How can I change my address?
I have questions about IC. Who can I ask?
How can I find a doctor experienced at treating IC?
Who manages the ICN website?
How is the ICN funded?
How did IC activities first begin on the Internet?
What is the goal of the ICN website?
Is the ICN affiliated with the ICA?
Does the ICN offer medical advice?
What message do you want visitors to remember after they visit the ICN?
Who writes the IC Network materials?

Frequently Asked Questions

Change of Address Requests

FOR IC OPTIMIST SUBSCRIPTIONS - If you are currently an ICN Angel or Basic subscriber and receive your IC Optimists newsletters by email or snail mail, please mail your change of address to: shipping[a]ic-network.com

FOR FREE ICN E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS - Please enter your new e-mail address on our newsletter page at: http://www.ic-network.com/newsletters/ . You can unsubscribe your current address by simply using the "unsubscribe" link that is at the bottom of every newsletter.

I have questions about IC? Who can I ask?

#1 - Your doctor is the only person qualified to give you medical advice. You should always address questions about treatments and your medical care to your physician.

#2 - You can ask basic questions about IC, self-help, diet and so forth in the ICN Support Forum where there are dozens of support group leaders and patients who would like to help. This is a free service!

#3 - You can e-mail or phone the ICN office directly. If you have numerous questions about IC and/or would like to talk in depth about IC, this can be arranged however we strongly hope that you will consider making a contribution to the ICN by becoming an ICN subscriber at that time to help offset our phone expenses.

#4 - Use the search command for our website.

#5 - Research IC using the ICN Research Library

#6 - Read more in the best books on IC, available in the ICN Shop.

How can I find a doctor experienced with treating IC?

Please refer to our professional clinic listings.

Who manages the IC Network?

The Interstitial Cystitis Network is managed by Jill Osborne with help by an exceptional team of ICN staff and volunteers, including:

Janice - Mail Order Division & Accounting

Donna - Manages the support forum and leads an exceptional team of 20+ volunteer support group leaders who serve as forum moderators and supermoderators.

Kathi & Leslie - co-facilitate our live support chats

Stacey, Bev, Gaye & Yvette - Contribute a wide variety of written materials and articles for the website AND our magazine.

Julie Tapia - Designs Our Publications

Within three months of her diagnosis of IC in 1993, Jill become a volunteer IC support group leader for the ICA. She ventured online in 1994 to create resources for patients who were too ill to attend meetings or who didn't have a support group near them. She founded the IC Network in 1995 and is usually found educating patients by phone, writing and editing our various publications, as well as designing the website and managing our computer network.

In January 2009, the IC Network continues to be the largest provider of IC information and support in the world, serving more than 300,000 patients a month in our support forum, live chats, e-newsletters and phone support.

Jill has a B.A. in Pharmacology and an M.A. in Psychology. She lives in the Valley of the Moon, Sonoma County, California. Read her story!

How is this site funded?

In May 1998, the ICN became an "on-line medical publishing site" in the State of California. In December 2004, it was incorporated and is a division of J.H. Osborne, Inc.

The Interstitial Cystitis Network is supported by generous corporate sponsors, subscriptions for our quarterly IC Optimist newsletter and from the proceeds of the ICN Shop!

How did IC activities first begin on the Internet?

In 1994, the support group leaders of IC-Redwood Empire (a California based IC support group) were looking for a method to bring support to members who could not come to meetings because of illness or work. Jill Osborne, founder of ICRE, joined both Compuserve and AOL to search for other patients. Shortly thereafter, she moderated the first ever on-line bladder disease support groups on AOL for IC patients, paraplegics, quadriplegics and prostate patients, exploring the effectiveness of on-line message boards and live support chats. One year later, another co-leader of ICRE (Nancy, aka Jewel), joined the AOL effort and began the first "IC only" message board in January of 1995. She and Jill jointly facilitated the first live meetings and message boards. Later that year, Jill stepped down as leader of the AOL group to begin the IC Network.

What is the goal of the IC Network?

The ICN strives to be the best "patient led" medical publishing sites on IC. Our goal is to provide valuable and timely information and support resource not only for patients, but for physicians and researchers who are working to further the IC cause.

Is the IC Network affiliated with the ICA?

The answer is "no." When the ICN began in 1995, we offered to build the first website on IC for the ICA but they were not interested in any "on-line" activities at the time. They joined the on-line community in 1998 when they built their first website on IC.

Does the IC Network offer medical advice?

Absolutely not. Please review our DISCLAIMER. Gathering health information on the web should be done with care. Always remember that no on-line information source should provide you with personal medical advice, nor should you assume that every website or patient offering information on IC is safe. In fact, many websites now sell fake "cures," unreliable books and/or products, thus scamming gullible patients. Please remember that only YOUR personal medical care provider can do this. Read about internet consumer safety tips in the library.

What is the message of the ICN?

There is hope! Great hope! Current IC research is providing dramatic new developments in IC knowledge and treatment strategies. Every day, we get closer to the cure and, until that happens, there are very effective treatment and self-help strategies worth exploring. We hope to encourage patients to be actively involved in their medical care.