Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

The proposed elimination of state funding to support public libraries would hit Pasco and Hillsborough county facilities more than once.

“The real problem is that if we lose state funding then we will eventually lose federal funding too,” said Linda Allen, Pasco library director. “In a nutshell, the federal money we can get each year is based on how much state money we get. If that drops to zero, then we won’t get any federal money in the future and that goes for every library in public system across the state.”

The proposal to cut all state funding is just that at this point — only a proposal. If state money is completely cut, libraries will be able to receive federal grants until 2014-15 because the Institute of Museum and Library Services allocates money according to state funding for the previous three years.

“I’m just asking the state legislator to keep the funding at its current level,” Allen said. “I don’t want any more money, just what we received last year.”

The Pasco County budget for the Pasco Library System is $6,011,514 for the 2009-10 year, which ends in October. The Pasco system also receives $176,212 from the state and about $330,000 from the federal government. The federal money includes three grants and 60 percent reimbursement of its Internet and other computer costs. The state and federal money accounts for 8 percent of the Pasco library budget.

Funding information on Tampa-Hillsborough Library System was not available at press time except that it received $910,388 from the state. Florida has allocated $21.3 million for all of its public libraries this fiscal year.

Libraries in Pasco and Hillsborough have already been asked to do more with less since the economic downturn.

“I can’t speak on any specific numbers, but what has been most affected is the staffing and budget for new books,” said Jim Graves, head of the Lutz Branch Library. “We used to be open for five hours on Sunday and we aren’t anymore. We also used to be open more during the week.”

The entire Hillsborough system cut its staff by 15 percent according to Joe Stines, director of the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library system. The story is similar in Pasco.

“The libraries were opened 46 hours each week and it was dropped to 40 since April of last year,” Allen said. “We also had to cut 14 positions to make our budget and our materials cost was cut 13 percent. That 13 percent is part of a 40 percent cut over the last three years.”

Some of the libraries in Pasco that have been affected by the county budget cuts include those in Land O’ Lakes, New River and Dade City. One facility that did not see its budget cut this past fiscal year was the Zephyrhills Public Library, which is funded almost entirely by the city.

“We do get some state funding through our cooperative program with the Pasco County Library System, so that would hurt our budget some,” said Vicki Elkins, director for the Zephyrhills library. “It would be a smaller part of our budget but it’s still a part.”

The cooperative program is an online resource for people to find information about topics such as upcoming events, government programs and available books.

These proposed state budget cuts are being discussed during a time when library use is increasing.

“The number of people that have been checking out books in Pasco libraries has been going up since I’ve been here,” said Graves, who started working at the Lutz Library one year ago. “We have 19 computers connected to the Internet and I believe more people are using those too.”

Graves said the economy was likely the reason for the increase.

“We have seen an increase of 6 percent of people checking out books this year from the last and we expect it to continue to rise,” Allen said. “People would rather rent a book than buy it right now…People also tend to get rid of their Internet access when they lose their job, but a lot of companies want you to submit resumes online. So people need Internet access provided by their libraries now.”

Allen recently received the Librarian of the Year award by the Florida Library Association for her work with Pasco libraries.

“I just love libraries and books,” Allen said. “I worked as a shelfer in my high school library and received a master’s degree in library sciences from George Peabody College for Teachers, which is now part of Vanderbilt University. I’ve been in libraries my whole life.”

Allen said she and the Pasco Library System would continue to give the best access to books and other information to the public as possible, as did Graves.

“We have to work with what we have,” Graves said. “Our programs for kids and adults are funded by the Friends of the Lutz Library, which is a group that makes a lot of very generous donations to the library. Thankfully their generosity has remained throughout the budget situation.”

For more information on the Tampa-Hillsborough Library System, visit www.thpl.org. To learn about the Pasco Library System, visit www.pascolibraries.org.

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

Singer songwriter Ashley Shannon is a little bit country and proud if it. The Zephyrhills resident took home three trophies at the North American Country Music Association Awards March 14 in Tennessee.

The award closest to her heart was for songwriter of the year. She won for “Josh’s Song,” a song for her brother who served in Iraq.

“Family and community are really important to me,” Shannon said. “I wouldn’t be who I am without my family, friends and the hometown support of Zephyrhills.”

Shannon, 23, has always loved music. As a little girl, she’d run around the house singing into a feather duster. At age 13, she performed in a school talent show and received a standing ovation. She’s been singing ever since.

