August 2009

Last Month’s Meeting (our 389^th)

We had a perfect day for our July meeting. We are so happy that Jane has returned to be healthy enough to manage our meeting program, which was to hear a little about the backgrounds of your board of directors. Our members have such interesting stories to tell about how they came to be so involved in our ostomy association. Peggy, Rhoda and Joan all talked about their survival experiences after contracting cancer, while Ken, Jane and I (Renard) related our trials with inflammatory bowel disease. Ed shared his initiative in developing contacts with people who seek support pending their urostomy surgery. In addition, Fred related his tenure with a 53-year-old ileostomy.

We had the privilege of having two of our friends from Hollister Inc. visit us, Donna Campbell, customer service and Nate Neau, sample follow-up. The Hollister, Inc. customer service number is 888-740-8999.

We are sorry to report that long time member Lou Pressburger passed away.

Next month, we are having a very special guest present her story to us. Ally Bain is the young woman who inspired the Illinois State Legislation to pass a law requiring retailers to allow a person in an emergency situation to use their private washrooms. This law is being passed in many other states especially to benefit those with IBD as well as those with ostomies. We will have newspaper people here to report on her presentation as well as to see how we ostomy patients live. This is of particular interest to people, now, since Farah Fawcett probably would have lived a long life if she chose ostomy surgery to cure her anal cancer. This is a meeting you absolutely want to attend to show off how good you look. We expect a big attendance.

We have been having some administrative challenges the last few months. First, we are disappointed that our experiment moving to a new meeting location did not meet our expectations. On the plus side, Lutheran General Hospital has provided us free parking the last two months.

Second, the printer we have used for a generation to publish this newsletter has gone out of business due to the poor economy. We have found another printer, but the cost is almost 50% more.

Third, the provider that services our Internet site has also gone out of business due to the poor economy. We have moved our site to Yahoo, but at a substantially higher cost. This move should be transparent to anyone visiting our Internet site at www.uoachicago.org . These issues are still in the process of being resolved and are very time consuming to manage. However, because these are so important to the viability of our Association, we are dedicated to achieve a satisfactory result.

We need you to volunteer to work on a committee. Most committees have only one person serving, and if that person becomes ill, his/her tasks are not performed. We need additional talented people; i.e., you! Please stop by our next meeting and talk to one of our officers. Say to him/her that you want to utilize your gifts in the vocation of assisting others in our ostomy community.

OAGC Meeting Dates for 2009

August 5—National UOAA Convention

August 19—Ally Bain (inspiration for Ally’s Law)

September 16—Bernie auf dem Graben, WOCN

October 21

Southwest Suburban Chicago

The Southwest Suburban Chicago Ostomy Support Group is an entirely volunteer ostomy association dedicated to the mutual aid, education and moral support of people with ostomies and their families. Meetings are held at 7:30 PM on the third Monday of each month throughout the year, except July, August, December and January.

For information regarding this special ostomy group serving Chicago’s greater southwest side, please call Edna Wooding, WOC nurse and association President, at 708-423-5641.

SW Sub Chicago Meeting Dates for 2009

All meetings are held at

Little Company of Mary Hospital,

Evergreen Park, Mary Potter Pavilion,

Lower Level, 2850 W. 95th St.

Vitamin B-12

Sublingual Tablets / Skin Patches

By Bob Baumel, Ostomy Assn. of No. Cen. Oklahoma

This is a “debunking” article. Some ostomy group newsletters have recently carried an updated version of an old article titled Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid and Potassium. The original version of that article, which ran previously in numerous support group newsletters (including our newsletter in our March 2003 issue), asserted that if a person cannot absorb vitamin B-12 the normal way, via terminal ileum, they need B-12 shots.

The updated version adds the sentence: “Now vitamin B-12 is available in a sublingual tablet, which goes under the tongue or through a patch.” Here, I examine both of these delivery methods critically. I will start with some conclusions.

Sublingual B-12 tablets have been around since the 1980s. They work in the sense of delivering useful amounts of vitamin B-12, but they probably do not deliver it sublingually through membranes under the tongue and they are a waste of money because you can obtain the same benefits at lower cost by taking regular non-sublingual B-12 tablets.

