IC Journey to Wellness

The Journey to Wellness starts with a single step

Learning about interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome subtypes or phenotypes is the first step.

Acquire skills and resources to help guide you on your journey

There are many tools that will help make your journey easier. Learn how to use these tools to better manage your IC/BPS symptoms.

Finding Strength and Empowerment

IC Journey to Wellness will show you how to identify your unique subgroup or phenotype of IC/BPS. This knowledge will then help you to define a more targeted road to wellness to lead you towards symptom relief.

Meet Dr. Jill Peters-Gee: Author, Retired Urologist

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Bio

Jill M. Peters-Gee, M.D. is a board-certified Urologist and serves on the Medical Advisory Council of the Interstitial Cystitis Association. With over three decades of experience, she has dedicated her career to Women’s health and to the care of patients with Interstitial Cystitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS). Her expertise is deeply rooted in both clinical practice and research. Since her retirement from clinical practice in 2022, Dr. Peters-Gee’s commitment to the IC/BPS community persists. She continues to contribute, by founding and facilitating the Connecticut IC/BPS support group and she has written her first book “IC Journey to Wellness”. This informative book helps patients to understand the complexities of IC/BPS. By unraveling new research, patients are shown how to identify their specific IC/BPS subtype and in turn, are provided guidance for targeted therapies that optimize symptom relief. Dr. Peters-Gee’s legacy of compassion and patient education continues online through her informative blog and website. A resident of Connecticut, she enjoys life with her husband, cherishing their roles as parents to four and grandparents to three, while still finding time for travel, volunteering, fly-fishing, and gardening.

This book offers you the promise of an empowered relationship to IC/BPS and a path forward to improved quality of life. Let’s get started on the journey of wellness together!

**My Book IC Journey to Wellness is About..**

Do you suffer from Bladder Pain Syndrome or Interstitial Cystitis? If you don’t know where to find clarity about your symptoms or strategies to support your wellness, this book will be an invaluable resource. The journey you’re embarking upon is not just medical. It is a journey of self-discovery.

IC Journey to Wellness, Healing Bladder Pain Syndrome and Interstitial Cystitis provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of these two related conditions.

Unlike other books on the topic, this offers an in-depth exploration of phenotyping, a process by which patients are divided into small and specific subgroups based on their symptoms. Phenotypes allow for a better understanding of the causes of symptoms and aid in the development of more effective treatment plans. In the pages of this book, you will discover:

The nature of each phenotype
How to identify your specific phenotype
Your roadmap to wellness based on your phenotype(s)
Research to help you speak with your physician about modifications to your treatment plan
Hope for healing and long-term remission

Want to download journal pages to supplement the IC Journey to Wellness book?

Discovering what phenotype or phenotypes of IC/BPS you have requires an assessment of your current symptoms as well as your past history. The workbook provides a place to record your healthcare team, current therapies, and past medications or therapies tried.

In addition, quantifying your bladder capacity and urination frequency, during the day and at night can provide a clue about what phenotype(s) you may have. This information also provides an objective measure, to see how a therapy is affecting you.

A food diary can help you determine if diet plays a role in your symptoms and if it does, what exactly are you sensitive to.

Hydration is important. An easy monitor of intake is provided.

Daily stress, mindfulness, and other physiological quieting trackers are included in the workbook.

What they are saying about me or my book

The following are some Amazon book reviews and Google reviews from past patients. Make sure you submit a book review as well! You can go here to leave a review of the book, IC Journey to Wellness.

Ann H.

Readable and well organized with useful info based on the latest Interstitial Cystitis/BPS research. Finally a book with NEW information backed up by recent scientific research that’s genuinely useful for people diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis or Bladder Pain Syndrome. I found it empowering and aptly named; it certainly provided me with fresh hope for my journey to wellness.

I was diagnosed with IC 25 years ago and have been down the road of “throw all the treatments against the wall and see what sticks” which was time consuming (talking years here) and only occasionally helpful. This readable and well-organized book clearly explains a new approach of grouping IC/BPS into smaller subgroups (called phenotypes) based on specific symptoms. This kind of grouping allows for more individualized treatments for people suffering with these chronic illnesses.

Dr. Peters includes easy to understand descriptions of each phenotype as well as concise “roadmaps” offering practical tips and possible treatment options for each. Reading the descriptions provided me with clues as to which phenotypes (most people have more than one) I might fall into. These “clues” are hands down the most useful information I’ve gotten about IC since being diagnosed. I understand now why some treatments just didn’t work for me. And I got ideas about what I might try going forward which felt like a breath of fresh air.

Best of all, this is a book you can take to your provider to initiate new conversations about treatment options. Urologists who are unaware of this research will be grateful for the info..

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024. Verified Purchase

Sharon F.

Great resource from an expert in the field! This is a clear and straightforward read. The current research is laid out in clear, well-defined paths for both medical professionals and lay people alike. The information provided offers promising outcomes and hope, to anyone suffering from this syndrome. An easy read that is highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024. Verified Purchase

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Comprehensive resource for bladder pain. Doing research for a family member with some recent bladder pain, I found this book right at the top of the Amazon charts. There's a wealth of technical detail, which I appreciated, and it never overwhelms. Whenever I've had to deal with a medical condition, it puts my mind at ease to have a comprehensive source of quality information. Usually I have more questions than my doctor has time to answer.

In addition to providing expert knowledge about subtypes, causes and treatments, the author includes relatable stories of patients' experiences, practical advice for IC sufferers, and helpful "DIY" materials at the end like a bladder diary.

I was surprised to discover from my family member, a few weeks after their receipt of the book, that they had a friend of a friend who was once a patient of the author, Dr. Peters-Gee. My understanding is that for some time Dr. Peters-Gee was the only urologist in her region who would even accept patients with bladder pain syndrome, because the symptoms can be such a puzzle for clinicians to understand and treat. The doctor's years of experience caring for people with IC/BPS are evident throughout the book.

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024.

Verified Purchase

Sandra P.

Easy to read and comprehend. Very informative. IC Journey to Wellness is an excellent guideline for providers and lay persons. Each chapter breaks down symptoms of IC/BPS in a way that provides an individual information that can help guide their care. This book is extremely helpful for providers. It navigates through different systems that can cause IC/BPS symptoms and provide medical based/supported research recommendations for treatment.

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

Lenore I.

Dr. Peters-Gee is an excellent physician.

She focuses on what is presented to her in a supportive and conscientious manner that has always been helpful. I have always felt confident that she would do what is in my best interest and she is excellent at diagnosing, listening, treating and caring. She is a true professional.

Jamie M.

Dr. Peters saved my life and gave me hope when I lost faith in most doctors. She's one of the kindest doctors I've ever met. She's very empathetic, incredibly knowledgeable in urology and Interstitial Cystitis, and just an overall amazing woman. Her practice is one of the only offices in CT that has clinical trials for IC and she's always willing to do additional research to help her patients. I would not be here without her and I'm very grateful our paths crossed. I highly recommend Dr. Peters without any reservation.

Pricilla M.

I am pleased with Dr. Peters because she is so knowledgeable. I trust her. IC is a difficult ailment to treat and now the best rx for it can cause serious side effects. I feel Dr. Peters will give me suggestions to deal with the discomfort I have and keep trying until we get it right. She is very compassionate.

Sandra S.

I adore Dr. Peters. She’s helped me so much and is always suggesting new things for my IC. She takes her time with me by always listening to and answering any questions. She is a fantastic and very knowledgeable, compassionate doctor.