Shannon performs throughout Florida at fairs, festivals and events of every kind. She most recently performed at the Strawberry Festival and at the state capitol in Tallahassee.

“I performed at an NRA event and Florida Senate President Jeff Water asked me to come sing at the Senate,” Shannon said. “It was a great experience. One of the best things about singing is the people I get to meet.”

Shannon sang at the capitol just days after winning big in Tennessee. In addition to her songwriting award, she earned the titles Rising Star of the Year and Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year 2010. The titles were given based on her live auditions March 8. She earned her way to the national NACMA Awards by first earning state titles through the Orange Blossom Country Music Association.

Shannon currently works the front desk at a cardiologist’s office but she dreams of becoming a full-time recording artist. She admires vocalists like Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood for making it big without abandoning their small-town roots. She sang Underwood’s hit “Undo It” at the NACMAs and caught the attention of Nashville locals.

“I want to record an album,” Shannon said. “I gave out my demo at the awards and I got a call back from one producer who said I need to get to Nashville. I’m hoping to go this summer.”

As focused as Shannon is on becoming a successful singer, she is even more focused on giving back to the community that supports her.

“I love Zephyrhills because it’s a small town where everybody knows everybody and people care about one another,” Shannon said. “The people of the town support my dreams. So, I want to give back to my town.”

Shannon volunteers with The Fisher House, The Angelus Home in Hudson, The American Cancer Society, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation, Everyday Blessings foster facility and the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

She also volunteers to sing at charitable events.

“If you call Ashley for any community event she’ll always step forward and volunteer her time to help out,” said Greg First, former president of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce. “ She’s a community person. Anything I can think of, she’s been involved.”

In 2005, she started Words from Warriors, a program to send cassette recorders, tapes and storybooks to troops so deployed parents could send bedtime stories home.

“My brother went overseas in 2005,” Shannon said. “He came home safe a year later. What he did for our country inspired me to do work for the troops, because I am so grateful to them for their sacrifices.”

Shannon was also inspired to write “Josh’s Song.”

“The song started out as a poem and my mom helped write it,” Shannon said. “It’s about a brother and sister growing up not always getting along and as they grow older, they learn to respect each other. I have great respect for my brother’s choice to become a marine.”

Josh was surprised and honored when he first heard the song.

“I was in Iraq when I first heard the song,” Josh said. “It was pretty special. It was a big hit with all the other marines too.”

Josh said he thinks his sister has what it takes to succeed in the music business.

“She’ll get there,” he said. “She obviously has a lot of talent.”

Greg First agrees.

“If she can go to the next level, I think she’d be a great representative for this area,” First said. “She’s got talent.”

Ashley will sing March 26 at the Relay for Life at Zephyrhills High School and March 27 at the Zephyrhills Cruise and Car Show at Time Square and 5^th Avenue. For performance dates and more upcoming show dates visit www.ashleyshannon.com.

Wesley Chapel squadron takes the lead

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

The success of this year’s MacDill Airfest that drew tens of thousands can be partially attributed to the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

“We were part of the planning process going back to January,” said senior 1st Lt. Joyce Lampasona of the Wesley Chapel squadron. “My husband (Steve Lampasona), myself and several others had planning meetings each Tuesday at MacDill to organize the event from our end of things.”

Joyce was the project officer and Steve was the chief of logistics.

“That means I’m the top of the chain of command for the 181 CAP members at the event,” Joyce said. “Steve handles the logistics, which means things like communications and making sure other necessary elements of the event run smoothly. There is a lot to manage because about 75,000 people attend the Airfest each day.”

There were 141 CAP cadets, mostly under 18, and 40 CAP seniors at 2010 Airfest March 20 and 21. Members came from across Florida and camped out at MacDill during the event.

“The CAP’s main goal is to assist the Air Force as they put on the Airfest,” Steve said. “One way we do that is by acting as a kind of barrier around the static displays of aircrafts. The cadets and senior members answer people’s questions about the displays while making sure no one gets too close. They also put up and take down signage so everyone knows where to go.”

Other local squadrons that participated in the event were the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron, which has members mainly from Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and north Hillsborough, and the Pasco Cadet Squadron from New Port Richey.

The cadet leader at the event was Capt. Landon Meahl, 17, of the West Citrus Cadet Squadron.

“One of the other important duties we have is to go on F.O.D. walks,” Meahl said. “That means foreign object detection to make sure there is nothing like trash or other things that shouldn’t be on the runways that could mess up the aircraft. It is essentially trash collection, but it is very important.”

