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I understand
your pain

because I have IC.

Get in touch with me

I understand
your pain

because I have IC.

Get in touch with me

I understand
your pain

because I have IC.

Get in touch with me

Here’s

my story.

Dr. Mandy LaGreca 

DCN, CNS, FDN-P, CCN, LN

Hello IC healers, welcome to IC Healer. Here is my IC story and how I have been able to overcome this devastating condition:
My story starts when I was 8 years old when I was overweight and my best friend at the time told me I was fat and worthless. It was the first time I realized the role food had in how I felt, and what I put in my mouth, was associated with how I felt about myself.
Things started to spiral out of control later in high school and college in which my relationship with food became very dysfunctional. During the dark days of my college years, I struggled with an eating disorder. Food was my enemy and my best friend, and I had a dysfunctional relationship between periods of comfort binge eating and emotional purge episodes, which I now know were triggered by stress.

I took a semester off to get treated for bulimia. Right after I was released in my junior year, I enrolled myself in nutrition school and this was the first ah-ha moment I had in that food was NOT the enemy but rather necessary for life. Unfortunately, I was distracted by people around me telling me that I would not be a good dietician, I would not make any money, so I unenrolled myself from the school and finished my degree as a packaging engineer. After 5 horrible years as a packaging engineer, my health continued to spiral out of control and my stress binge eating returned.

I eventually quit my job and got married and had children. It was after the birth of my 1st child that my IC symptoms began. The symptoms continued on for about 6 years. Doctors did not have answers for me besides medications and surgery. They told me I would have this condition for life, and that I would have to medicate it to keep symptoms under control. There were 6 very hopeless years, and I continued to mask my symptoms with pain relievers
I reached a dark pit of my life 2016 I will never forget…when I was in the midst of the worst IC flare of my life. At this point, I was divorced, obtained a Masters in Biology and was working as a science teacher. My bladder was spasming, I could not urinate without screaming, I was crawled in my bed, in tears, fantasizing about ending my life. Sobbing. Gripping my bladder and urethra….my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) encouraged me to seek outside of the conventional doctors.

I always felt in my heart there was a root cause of my pain. The type of help I sought was not covered by insurance and I knew it was going to tear me down financially…and it was a leap of faith, but one that was a major turning point in shaping who I am today. Through getting alternative care, I learned about MY root cause and how the condition started for me. I also educated myself on the function of the human body, and how everything is connected. This gave me the breakthrough eureka moments that there is an overarching underlying cause for my symptoms.

This experience is what inspired me to quit my second job as a teacher and to enroll myself in a doctorate program and obtain 2 certifications, one in functional diagnostics and one in clinical nutrition. I am still at shock at how quickly I finished those two certifications while still working on healing IC. This was the start of my true search for answers and was my breakthrough moment.

Most of my focus during my doctorate was focused on the microbiome and the pathology of chronic conditions such as IC and painful bladder syndrome. What started with my struggles and passion for bodyweight management turned to a strong passion to find answers to help those struggling with the very same bladder condition I am afflicted with!

The reason I developed IC healer was that I found it impossible to find answers from traditional western docs, and most of them didn’t even care to find answers. I started this organization so I can provide to women who have been in the same situation as me.

My programs consist of education, natural healing methods and guidelines on things I learned during my 10-year battle with IC/BPS. The journey for me was far from smooth. I had a lot of pits and breakthroughs along the way, but each one was a significant learning experience for me as I got closer and closer to finding answers and healing myself from the painful and debilitating condition.

I also had to spend a lot of money to obtain the knowledge, from college tuition, certifications, working with different integrative practitioners and the plethora of lab testing and supplements I had to do to troubleshoot my own personal healing. The good news is my knowledge and experience can shortcut your healing journey, which will save you time and money

If you are unsure of the program that is right for you, you can simply fill out the quiz that will tell you which one is best for your situation. Also joining our community is a great way to get in touch with others like yourself, those who have healed or those who are on their way to healing. I created these programs with you in mind because I know first hand how hard it is. You need all the support you can get, and that is what we do best at IC Healer!

