Gaye & Andrew Sandler have released their first new book in a decade for men, women & children struggling with IC and its many related conditions. What sets this husband and wife team apart from so many other authors who have written about interstitial cystitis is their focus on patient comfort. In The Proactive Patient: Managing Interstitial Cystitis/ Bladder Pain Syndrome and the Related Conditions, they’ve created a comprehensive resource guide that will help patients, young and old, as they explore treatments, learn to manage their IC symptoms, reduce pain and enjoy intimacy again.
Every chapter provides the reader (and their family members) with tips and strategies to ease discomfort, control flares and better manage their symptoms. The discussion of traditional therapies is balanced with alternative and complementary therapies for those patients who lack health insurance and/or prefer a more natural approach to treatment. If you, like many others, have faced hostile or unknowledgeable medical care providers, they provide tips on how to find and work with seasoned and compassionate pelvic pain experts.
Gaye was the first author to explore the relationship between IC and its many related conditions and expands that discussion dramatically in this new book, providing information and self-help tips for patients struggling with IBS, constipation, pelvic floor dysfunction, pudendal neuralgia, fibromyalgia, TMJ, hypothyroidism and others.
I particularly appreciated the chapter “Reclaiming Comfort in Your Body,” which explores exercise ideas, stretching tips and yoga poses that can help ease discomfort, lessen muscle tension and regain strength in a pelvic floor compromised by pain, particularly for patients who continue work and/or who struggle with sitting.
In recent years, we’ve learned that chemical sensitivity and environmental illness can play a significant role in the exacerbation of bladder symptoms and general health. This book explores chemical sensitivity and provides a plethora of ideas to help patients reduce toxic exposure and build a toxic-free home, clearly wisdom gained from their own experience with multiple chemical sensitivity. If you plan on remodeling or building a home in the near future, you’ll find their suggestions extremely helpful!
Their discussion of hormones, pregnancy, midlife and sexuality is excellent. They review, in-depth, the struggles that women face as they age. If you’re not sure if hormone replacement therapy is right for you, they provide an excellent discussion of the pros and cons of various hormone treatments. They explore the challenge of intimacy with practical tips on how to reduce discomfort associated with intercourse. Patients exploring pregnancy will find the information on point, even down to the discussion of pros and cons of various delivery methods.
It is fitting that the book ends with a chapter written by Andrew, titled “Living with IC/BPS: A Partner’s Perspective,” who, with brutal honesty, shares his experience as spouse to an IC patient. He shows how a healthy relationship and family can not only survive but also thrive by creating a foundation of honesty and communication. Gaye and Andrew’s desire to help others makes them a treasure of the IC movement. Thank you for, yet again, writing a book that will help patients regain their confidence, rebuild their strength, build their knowledge and, most importantly, ease their suffering. – Jill Osborne, ICN President & Founder
How To Buy The Book
The book is now available through the ICN Shop! It’s in stock and ready to ship today. ICN Angel Subscribers will receive 15% off their purchase! BUY IT NOW!
[break] [hr] [break]Meet the Authors – The Proactive Patient Managing IC/BPS and Related Conditions
Gaye Grissom Sandler is an author and educator living in Nashville. Gaye holds a B.A. in Humanities from New College of California and completed one of the first alternative programs for holistic educators at Holistic Life University in San Francisco. After training with movement pioneer, Judith Aston, and becoming a practitioner of muscle and movement re-education, she worked for many years in physical therapy and wellness clinics. While living in Boston, Gaye and her husband, Andrew, facilitated an IC support group at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital and produced an exercise video for IC patients. They have also given separate workshops and presentations at ICA National Meetings and had a column on the IC Network, called LifeStyles. In 2000, Gaye and Andrew published Patient to Patient: Managing Interstitial Cystitis and Overlapping Conditions. Other publications include Stretch into a Better Shape: Stretching and Strengthening for Interstitial Cystitis and Fibromyalgia Patients, which was co-authored with physical therapist, Merrilee Kullman, and The Interstitial Cystitis Guide for Partners, which Gaye and Andrew co-authored with former IC support group leader Molly Hanna Glidden and her husband William Glidden.
