Join Us & Become An ICN Subscriber!

The IC Optimist is the quarterly magazine written for our ICN patient and professional subscribers. Our goal is to be encouraging and supportive, hence the title "The IC Optimist." We are completely and entirely optimistic about IC/PBS. Research is very productive as we learn, each month, about new possible treatments. In our experience, most patients stabilize within the first six months and then slowly improve over time, dependent in great part on their dedication to following the IC diet and trying treatments. We have excellent self-help strategies that can dramatically improve your quality of life. There is no reason for any patient to feel shame or guilt. IC is real and treatable.

We offer several types of subscriptions. For patients on budget, it's available for as little as $20 a year by email in our Silver Subscription. Print versions are available to our Angel Subscribers for $60 a year, which also includes a 15% discount for most purchases in the ICN Shop. Both International and Medical Professional Subscriptions are also available. Back and the current issues are also available for purchase in the ICN Shop.

You can subscribe in three ways:

(1) By phone: (707)433-0413 or (707)538-9442

(2) By fax: (707)538-9444

(3) Via our ICN Mail Order web site: Click Here For Ordering Details

In this issue - Summer 2008 (Released August 2008)

The IC Optimist is your source for the latest IC news and practical self-help strategies. This expanded issue of the Spring 2008 IC Optimist includes:

(1) Is a Natural Approach a Safer Way to Treat IC – ICN Editorial One of the most frequent questions that I get in the ICN office is “How Can I Treat IC Naturally?” It’s a tough question. There’s an assumption on the part of some people that medications aren’t as safe as products that are herbal or “natural.” We cover a wide variety of issues including product quality, promised “cures” for IC and how to select therapies safely.

(2) Conference Reports – AUA 2008 Read the latest research highlights from the American Urological Association Annual Meeting, the largest international urology conference of the year.

(3) Conference Report - “Defining the Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes.” NIDDK International Symposium Leading IC specialists from around the world came together in Bethesda, Md., June 16 and 17 at a conference sponsored by the NIDDK. The event was subtitled as a new beginning as researchers debated a few hot issues in IC right now: the potential name change, the connection of IC to other diseases and the possibility that IC is more of a centralized disease and less bladder specific.

(4) Conference Report – ESSIC 2008 The European Society for the Study of IC held their annual meeting in Rome, Italy this Spring. Read the highlights of new research presented at their conference in this summary.

(5) The Latest IC Research

(6) Self-Help Tip of the Month: Medication Side Effects After a very scary and unexpected reaction to a new medication, ICN Founder Jill Osborne shares insight into medication safety, side effects to common IC medications and resources that you can use today to research your medications.

(7) American As Apple Pie: A Fresh Tastes Column by Bev Laumann Leave it to Bev Laumann, the ultimate IC diet guru, to balance the science with something that we all need, great comfort food. In American As Apple Pie, she shares tips on finding apple varieties that can be much more bladder friendly and offers recipes on Apple Meringue and Fennel Scented Apple Cake. Enjoy!

(8) Alternative Vs. Traditional Therapies – An IC Lifestyles Column by Gaye Sandler Gaye Sandler, author of Patient to Patient: Managing IC & Related Conditions, shares her thoughts on the use of these two, often confusing, approaches to treating IC.

(9) Consumer Safety & FDA Alerts - The latest batch of recalls include a recalled generic hydroxyzine, various pain medications, cipro and more!

(10) ICN Resource Guide - An updated catalog of the many resources currently available to patients around the world!

Purchase Current & Back Copies As A Single Issue

 

Ten Reasons To Join Us

(1) The ICN is the only national company and website dedicated entirely to IC patient support and education.

(2) Since our founding, the ICN has offered more than 25,000,000 FREE support sessions in our support forum, chats and phone support services to patients in more than 90 countries.

(3) The ICN brings support directly into the homes and offices of patients who need it the most, including those who are unable to attend local meetings, live in underserved rural areas or are too ill to participate.

(4) The ICN has hosted almost 100 guest lectures, all provided in the ICN chat room AT NO COST to patients.

(5) The ICN was developed by IC patients for IC patients. Our approach is practical, direct and focused on improving our day to day quality of life

(6) We offer information on drug assistance and low income resource centers for patients who are struggling financially.

(7) Our e-newsletter is the oldest and most read web based publication dedicated to IC, offered at no cost, to patients and professionals. It brings you the latest IC news, research studies, feature stories, consumer alerts, columns on the IC diet and so much more.

(8) The IC Optimist Quarterly Patient Magazine is a publication just for our ICN professional and patient subscribers filled with indepth articles on all things IC, such as research news, features stories, Bev Laumann's "Fresh Tastes by Bev" feature column, Self-help Tips of the Month and more!

(9) Your donation not only underwrites our support activities but helps our staff, each of which are IC patients, be independent.

(10) You help us bring a collaborating and inclusive values to the IC movement which has, in the past, excluded physicians, researchers and patients who have "cutting edge" ideas "outside of the box." Inotherwords, your funds aren't supporting status quo, but a new, innovative vision for the IC movement. We believe that the more voices heard, the more people involved the better!

But, it takes a village to make this happen. Our activities are made possible by our generous IC subscribers, corporate sponsors and purchases in the ICN Shop. If you believe that we are making a difference. If you have found the IC Network to be personally helpful to you, please join us today.

You can join us in three ways:

By phone: (707)433-0413 or (707)538-9442

By fax: (707)538-9444

Via our secure web site: Click Here For Ordering Details

Are you financially limited?

If you can't afford to purchase a subscription, take heart. Remember, our entire website and support activities are free for all. We do occasionally have damaged copies of various IC books donated by publishing companies and authors that we can send, for free, to patients in need. For additional information, please call our office at: (707)538-9442.