The Summer 2017 IC Optimist has now been sent by e-mail and/or US Mail to our current ICN paid members! Your copy should be arrived shortly if it has not already arrived!

In this issue:

  1. ICN Editorial: “My Uterine Cancer Scare: Hormone Replacement Therapy Carries Risks”
  2. Feature Story: Master Class – “The Broad Picture of Interstitial Cystitis” by Kenneth Peters MD is the best educational article we’ve read in a decade about IC.
  3. Clinical Trial Announcements – The global Leadership 301 Study is seeking patients throughout the USA, Canada and in several European countries.
  4. Feature Story: Finding Comfort With Pets – Stacey Shannon explores the special love pets offer in times of illness.
  5. Inside AUA 2017 – The Latest Research
  6. Inside AUA 2017 – Real Men Get Real Pelvic Pain
  7. Inside AUA 2017 – From UPOINT to INPUT
  8. Self-Help Tip of the Month – How Our Thoughts Can Influence Our Pain Levels
  9. IC Diet Project – “What Do You Men “No Tomatoes?”
  10. ICN Fact Sheets – We include updated copies of all of our IC Fact Sheets, including a new one on IC Subtypes!

To receive our magazine, you must become an ICN Member! 

New Memberships Launched

After a year of testing with various software systems, we’ve launched our new membership area which offers many new benefits for our subscribers and members, including your own dedicated member areas where you can download current magazines, past magazines, books and much more! We now offer three memberships:

IC Guardian Membership ($25)

A guardian is a person who cares for the welfare of others – Your $25 annual fee helps to bring support to patients who are homebound and/or lack access to a support group. You’re helping us to reach out to patients in need and of all ages. You are also helping to fund the ICN Patient Support phone line, the only resource in the country that patients can call and ask questions about their IC. This year long ICN Membership entitles you to:

  • Four new digital issues of the IC Optimist (Sent by email or downloaded from your Member Area)
  • Four recent back issues of the IC Optimist magazine*
  • ICN Flare Management Guide*
  • IC Fact Sheet series*
  • ICN Medical Records File*

IC Champion Membership ($50)

A champion is a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else. This membership helps us fund IC Awareness Month and create new educational books, articles and educational videos for the IC patient community, including the ICN Guide to Managing Flares, our ICN Diet List & Apps, the “Living With IC” video series, feature stories, self-help tips and so much more. We are incredibly proud that the IC Network has been rated the top website dedicated to IC by research studies conducted by the Harvard Medical School and the University of London. Your membership help us continue to meet these very high standards. The Champion membership entitles you to:

  • Four new issues of the IC Optimist sent by mail to your home
  • Guide to Managing IC Flares*
  • Guide to Managing the IC Diet*
  • Eight back issues of the IC Optimist magazine*
  • IC Fact Sheet series*
  • ICN Medical Records File*
  • ICN Gift Pack

IC Hero Membership ($100)

A hero is a person who shows courage and is a central figure in an event or movement. – Your $100 membership helps us look to the future of the IC movement, including collaborating with key IC/BPS researchers so that we can further the study of IC and chronic pelvic pain and the search for a cure. We aggressively support the clinical trial movement which can provide free cutting edge treatment to eligible patients. We conduct our own qualitative research surveys to help solve the many puzzles of IC. We share the latest IC research breakthroughs to the patient community. We explore how new technologies may improve patient care and quality of life, such as the IC Diet and upcoming Flare App. You’re not just helping us serve as patient guardians but you’re also helping us to champion the cause of IC patients such as IC Awareness Month. You are, simply, the heroes of the ICN. This includes:

  • Four new issues of the IC Optimist sent by mail to your home
  • ALL available back issues of the IC Optimist magazine*
  • IC Chef Cookbook*
  • Guide to Managing IC Flares*
  • Guide to Managing the IC Diet*
  • IC Fact Sheet series*
  • ICN Medical Records File*

*Immediately available for your download of our magazine & includes all updates during your membership period.

Transitioning Your Account

Because this is a new system, we cannot automatically transition past subscriptions into a membership. The software will not allow us to do this. For those of you who have purchased an ICN Subscription within the past six months, we can offer you a pro-rated credit for your subscription if you update to a new Membership. (Our ability to issue credits is limited to transactions made in the previous six months.) If you purchased your subscription more than six months ago, you’ll be shortly transitioned into the new system when you renew. To do this, simply:

1. Order the new membership that you would like

2. Send me an email (customerservice@icnsales.com) or give us a call (707.538.9442) to tell me that you would like your membership credit. I will then forward your request to my team!