Articles Written By Jill Osborne, The Founder Of The ICN

When Bladder Treatments Don’t Work For IC/BPS: It’s Time For A New Approach
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When Bladder Treatments Don’t Work For IC/BPS: It’s Time For A New Approach

Flares, Front Page Feed, Jill's Journal, Pain Care, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Pain, Women's Health

When Bladder Treatments Don’t Work For IC/BPS: It’s Time For A New Approach

Clinging To Old Treatments For IC/BPS Could Hold You Back If you had been diagnosed with IC/BPS forty years ago, odds are you would have been prescribed antibiotics, given urethral dilations and/or referred to a psychiatrist under the mistaken assumption that IC was all in your heads. Twenty years ago, that same patient might have [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-11-22T23:58:26+00:00 November 22nd, 2017|Flares, Front Page Feed, Jill's Journal, Pain Care, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Pelvic Pain, Women's Health|Comments Off

My Uterine Cancer Scare – Hormone Replacement Therapy Carries Risks
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My Uterine Cancer Scare – Hormone Replacement Therapy Carries Risks

Front Page Feed, Jill's Journal

My Uterine Cancer Scare – Hormone Replacement Therapy Carries Risks

Last Spring, I announced that I was having an emergency surgery for possible uterine cancer. It was May 23, 2017 and I was terrified. Absolutely, completely and totally terrified that they would find active tumors and, worse (yes, worse) that the surgery would exacerbate my IC and pelvic pain. Let me start by saying [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-09-18T15:26:49+00:00 August 10th, 2017|Front Page Feed, Jill's Journal|Comments Off

I was fine until I wasn’t – Jill’s Journal – Hysterectomy & Possible Uterine Cancer
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I was fine until I wasn’t – Jill’s Journal – Hysterectomy & Possible Uterine Cancer

Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal

I was fine until I wasn’t – Jill’s Journal – Hysterectomy & Possible Uterine Cancer

ICN Education & Support Phone Line Will Be Closed While Jill Recovers From Surgery Next week I’ll be recovering from an urgent hysterectomy and waiting anxiously for my uterine biopsy results. This saga began last fall when I started spotting. Of course, I hadn’t had a period in about two years so contacted my doctor [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-08-10T16:05:09+00:00 May 20th, 2017|Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal|24 Comments

Does BIG PHARMA control the IC movement?
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Does BIG PHARMA control the IC movement?

Front Page Feed, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal

Does BIG PHARMA control the IC movement?

Does BIG PHARMA control the IC movement? The answer is NO. In fact, big pharma abandoned the IC movement almost a decade ago. The last big pharmaceutical company to dedicate money to IC was Ortho Urology, makers of Elmiron. They had walked away even before Elmiron went off of patent. The makers of the other oral medications (Atarax, [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-31T08:51:16+00:00 January 19th, 2016|Front Page Feed, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal|Comments Off

Nail Polish Toxins Found In Urine Could Influence Bladder Health
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Nail Polish Toxins Found In Urine Could Influence Bladder Health

Consumer Alerts, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal, Toxic Exposures, Women's Health

Nail Polish Toxins Found In Urine Could Influence Bladder Health

If you love getting a manicure or pedicure, a recent announcement by the Environmental Working Group will make you rethink the brands you might be using. Polishes by Sally Hansen, Essie, OPI, Revlon, Wet N Wild, Spa Ritual, Orly, theBalm, Nuance, Maybelline and Beauty without Cruelty contain a chemical called triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), known for its endocrine-disrupting [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-18T12:02:36+00:00 October 21st, 2015|Consumer Alerts, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal, Toxic Exposures, Women's Health|Comments Off

Atara Schimmel’s Stunning Angel Project Raises Awareness For Pelvic Pain

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then the art of Atara Schimmel speaks volumes about pelvic pain and pudendal neuralgia. She's just won the ADA poster contest sponsored by the city of Boston for her entry "We Will Be Heard," one of her Project Angel series which is dedicated to raising awareness for pelvic [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-31T10:10:42+00:00 July 22nd, 2015|Awareness, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal, Pelvic Pain, Self Care|Comments Off

Does your IC make it difficult to work? You have rights under the ADA!
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Does your IC make it difficult to work? You have rights under the ADA!

Disability, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal

Does your IC make it difficult to work? You have rights under the ADA!

Twenty five years ago this month, the American's With Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to stem the tide of layoffs and overt discrimination that occurred (and sadly still occurs) in workplaces across America. Earlier this month, I blogged about IC hero Bard Alan Finlan who spent years struggling with Verizon over his request for reasonable accommodation [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-18T12:02:49+00:00 July 21st, 2015|Disability, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal|Comments Off

Why You Should Apply To Join The ICA Board of Directors
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Why You Should Apply To Join The ICA Board of Directors

Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal

Why You Should Apply To Join The ICA Board of Directors

For the past couple of weeks, the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) has been soliciting applications for their Board of Directors. They announced, today, that they are extending the deadline through Sunday, July 20th. (See announcement here!) I want to encourage anyone who has passion for the IC movement to apply. They have a simple application process [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-31T10:11:49+00:00 July 17th, 2015|Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal|Comments Off

Why You Shouldn’t Load Up on NSAID’s for IC, Bladder or Pelvic Pain
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Why You Shouldn’t Load Up on NSAID’s for IC, Bladder or Pelvic Pain

Consumer Alerts, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal, Pain Care, Pelvic Pain

Why You Shouldn’t Load Up on NSAID’s for IC, Bladder or Pelvic Pain

When you struggle with IC and/or chronic pain and don't have access to traditional pain relievers, using an OTC pain relief pill may feel like your only option. Right? I, like most patients, turned to Advil and Tylenol to help reduce my bladder pain when I was first diagnosed. Seriously, IC can hurt terribly and if it's the [...]

By Jill Osborne| 2017-01-31T10:12:34+00:00 July 14th, 2015|Consumer Alerts, Interstitial Cystitis Network Blog, Jill's Journal, Pain Care, Pelvic Pain|Comments Off

Why I won’t forget Bard-Alan Finlan, a good man who fought for the rights of IC patients.

In the thousands of patients who have contacted the Interstitial Cystitis Network in the past twenty years, there are several who have created indelible memories. I met Bard more than a decade ago when he called for help with his disability discrimination claims against his employer, Verizon. Bard faced outrageous discrimination at his job, often by female superiors. [...]