The B-12 Skin Patch is a much newer product, introduced around 2006, and marketed by one company, Vita Sciences of Airmont, NY. Nothing has been published so far about this technique in the scientific literature. It may deliver a useful amount of vitamin B-12, but does not do so predictably, as the amount actually delivered varies greatly from one person to the next. Before discussing these methods in detail, I will refer to an article I wrote in the September 2008 issue titled, Vitamin B-12 Replacement Therapy, which you can see at www.ostomyok.org/newsletter/news0809a.shtml.

That article described three scientifically accepted methods of vitamin B-12 supplementation for people who cannot absorb it the usual way via the terminal ileum.

1) By injection, the traditional method for people with impaired B-12 absorption.

2) Nasally, there is a nasal spray, brand name Nascobal®, which has been shown to work and is approved by the FDA. However, it is sold by only one company and is relatively expensive.

3) Orally, until recently, most doctors believed that oral B-12 was useless for people who cannot absorb the vitamin by terminal ileum.

However, a growing body of scientific research has found that even in such people, a small fraction of B-12 taken orally, typically around 1%, becomes absorbed by passive diffusion through the gut. Consequently, if one takes a large enough quantity, probably around 1000 micrograms or more per day, one will absorb enough to be useful. This may not be effective in people with short bowel syndrome.

Regarding the two methods in the title of this article, it is important to understand that delivering vitamin B-12 by the sublingual route, through membranes under the tongue, or transdermally, through skin on the surface of the body is very difficult. Vitamin B-12 is a very large, complex molecule, with molecular weight of about 1357. Many medications are delivered successfully using either the sublingual or the transdermal method, but they tend to be much smaller molecules. For example, nitroglycerin is often administered sublingually, but its molecular weight is only 227.

Nicotine is often applied with a skin patch, but its molecular weight is only 162. The large size of the vitamin B-12 molecule makes it very difficult to pass through these body tissues.

Sublingual B-12 was mentioned in my Vitamin B-12 Replacement Therapy article, where I described it as just a gimmick to sell B-12 at a higher price. Nobody has ever shown that such a product is actually absorbed sublingually. Clinical trials comparing sublingual B-12 with regular non-sublingual oral B-12 have been published in the scientific literature. Both were found to be equally effective if used in the same dosage.

The instructions for the sublingual products tell the patient to hold them under his/her tongue before swallowing. In all likelihood, they just dissolve but do not become absorbed to any significant extent while holding them under the tongue. Then when swallowed, they are absorbed in the same manner as any other oral B-12 preparation.

The most telling evidence is that these sublingual B-12 products are sold in the same high dosages usually 1000 micrograms or more that are known to be necessary for any oral B-12 preparations to be effective in people with impaired B-12 absorption. If they were actually absorbed sublingually, they could be sold in smaller dosages. Oral B-12 works, if taken in adequate dosages, but people are wasting money buying the more expensive sublingual versions.

The B-12 patch is a new product, available since 2006, promoted through the website www.b12patch.com and sold by the company Vita Sciences of Airmont, NY. I have performed several Medline searches, but could not discover anything in the scientific literature about this kind of product. A search of the US Patent and Trademark website www.uspto.gov did reveal two recent patent applications not actual granted patents for the B-12 patch, namely, US Patent Applications 20080160070 and 20080233180. These patent applications include various possible product formulations and explain how the product is supposed to work.

Transdermal skin patches include chemicals referred to as permeation enhancers or penetration enhancers. These are intended to increase the permeability of skin to allow a desired substance to pass through. As indicated earlier, the large size of the vitamin B-12 molecule makes it very difficult to deliver transdermally. Companies that make transdermal patches have been working to develop improved penetration enhancers to enable delivery of larger molecules. Even so, vitamin B-12 is at just about the upper limit of the molecules deliverable with current transdermal technology.

One of the patent applications cited above described a tiny clinical trial of the B12 patch on only four people, two of whom did repeated tests so they could obtain six data sets. This is probably the only clinical test of the B-12 patch that has ever been published. This is based on a page of the website that is marketing the product at www.b12patch.com/research.html that seems to refer to that same tiny clinical trial.

In that experiment, average B-12 blood levels roughly doubled during an eight-hour period. However, the patent application also stated, “The rate of vitamin B-12 delivery varied between subjects by as much as five-fold.” The inventor attributed this variation as “likely due to differences in the skin of test subjects.” In any case, given this huge person-to-person variability, the B-12 patch can hardly be said to deliver the vitamin predictably or reliably.

World Ostomy Day

October 17, 2009

To display the talents of the members of the local ostomy associations around America and to create lasting memories in conjunction with World Ostomy Day, Hollister, Inc. is once again sponsoring the World Ostomy Day Photo Contest. The theme for WOD 2009 is Reaching Out.