Meahl was the cadet commander at the event, which is the equivalent to the project manager for the youths.

“Being the cadet commander is a great opportunity to meet a lot of CAP cadets from across the state while performing a critical mission to support the Air Force,” Meahl said.

Joyce said each cadet was on duty for about half the event. The rest of the time they could enjoy the show.

One cadet from the Wesley Chapel squadron who attended the event for the first time was Airman Jason Gordon.

“It was all fun,” Gordon, 12, said. “We got to get around the planes and make sure no one was climbing on them…I want to do it again next year.”

Gordon has been in the Wesley Chapel squadron for two months.

The highlight for most was seeing the Blue Angels, the Navy flight demonstration team made up of FA-18 Hornet fighter planes.

“That was the best part,” said cadet Airman 1st Class Desiree Jenkins, member of the North Tampa-Lutz squadron. “They would fly right at each other and just miss hitting each other.”

Jenkins, 13, lives in New Tampa and has been a member of the CAP for more than one year.

“The Airfest is great,” Jenkins said. “We got to look around more this year than last year when I went. We also got to guard more planes and learn about them too. It was all a lot of fun.”

The CAP is more than just the average youth organization. It is actually the official auxiliary of the Air Force. It was started during World War II and today includes girls, boys and adults.

The national organization is broken into eight regions and further into wings for each state and groups. The Wesley Chapel squadron is in Group 3, which includes all of Pasco, Hillsborough, Citrus, Sumter, Hernando, Pinellas and Polk counties.

Steve Lampasona helped establish the Wesley Chapel squadron last October and currently has 25 cadets and eight senior members. He was previously the adult leader of the Pasco squadron.

“CAP is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys flying,” Steve said. “The reason I joined was to get some more flying time in. The CAP has the largest single-wing fleet of aircraft in the world with about 600. I love being a part of it and also watching the kids have a great time at events like the Airfest.”

For more information on the CAP, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

The spring version of the Lutz Shop & Stroll met organizers expectations.

“It was a big success for the businesses and people of Lutz and the surrounding area,” said former Lutz Guv’na Michele Northrup. “It was wonderful and all the people that came by said how good of a time they were having.”

The idea for the event came from Northrup and current Guv’na Suzin Carr. When she became Guv’na last July, Carr said she would do everything she could to support Lutz businesses.

“I thought the day was a great success in highlighting local business,” Carr said. “The shoppers were excited, the vendors were generous and had great deals, and I am certain this event will only continue to grow with the support of the community.”

Northrup’s booth for her business, Intensity Academy, was set up at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. The business makes all-natural hot sauces.

“I released a new flavor at the Shop & Stroll,” Northrup said. “It’s called Garlic Goodness and it has 100 pounds of garlic in each batch (50 gallons).”

Another business set up at the schoolhouse was The Barking Lot, a full-service dog boarding kennel.

“I didn’t participate in the winter Shop & Stroll, but I read about the spring one in The Laker and Lutz News,” said Barking Lot owner Laura Vinogradov. “I contacted Suzin Carr and told her we were on board.”

Praise for the current Guv’na came from most at the event.

“Suzin is phenomenal,” said Eleanor Cecil of the Lutz Civic Association. “She cares about the community and puts her heart and soul into it. I went to all eight stops on the Shop & Stroll route and every single vendor said they had good people traffic coming by. Suzin did a great job putting it together and getting the word out. She’s a tremendous asset to the Lutz community.”

One of the highlights of the day was a dancing carrot at the schoolhouse, which was played by Northrup’s son Sebastian.

“I was the entertainment at the old schoolhouse,” Sebastian, 12, said. “I entertained the kids that came by while the parents shopped at the booths.”

Those who visited at least five of the eight stations along the stroll where eligible to win one of five gift baskets, which were full of items from the vendors and were worth between $400 and $1,400.

In addition, the Shop & Stroll raised $209.41 for the Lutz schoolhouse.

“That will help us pay for the lights, insurance and we are planning on doing some work on the front porch soon,” said Phyllis Hoedt of the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club. “Suzin has done a great job with the Shop & Stroll. The event is great for Lutz.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

More than 8,000 patients have been to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Heart Institute since it opened Jan. 9, 2006.

One of those thousands is Phyllis Krieger of New Tampa, who recently spent a week at the center because of congestive heart failure.