Welcome to our Tribe! We are so glad to have you join us.

How can we help you?

Who is Dr. Mandy?

Mandy is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition that specializes in investigating the root cause of your ailments. She uses cutting edge science to help guide you to optimal health using the mind, body, and heart. She uses methodologies that will inspire you, and ignite your desire to change to become greater than the desire to stay the same. She will be your health advocate throughout your journey.

How does FDN work?

FDN takes a comprehensive and non-specific approach that guides you in building your health from the ground up. “Non-specific” means that we do not narrow in on specific symptoms. We know that the body as a whole needs attention for the best results. It is important to remember that as an FDN-P, I do not diagnose or treat specific diseases.

FDN has 6 core elements:

  1. Thorough intake process

You will be asked to fill out a comprehensive intake form to teach you about your own personal health history. This consists of a health history summary, functional matrix and timeline that you will be given at the time of your meeting.

  1. Functional lab work

FDN has a motto, “Don’t guess. Test.” Functional lab work helps take the guesswork out by pinpointing your personal healing opportunities. We educate what the results of your labs mean and how they may correlate to your health conditions.

  1. Create your own protocol

You will be educated on how to create your own health building protocol using the information from your health history and other information. The areas addressed in your protocol will be Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress reduction, and Supplementation, otherwise referred to as the D.R.E.S.S® for Health Success Program. All five pillars need to be addressed for optimal results.

  1. Education

“We don’t medicate, we educate!” We are the ultimate health educators of the highest order. We use our clinical and research skills to guide you to make better decisions toward optimal health. We will use charts and images as necessary to help you understand how the body functions and what it means for you personally. The most important question in Functional Medicine is “why?” And you should know “why” too.

  1. Support

We are invested in your health and want to see you reach your goals. You are not alone in the process; we are here to guide you. In addition, we encourage you to find support from family, friends, and other health practitioners as needed.

  1. Commitment

Commitment is a key attribute in achieving optimal health. By opting into the FDN model, you are committing to self-care and the work required to improve your health. We all want that “magic bullet”, but in reality, health doesn’t work that way. A heartfelt commitment to yourself and the healing process is the driver of your success. We are here to help you get there, but you need to do the work.

What are Dr. Mandy’s credentials?

Dr. Mandy has a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition (DCN) and is world renown as an expert in IC and BPS. She is a licensed Nutritionist (LN) and holds a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential, which is the most advanced certification for personalized nutrition practitioners. Dr. Mandy also has attained the following credentials: Clinical Certification Nutrition (CCN), Functional Diagnostic Practitioner (FDN-P), Masters in Biology (MS), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and holds two certifications through ISSA. She is recognized across the world as one of the leading experts in Interstitial Cystitis and Painful Bladder Syndrome. She has dedicated her life to helping people find relief from these two conditions, which she has suffered from herself.

What is FDN and how will it help me?

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) is a type of detective work that seeks to figure out what is going on inside your body and treat dysfunction – not just eliminate the symptoms, but really fix what is wrong.

Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® follows the principles of Functional Medicine, which seeks to achieve “root cause resolution.” What does this mean? This means we want to know why you have symptoms, not just that you have them. How do we do this? We evaluate core body systems using functional lab work to identify hidden stressors. These hidden stressors are seen as “healing opportunities” that help point you in the direction of better health. By balancing your body, you help build a strong foundation upon which you can thrive.

How can I work with Dr. Mandy?

There are currently 3 great ways to get started with IC Healer: 1) We offer a private community to connect with others in a positive environment who are looking for answers. 2) We offer an online course for people looking to self-heal. 3) We also offer 1-on-1 coaching for those who desire a faster healing program supplemented by regular live meetings from Dr. Mandy. No matter which path you choose, our goal is to help you find the answers and the support you are looking for so you can start on a healing path.