We know there are thousands of people with ostomies who reach out each day—and in every way, living life to the fullest with families, at work or at school. We know you are out there reaching out. This is the image to capture. Summer is upon us . . . what a great time for those Kodak moments. Snap the shot, submit the photo and you may win. Hollister, Inc. will present our Ostomy Association a $250 award when you win.

Please submit your entries to

Ms. Diane Owen

Hollister Incorporated

2000 Hollister Drive

Libertyville, IL 60048 USA

E-mail: wod2009pc@hollister.com

For our liability disclaimer and privacy policy visit

http://www.geocities.com/mr-ostomy/liability.htm.

Northwest Community Hospital

An ostomy support group formed in 2008 at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. They wish to extend a welcome to all of our readers to visit them. The WOC nurses at the hospital lead the group. For more information, please contact Diane Davis-Zeek, RN at 847-618-3215, ddavis@nch.org .

They meet every other month on the second Thursday at 1:00 PM at a new permanent location, the Busse Center, B1 level, Room LC7-8. This building may be accessed from the garage at the west end of the Busse Center. It is easiest to enter from Central Road.

NW Comm Hospital Meeting Dates for 2009

August 13—Vendor Fair

September 12—Visitor’s Training Seminar

October 8

December 10

The Ostomy Visitor’s Program is a vital part of the ostomy support system.  Our members visit ostomy patients in person or by phone to discuss non-medical questions and offer encouragement. There will be a Visitor’s Training Seminar on Saturday, September 12, 2009 in the auditorium of Northwest Community Hospital, 800 W. Central Rd., Arlington Heights (www.nch.org).  If you want to attend our free seminar please RSVP by August 31 to uoachicago@live.com, or phone the NCH ostomy nurses at 847-618-3215.  Please leave your name and number saying you would like to participate in the

Ostomy Visitor Training Seminar.

It’s a Matter of Sharing

Forwarded by Ostomy Insight, Green Bay, WI

I met a man, a person with a colostomy, when asked why he did not participate in our ostomy support group said, “I’ve adjusted just fine. I don’t need the group.”

His complacency set me back a bit, and I thought it over. So, maybe he does not need the group, whatever that means, but the group needs him and others like him—well adjusted people with ostomies who walk around flat tummied and non-odorous. I am not talking about people who wear strong after-shave or perfume.

An ostomy group is not a halfway house sort of thing. We do not feel sorry for ourselves and talk exclusively about the fun and games of our various operations. We come together because we want to provide emotional support to each other regarding some little challenge that has been bugging us. The type of concern that our doctor cannot answer but another person who had ostomy surgery can. We want to prove to all those non-believers and people without ostomies who think an ostomy is the end of the world that it is not. In fact, in most cases, it is the beginning. We are alive because we choose to have ostomy surgery. (Farah Fawcett is not.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Janice Colwell, RN, MS, CWOCN

We at the Ostomy Association of Greater Chicago were very fortunate to have as one of our past guest speakers, Jan Colwell from the University of Chicago and President of the WOCN. We asked her to tell us the ten most frequently asked questions people with new ostomies ask her and her students. We wanted to publish her answers for everyone who could not attend still to be able to benefit. We have shortened some of the answers presented. It should be noted that a book could be written about every question. We want only to offer a summary of each topic.

Q. What are the main reasons for ostomy surgery?

A. The most common reasons today for having ostomy surgery are colon cancer, IBD—Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, bladder cancer and damage to the bladder or GI tract.

Q. Why is the stoma red?

A. The stoma is the exact color of the inside of the GI tract. If one looks inside one’s mouth, it is red also. Looking at a stoma is looking at the lining of the intestine. Since a stoma is formed from the inside of an intestine, it is accustomed to being covered in waste. This does not hurt it in any way. Do not be concerned about washing out the pouch to keep the stoma clean.

Q. Does the stoma hurt?

A. There are no nerve endings in the stoma. If you touch your stoma, the stoma will not feel anything, although the surrounding skin has plenty of nerves and will have sensation if the stoma is moved. Feeling no pain may be good most of the time. However, it cannot tell you with any sensation when it is hurt either. This means that one must always be vigilant so that damage to the stoma does not occur, or if it does, to treat it expeditiously.