“It was the first time I’d been to a doctor in 25 years,” Krieger, 68, said. “As you can imagine it was very scary to go to a doctor after not seeing one for so long, but that fear went away fast because of how great all the people are at the Heart Institute. That goes from the doctors and nurses to the receptionists and janitors. It’s a class-A facility.”

Krieger’s condition stemmed from a disruption in the electrical system of her heart, which made it to beat abnormally fast. Her resting heart rate was 143 beats per minute, which caused the muscle to become weak. That is about twice as fast as a normal adult heart.

“The problem starts when part of the heart muscle isn’t beating exactly with the rest of it, so it gets off rhythm,” said Dr. Sunil Gupta of the Heart Institute. “A heart under that kind of stress can lead to cardiac arrest very easily. It’s good that she got to the hospital when she did.”

Gupta has worked with the hospital for 10 years and previously worked at University Community Hospital.

Krieger knew she had a problem while on a trip with her husband, Merrill, in Arizona.

“I knew something wasn’t right with me,” Krieger said. “I felt lethargic and rundown, so my husband finally got me to go to a doctor…I ended up going to the Heart Institute and I’m very glad I did.”

Krieger’s heart was pumping only 20 percent of the blood it contained back into her body according to Dr. Ketul Chauhan, who has been partnered with Gupta for the last eight months.

“A normal heart sends between 50 and 60 percent of the blood within it to the rest of the body, so her heart was having to beat about twice as fast for her to stay alive,” Chauhan said of Krieger. “Basically her heart was running a marathon every second of the day.”

The condition made Krieger exhausted doing everyday activities.

“My resting heart rate was so fast that I got winded just standing up and walking around,” Krieger said. “They had to get my heart rate down and working better.”

The part of Krieger’s heart that was off rhythm had to be destroyed with a procedure called cardiac ablation. Once the defective part of the heart was shut down the rest of it could beat normally.

“She’s very lucky she got treatment when she did because it is a very serious problem,” Gupta said. “She is on medication now to strengthen her heart and she should recover fully.”

Krieger’s heart is currently working at about 40 percent as efficient as a normal heart and she has been cleared to start physical activity.

“They told me I can do whatever activity I’m comfortable doing, so I’ll be getting to the local YMCA as much as I can,” Krieger said.

Krieger, who has lived in New Tampa for five years, could have gone to other facilities closer to her home, but she decided to make the 35-minute trip to Zephyrhills instead.

“I knew it was the place for me as soon as I walked in the door because the atmosphere is just great,” Krieger said. “Not only did they get rid of all my fears from the moment I came in, but they found the problem fast.”

The Heart Institute has had 8,299 patients since it opened, including 2,487 in 2009, according to hospital spokeswoman Lyn Acer. The number of patients has increased each year since the facility opened.

“As the community grows we expect to grow with it,” said Gwen Alonso, director of the Heart Institute.

Alonso has lived in Wesley Chapel for 11 years and has worked with the hospital for more than six. She said the hospital has had more than 600 open-heart surgery patients since the institute opened.

“We offer basically everything for adults with heart problems here at the Heart Institute except heart transplants,” Alonso said.

The institute has already received numerous awards for its patient care. The latest came in January when it received the 2010 HealthGrade Excellence Award for Coronary Intervention.

“Coronary intervention means fixing a blockage or something like that,” Alonso said. “The award is given because the outcomes were excellent for the patients after receiving coronary intervention. We are the only hospital in the Tampa Bay area to receive the award this year.”

The institute also has three certified electrophysiologists, more than any other facility in Florida.

“There are only 10 in the state and we have three working here,” Alonso said. “We are the only facility with a fully-certified electrophysiology team in the state. What that team does is fix electrical problems in the heart.

“I’m just so proud of how the Heart Institute has progressed in a short time,” Alonso said. “Cardiac care is a passion of mine and I love helping the hearts of our patients.”

The facilities, doctors and policies have created a reputation in Pasco and north Hillsborough counties.

“The Heart Institute is fabulous,” Krieger said. “I want everyone to know the place is just outstanding and I would recommend it to anyone.”

For more information on Florida Hospital Zephyrhills or its Heart Institute, visit www.fhzeph.org or call (813) 788-0411.

About the Heart Institute

• Opened Jan. 9, 2006
• 8,299 patients treated
• More than 600 open-heart surgeries performed
• (813) 788-0411
• www.fhzeph.org

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

In this world there are two kinds of people according to Bob Loring—People he needs to help and people who will help him help others.