Andrew Sandler is the Executive Director of Park Manor and Chief Executive Officer of Abe’s Garden, a national model of residential living and day care programs for those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia. Andrew holds three graduate degrees, including a Masters of Health Administration from Tulane University, a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of New Orleans, and a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Farleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has written numerous journal articles that have appeared in publications such as Advances in Special Education, the Journal of Behavioral Education, The Urban Review, and the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. His article “American Tragedy: New Orleans Under Water” was published in Callaloo in 2007. Andrew has served as a board member of the Gulf States Association of Homes and Services for the Aging and as the President of the Alzheimer’s Association New Orleans Regional Advisory Committee.
Table of Contents – The Proactive Patient Managing IC/BPS and Related Conditions
1. Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS)
- Common Symptoms of IC/BPS
- Suggested Theories for the Cause of IC/BPS
- Population Affected by IC/BPS
- Understanding the Inflammatory Processes of IC/BPS
- Various Treatments Have Been Used for IC/BPS
- The Cause of IC/BPS Flare-Ups
- Genetic Links/Predisposition
- Is IC/BPS Contagious?
- IC/BPS Has Been Known to Medicine for a Long Time
- IC/BPS Research
- Diagnostic Tools
- New Treatment Guidelines for IC/BPS 15
- The AUA Advises Doctors and Patients to Avoid:
- Pain Management Options Not Mentioned in the AUA Guidelines
- Natural Supplements Used For IC/BPS
- Overlapping Conditions and Symptoms
- Autoimmune Diseases and IC/BPS
2. Following a Diet for IC/BPS
- Using Prevention and Assertiveness
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Gluten Sensitivity
- Leaky Gut
- Diet and FMS
- Children with IC/BPS and IBS
3. Reclaiming Comfort in Your Body
- Sitting and IC/BPS
- Support for Standing and Walking
- Comfort and Support While Lying Down
- Body Mechanics for IC/BPS
- Exercise and IC/BPS
- Gentle Stretching and Strengthening for Core and Pelvic Floor Muscles
- Resources
4. Trying Hands-on, Traditional, and Alternative Therapies
- Pelvic Floor Therapy
- Traditional Physical Therapy
- Massage
- Myofascial Therapies
- CranioSacral Treatment
- Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
- Chiropractic
- Homeopathy
- Chinese Medicine
- Mind/Body and Pain Management Programs
- Relaxation and Visualization Exercises
- Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
5. Coping with New Prescriptions, Doctors, and Sensitivities to Medications
- Trial by Error
- Trying a New Prescription
- Surgeries and Hospital Stays
- Coping with General Conditions, Routine Exams, and Procedures Without the Drugs and Fillers That Might Trigger IC/BPS Pain
- Dealing with Serious Chronic Conditions
- Foods That Help Prevent Toxic Build-up
6. Understanding Chemical Sensitivities and Environmental Illness
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
- MCS Is Not a New Condition
- Causes of MCS
- Physical Symptoms of MCS
- Treatment for MCS
- Can a Traditional Allergist Help a Patient with MCS?
- Taking Control of Your Environment
- Cleaning up Your Home Environment
- Eliminating the Items that Expose You to Chemicals in Your Environment
- The Work Space
- Travel
- Building or Remodeling a Toxic-Free Home
7. Identifying, Controlling, and Avoiding IC/BPS Symptoms with Self-Help
- Pain Is Motivation to Change
- Coping with Urgency and Frequency
- Painful Flare-ups
- When Flare-ups Turn into Pain Cycles
- When Pain Cycles Cause More Stress in Your Life
- Recognizing Your Pain Triggers
- Improving the Quality of Your Sleep
- Illness Breaks the Rules
8. Managing Sex, Menopause, Pregnancy, and IC/BPS
- Sex and IC/BPS
- Medical Diagnosis of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Intercourse and Pain Management
- Managing Overlapping Conditions That Can Interfere with Sexual Activity
- Dealing with Sex and Your Partner
- IC, Hormones, and Mid-Life Changes in Women
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Balancing the Body with Bioidentical Hormones
- Menopause Management Without Hormone Replacement
- Postmenopause
- Health Risks at Mid-Life
- Pregnancy and IC/BPS
- Delivery and IC/BPS
- Breast Feeding
- Coping with a Newborn
9. Living with IC/BPS: A Partner’s Perspective
- Learning to Accept IC/BPS
- Taking Control
- Dealing with Feelings
- Family Dynamics
- Improving Communication
- Dealing with Other People
- Partner Support
References
Journals/Magazines/Newspapers
Books
Websites
