has lived with cystitis all her life. That's the reason for her research of the topic and writing numerous books about it. Anyone afflicted with this illness should follow her advice and seek guidance through the book or from Angela herself via e-mail. Not only are all of her books written in a user-friendly mode, she will personally answer questions sufferers may have.

Good books, good person, good friend. ... Read more

Product Description
This definitive text is edited by the leading expert on this complex and poorly understood topic, with international authors from the following fields: urology, pathology, immunology, pharmacology, psychology, nursing, biostatistics, and veterinary medicine. The book includes major sections on Historical/Epidemiologic Issues, including the history, epidemiology, and IC database study; Research, including animal models, autoimmune correlates, inflammation, infection, diet, urinary markers, and more; Diagnostic Options, including clinical and endoscopic features, pathology, gynecologic aspects, IC in men, and urodynamic evaluation; Treatment Options, including oral and laser therapies, pain management, electrical stimulation, surgery, intravesical therapies, and more; and General Issues, including a woman's health perspective, quality of life issues, and a unique IC Symptom and Problem Index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent resource for IC physicians & clinical staff
Grannum Sant's "Interstitial Cystitis" is an excellent resource for clinicians and patients seeking academic/research oriented information on IC treatments, pathology, epidemiology and much more! Contents includediscussions on the history of IC, current research, diagnostic options, awide variety of treatments and general issues, such as quality oflife.

Of particular note is the insightful chapter "The Causes andTreatment of Pain in Interstitial Cystitis" written by DanielBrookoff, MD, which has helped us convey the often underestimated need forpain management.

This book is a cornerstone to any IC library, includingour own at the IC Network. Very well done and much appreciated by thepatient community. ... Read more

Product Description
This Book Is In German. ... Read more