Many people might know the 66-year-old San Antonio resident from his work as coordinator for the East Pasco Toys for Tots. Through the program, Loring helps children in poverty to get toys at Christmas and many other things they need.

“The goal is to rally support for a good idea,” Loring said. “If you make it easy for people to participate, they will. I just have to make sure that we are helping kids really in need. The school system identifies the kids for me because I don’t know.”

Once a marine, always a marine is the way Loring looks at it and that is why he loves being the coordinator for the Marine Corps program. He said he learned to adapt and overcome in the Marine Corps and he applies that to everything he does.

“It is a mission of the Marine Corps reserve, it is not just a program to me,” Loring said. “I think the greatest fighting force in the world never stood taller then when they stoop to help a child. This program works. The best pay is when someone walks up and puts a toy down and says that is for when you helped me when I was a child.”

Through his work with the Toys for Tots program, Loring saw there was a need for more than just toys. As a result, he has helped to start the Skivvies for Tots program and a Food for Tots program.

“Through Skivvies for Tots, children get underwear, socks and toothbrushes from the local Rotary,” Loring said. “The Food for Tots program is faith-based. They set up when we are giving out the presents and hand out food for the kids and their families.”

Loring also helped to inspire Anna Fulk to create Projects of Pasco, a program that hands out brand-new backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need.

“He is the number one ace in the hole,” Fulk said. “If it wasn’t for Bob, I would not have got involved with Toys for Tots or with getting school supplies. If everybody in the world could take just one-fourth of what Bob is about, then we would not have the problems we have today. Whenever he speaks, it comes from the heart.”

In addition to providing them with the supplies they need, Loring also shows them possible careers.

“We don’t just give them backpacks, we take them to the veterinarian’s office to learn about that career,” Loring said. “I think that kids have to see something before they can make it a goal. They see the veterinarian and then if they want to work with the animals, they learn what they have to do in order to do it. It gives them a reason to study hard.”

Loring is always coming up with inventive ways to help the children living in poverty in Pasco like the new Bikes for Tots program. Through a partnership of the East Pasco Toys for Tots and Boy Scouts of America, boys aged 9-11 who are receiving help from Toys for Tots can receive a bicycle if they join Scouts.

“The goal is to get children in poverty into scouting,” Loring said. “They will get a bike, a helmet and the Scouts will provide them with uniforms. I want to make the American Dream available for all our children.”

The need for supplies continues to increase every year.

“Since I started Toys for Tots, I have had to plan for a 10 percent increase but since the economy went down more people need help then ever,” Loring said. “With people out of work right now the demand is even higher. I think one day the demand will overwhelm me.”

Instead of asking for help from the government, Loring feels it is the responsibility of the community to take care of people.

“Everything I am doing has nothing to do with federal grants, state funding or local county funding,” Loring said. “It should be our community responsibility because if not it can’t be replicated. The federal funding is only good for maybe a few years but then it ends.”

Another project close to Loring’s heart is the American Dream Congress he started almost nine years ago because he felt people who work with children should network together. He invites teachers, students and any organization with an interest in children like Boy Scouts of America and the Salvation Army.

“We need to make sure all the services aren’t overlapping and find out what each other is up to,” Loring said. “When people start talking together, there are so many possibilities. I think people who work with children couldn’t work harder but we can work smarter.”

Loring moved to San Antonio from Miami in 1996 with his wife, Claudia, because his daughter Noelle Loring was going to school at the University of South Florida. Currently she lives in St. Petersburg.

“I was just planning on sitting here and watching the grass grow,” Loring said. “Then I got the call from the Marine Corp to help coordinate the Toys for Tots and I accepted the mission. I have become the face of it, but there are many other people helping to put this together. I wouldn’t be able to do this without all the help I get.”

In addition to Toys for Tots, Loring is also active in many other areas like the San Antonio Rotary Club, the Rotary E-Club, the Salvation Army, the Marine Corps League and The Samaritan Project in Zephyrhills.

Loring is a charter member and the current chaplain of the Marine Corps League in the area.

“The league is designed to promote the Marine Corps and to take care of our own,” Loring said. “We are not political but we manage to oversee anything affecting our veterans.”

In addition to all the things he does in the community, Loring also writes book reviews for Leatherneck, a Marine Corps magazine.

