10/10/2026
In the October episode of The Connected Journey: Life with IC, host Laura Santurri sits down with Connie, a veteran journalist and soap opera critic whose IC journey spans more than four decades. Connie was diagnosed in 1981, the same year the Interstitial Cystitis Association was founded, and attended the ICA's very first meeting at the United Nations, making her one of the longest-tenured members of the ICA community. She reflects candidly on a lifetime of treatments, from bladder instillations to intravenous lidocaine infusions at a pain management clinic, and opens up about a particularly devastating chapter in 2015 when a severe flare combined with another painful condition led to a breakdown that kept her from working for six years. Connie shares how IC ultimately shaped her career, leading her to become a freelancer so she could manage her symptoms on her own terms, a decision that also gave her the freedom of voice she has used to advocate for IC awareness ever since. She speaks honestly about the friendships she has lost to disbelief and the unwavering support of her husband, who cooks her IC-friendly meals every day. Connie closes with her characteristic boldness: join the ICA, speak up without shame, and never stop advocating — because silence helps no one.
Together, we're defeating isolation, one story at a time. Available on Apple Podcasts & YouTube.
Learn more here: https://www.ichelp.org/news-comms/the-connected-journey/
