title: Me and my bladder, my bladder and me.
abstract: This article is intended to "put a face" on the disease interstitial cystitis (IC). It is a personal case study based on the experiences of the author. Being misdiagnosed and dismissed for years, her story is typical of the IC patient's struggle. If one IC patient is recognized and treated in a timely fashion, then those years of being misunderstood would have counted for something.
authors.affiliation: Suffolk Urology Associates, Bay Shore, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Altieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life