“I read a lot of military history because of my book reviews, but I like to read a lot of things,” Loring said. “I take it very seriously because I have a chance to influence the reading habits of marines. I also get the opportunity to talk to the living legends that write these books.”

Loring is motivated to help children in poverty because when he was young, he did not have much either.

“When I was a kid my dad was a teacher,” Loring said. “He was a brilliant man and he could have done a lot of things and make a lot of money but he didn’t.  I wasn’t like the Toys for Tots children.”

He was also inspired to help because of all the good service he saw his dad Robert H. Loring and his grandfather Arthur Binford provide.

“They did what I do for the families in need when I was a child,” Loring said. “I get to get goods and services for the people who need them. They had the idea that a person belongs to the community, that there is a give and take.”

As another motivator, Loring said he likes to help people because there was a time in his life where he was not the best person. He is an alcoholic, but he has not had a drink since 1982.

“I never got in trouble but I did cause grief, pain and unhappiness for some people,” Loring said.

For more information, visit www.toysfortotspasco.org.

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

Linda Salin remembers lying on the bathroom floor, unable to sleep, overwhelmed with crippling pain and depression.

She had been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, a painful and at times debilitating bladder condition associated with urinary frequency. An estimated 8 million women suffer from the disease.

“I didn’t want to live the way I was living,” Salin said. “I went to my doctor and said you have to do something about my pain or the next time you see me it’ll be in a cemetery. It was that bad.”

That was nearly 20 years ago. Today, the symptoms of Salin’s disease are under control, due in part to the Interstitial Cystitis Association, a nonprofit dedicated to finding new treatments for IC.

Salin, a Land O’ Lakes resident, is employed as a patient advocate and information specialist for the organization. She and 200 other ICA representatives will visit Capitol Hill March 25 to meet with congress members about research needed to find a cure for IC.

“We are going to urge them to continue funding,” Salin said. “People with IC can feel like they can’t go on another minute and they can’t get good medical care because doctors still don’t have enough knowledge about the disease.”

Interstitial Cystitis is defined as pelvic pain, pressure or discomfort related to the bladder and typically associated with urinary frequency and urgency in absence of infection. It causes thinning of the bladder, tightening of the pelvic wall and can cause ulcers in the pelvic region. Some IC patients use the bathroom up to 60 times a day, causing extreme strain on the pelvic muscles.

While the illness affects mostly women, men can also have the disease. Approximately 82,000 men are currently being treated for IC, but it is suspected many more have it. Urologists may misinterpret the symptoms as a prostate problem and not investigate further.

Salin said the disease is often misdiagnosed.

“It is treated as a urinary tract infection or doctors think that you are making it up,” Salin said. “A lot of doctors want to help but don’t know how. The ICA is trying to change that by making people more aware of the disease.”

According to the ICA, the best way to diagnose IC is with a cystoscopy under anesthesia, where the bladder is slowly stretched. The test can show bladder changes typical of IC, but sometimes the diagnosis is still missed.

There is no cure for IC but it can be treated in a variety of ways. Patients may take Elmiron, the only oral medicine specifically for the disease. Pain relievers, antihistamines and anti-depressants are also given to IC patients. Bladder distentions, bladder instillations and physical therapy are also used.

Physical therapist Shayne Tarrance specializes in helping women with pelvic pain at her Westchase office.  She has treated Salin.

“Twenty-five percent of my practice is IC patients,” Tarrance said. “It can be extremely painful and cause urgency to where patients are going to the bathroom every few minutes. I work with them by going into the pelvic wall and using different techniques to relax the muscles. I also use behavioral modification to help patients retrain their bladder.

Salin currently uses a combination of pain medications, muscle relaxants and physical therapy. She also eats a diet low in acidic foods, which are known to worsen IC symptoms.

“You have to find the right treatments that work for you,” Salin said. “Physical therapy really helped turn things around for me. When I first started therapy, I couldn’t take a 20-minute car ride without having to rush to the bathroom. Physical therapy changed that.”

Salin said she became involved with the ICA to help keep others from suffering the way she did in the past. She was fortunate to have the support of her husband and children, but not everyone does. The ICA offers patient support and education so patients know they are not helpless.

Salin is looking forward to meeting with congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite to discuss the possibilities for IC research. She plans to share her personal story and the potentially devastating life effects of IC.

“There was a point when I felt like giving up,“ Salin said. “The most important thing is to keep trying. I want people to know they can get help. There is hope.”

If you think your might have IC or for information on the disease visit www.ichelp.org.