Hello. My name is Dana. And I'm a chocoholic.

But that much you already knew.

I can't eat chocolate. While this may not be a life-threatening condition, it is a life-altering one. And it's not just chocolate. I can't eat or drink anything acidic. Nor can I consume foods high in oxalates, or beverages with bubbles (i.e., seltzer water).

What else is out? Condiments and salad dressings. Table salt. Pepper. Most spices. MSG. Almost all cheeses. Hard alcohol and most beers and wines. Most teas (except chamomile), most fruits (except blueberries and pears), and coffee. Though I've found a way around that last one.

Why all these food restrictions? Because I've been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis (IC).  Don't know what that is? The Mayo Clinic Staff does a pretty good job defining it HERE.  For those of you who want to learn more, this website is for you.

I hope to help those newly diagnosed with I.C., or who suspect they have I.C., by sharing my journey with you. It will take me some time to get everything up on the site that I'd like to include, but since every journey begins with a single step (or crawl, if you're having a high pain day), I've decided to start with this first step: how I reduced my symptoms through [sometimes tough] dietary choices on the IC DIET page.

September is IC Awareness Month!

IC Awareness Month - September 2012

Coincidence? Karma? Subliminal connection? 
I launched my new website, closed my computer for dinner (and a bit of Dr. Who with the boys), and when I returned, what was in my email but a letter from the IC Network reminding subscribers that September is IC Awareness Month! 

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Photo Above of my birthday cake two years ago. It's called the Opera Cake and it's baked by the culinary geniuses at Bread & Chocolate in Concord, NH. I can no longer eat my favorite chocolate birthday cake since it's made of chocolate and contains gluten. *SIGH*
(NOTE: Link to B&C via the Baking Me Hungry blog; caution: do not read if you are hungry.)

I invite you to visit my Professional Website.

Here's my poster designed in honor of the IC Awareness Month.