The Interstitial Cystitis movement began with IC patients who got involved. Vicki Ratner, Annette Walker, Jane Meljink and Diane Manhattan are all patients who provided significant exposure for the IC cause in their home countries or on the internet. We need patients, today, to be actively involved in the IC effort. Here are a few ways that you, the IC patient, can become involved. Children with bladder diseases are being denied access to restrooms at school because schools aren't aware that kids can have bladder diseases.
Many patients are still unaware that there is a name for their symptoms and possible treatments.
To help those group leaders, we've prepared a transition plan to encourage them to consider becoming an independent support group. If you belong to a support group that has been discontinued, please print out our ICA Transition Instruction Sheet and pass it along to your group leader. And if you' would like to start a support group, you can also use this as a guide to help you get started. For those who have the spirit to truly make a difference, please consider starting an IC support group in your region. We haven't been successful yet, but that doesn't mean that one of you might write that one powerful letter that convinces Oprah to do that story.