Wendy L. CohanThe Better Bladder Book: A Holistic Approach to Healing Interstitial Cystitis and Chronic Pelvic Pain

This book is exactly what we (IC and bladder sufferers in general) needed! There are so many things I find great about this book that it's hard to know where to begin.First off, Wendy Cohan is a registered nurse, which is great because it means she's a legit medical professional, but equally as important, she is an ex IC and chronic pelvic pain sufferer herself. This is incredibly evident from her depth of understanding of the IC experience and all of the physical and emotional turmoil that comes with it. From her first-hand advice that cranberry juice only hurts those with IC (yes, finally someone said it!) to her candid disclosure about the bleakness the future seems to hold when one is dealing with chronic bladder problems, her first-hand experience really comes through while you read.One thing I also really love about the text and the author's style is the perfect mix between the use of conventional and alternative approaches. Most health authors seem to pick a side in the debate and then they try to sell you on it. Whereas with Wendy Cohan I feel like it doesn't matter if it's allopathic, homeopathic or just, well, idiopathic, she proposes the cure that is most likely to give the most benefit and healing for the least amount of harm and side effects. No picking sides here. Certainly, this is somewhat borne out of the author's background. Having worked in healthcare all of her life, she is unlikely to disdain it completely. Having had little healing through it though, she was pushed to alternative medicine which seems to have contributed significantly to her healing, thus she is unlikely to reject those approaches either. However, I believe that even given the circumstances, it is a rare person who succeeds to marry two opposing sides so gracefully. For this, I laud Wendy Cohen because no amount of IC experience or late night nursing shifts can accomplish that open-minded blend of viewpoints on their own.Another thing I really enjoy about this book is its realistic, yet uplifting and reassuring tone. You really do finish the book with a new resolve for your recovery (or at least I did) and not in a delusional type of way. A well-supported rationale for the illness, paired with a franc explanation about the difficulties of recovery and a wealth of proposed ways to tackle the multitude of contributing factors gives you hope and things you can do to help yourself, while keeping your expectations realistic.Of course, none of this (the uplifting tone, the synthesis of approaches or the author's experience) would have been of much value on its own if the advice given wasn't helpful or plentiful. And I have to say that it is indeed both! Less than a third into the book I had to start a separate list of the little tips and suggestions that she gives throughout because there were so many of them, I couldn't keep track! Having implemented quite a few of them at this point, I also have to say that to me personally they have brought much relief (still working towards healing though).So I have nothing but good things to say about the book. The one thing that should be kept in mind, however, is that this is not a read-it-and-forget-it type of text. This is actually a very detailed and action-oriented instruction manual. It takes a lot of work, effort, time and resources to implement the suggestions in their entirety. But I would argue that anyone expecting otherwise in the context of healing a chronic illness, was already due for a reality check anyway. Time, effort and dedication, I am learning, is indeed a mainstay in recovery from a difficult to treat chronic condition. To this point I will let the author's own words sum up the idea better than I could: "It takes work and commitment, but let the work of getting well replace the difficulty of living with chronic illness."Indeed!

A very thorough coverage of the issue with extensive explanation but unfortunatlley the academic style makes it too complex for the normal public. I would welcome a highly simplifed second edition with more practical direction for sufferers seeking to assume self-control, or a workbook with extant referencing to this edition.

So interesting. Well written and easy to follow. Good ideas. Would recommend to anyone struggling and frustrated with IC or CBPS

I purchased this book feeling that as there were no reviews it could not be a good sign, but everything else just didn't seem quite right, I'm glad I brought it. I am delighted, So many helpful tips. Great explanations and as the writer has the condition herself makes me feel quite at home.I also have Fibromyalgia and the writer also refers to this condition (briefly) within some references which I have found very helpful.Thanks for this book

A lot of good tips, very useful book

Very informative in coping with IC

This book is full of information that have needed to find for such a long time.I would recommend this book to anyone that suffers with bladder problems also good information on a link to other illnesses that can cause bladder problems.

I gained quite a lot from this book, but felt it wasn't as expert as it could be - it felt a bit like trying to find out what cures excema you can drive yourself crazy thinking every flair up is this or that. But I did learn the main things to avoid which has really helped.