{{{THANK YOU}}} to Tali Keteri and everyone who participated in our 2013 IC Awareness Month campaign! Your posters, patient projects, stories, answers to Tali’s questions made this so incredibly meaningful and powerful. Truly, when we speak together, the world will listen and it did! Interstitial cystitis is no longer considered rare, nor an orphan disease. Far more doctors, though clearly not enough, are diagnosing it early and correctly. And, for those of us who are patients, we no longer sit in the darkness and in tears. There is a bounty of support, of IC friends who share our journey, our struggles and who offer kindness and support! Bless you all for a job very well done!!!! Tali, you are worth your wait in GOLD! I’ve never seen an IC volunteer not only be as creative and energetic as you were.. but you were also present each and every day! You stuck by the project for 30 days… and you did a MASTERFUL job!!!! Hugs!! – Jill O, ICN President & Founder
IC Awareness Month Gratitudes!
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
About the Author: Jill Osborne
My Google Profile+ Jill Heidi Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders.
As the editor and lead author of the ICN and the IC Optimist magazine, Jill is proud of the academic recognition that her website has achieved. The University of London rated the ICN as the top IC website for accuracy, credibility, readability and quality. (Int Urogynecol J - April 2013). Harvard Medical School rated both Medscape and the ICN as the top two websites dedicated to IC. (Urology - Sept 11). For many years, Jill served on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel (US Army) where she collaborated with researchers to evaluate new IC research studies for possible funding. Jill has conducted and/or collaborates on a variety of IC research studies on new therapeutics, pain care, sexuality, the use of medical marijuana, menopause and the cost of treatments, shining a light on issues that influence patient quality of life.
An IC support group leader and national spokesperson for the past 20 years, she has represented the IC community on radio, TV shows, at medical conferences. She has written hundreds of articles on IC and its related conditions.
Jill has a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacology and a Masters in Psychology, Jill was named Presidential Management Intern (aka Fellowship) while in graduate school. (She was unable to earn her PhD due to the onset of her IC.) She spends the majority of her time providing WELLNESS COACHING for patients in need and developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including new live IC Support Group Meetings via Youtube and the “Living with IC” video series. Jill was diagnosed with IC at the age of 32 but first showed symptoms at the age of 12.