Q. How can I best conceal my pouching system?

A. Modern pouching systems are almost invisible under most clothing, as long as you empty the pouch at prudent intervals. People with ostomies wear spandex, swimwear, blue jeans, etc. One should be able to wear just about any clothing one wore before his/her surgery.

Q. Is there any special diet for someone with an ostomy?

A. There is no ostomy diet! For fecal ostomies, it is advisable to be on a low residue diet for the first six to eight weeks. After that, only try adding one new food at a time to see how your body accepts it. Never overeat. A caution for people with ileostomies: the way it goes in is the way it comes out. One must start chewing food. This will be a new experience for most people. Americans tend to swallow food before completely chewing it . . . not a recommended practice for someone with an ileostomy. People with colostomies like those with ileostomies should be aware of limiting the eating of high fiber foods in large quantities. The abdominal opening through which the stoma comes out of does not expand to let large effluent out. It may become stuck behind the stoma. People with urostomies, like all people with ostomies, need to make sure they drink enough water to reduce the risk of kidney infections.

Q. Will insurance cover the pouching system?

A. Most private insurance will cover ostomy supplies, but check with your company to make sure. Medicare provides for liberal usage of ostomy equipment that should be satisfactory for most needs. If one has special needs, a doctor can write a prescription stating the requirements thereby increasing the quantities covered.

Q. What should one do when one travels?

A. Plan ahead. Always bring about three times the amount of supplies usually required . . . just in case. People tend to have more diarrhea and/or constipation when on vacation. Expect this to happen. Do not change your plans . . . simply manage them.

Q. Should one carry anything special on a daily basis?

A. One should have an emergency kit at ones’ work as well as a change of clothes there—most corporate executives do this routinely even without an ostomy. It is prudent always to have an extra pouching system in your pocket, purse or satchel just in case that one-in-ten-thousand event actually does happen. However, do not be too concerned about this, accidents and emergencies are rare with people who are experienced in the care of their ostomy.

Q. What restrictions will one have?

A. Most probably . . . none. However, it is good to avoid heavy lifting or anything that strains the abdominal muscles. It is important that people with ostomies stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water, with your doctor’s approval. In the improbable event that you become a professional wrestler, you may need a stoma guard for protection.

Q. Will odor be an issue?

A. This is the number one question asked by people with new ostomies. No, odor is not an issue. Modern pouching systems are completely odor proof. One will only notice an odor when the pouch is opened to be drained. There are commercial products available if this is an event one wants to manage. However, the skin around the barrier and the pouch itself will pick up body odors. Good hygiene is essential. Keep the outside of the pouch clean and your skin rinsed.

Bag Lady—A Memoir

Bag Lady . . . is the poignant true story of a woman’s struggle with the chronic, debilitating disease of ulcerative colitis. It chronicles how she coped with it before and after making the decision to undergo the surgical cure for the disease, an ileostomy. Of course, she had the option for a j-pouch, but read the book to find out more.

Bag Lady . . . runs deep. It is more than the story of a woman and her disease. It is the story of a life buffeted by adversity, by an overwhelming series of profound downers and one of which would defeat many people. It is a metaphor for the physical and emotional baggage that encumbers every person’s life. It reads like page-turning fiction, but it is all true.

Bag Lady . . . speaks to the millions of victims of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and colon cancer, and to the family and friends who live their illnesses with them. It trades frankness and understanding for the euphemisms and misconception of diseases that, for too long, have been consigned to the shadows of polite discussion.

Bag Lady: A Memoir, by Sandra Benitez has been released for national distribution. Copies are available through her website for $16 at www.sandrabenitez.com .

Rinsing Out Your Pouch

By Victor Alterescu, WOC Nurse

Rinsing out a pouch with a fecal ostomy each time it is emptied is primarily a waste of time. For one thing, it takes longer to empty the pouch and you need more materials around you. You also leave more odors in the room since the pouch is kept open longer.

The water used to wash out the pouch, especially if it is warm, may open the pores of the pouch material and encourage odor permeation. If you do rinse out a pouch, never use warm water. In addition, rinsing can affect the seal of the skin barrier adhesive.

Rinsing out a pouch after each emptying serves only an aesthetic purpose, the interior of the pouch may be clean, but it does not serve a functional purpose. Frankly, it does not matter whether the interior of your pouch is clean any more than it matters if the interior of your intestines are clean. The pouch is replacing an organ of storage, the colon and rectum.

The most important portion of the pouch that should be cleansed very thoroughly is the tip of a drainable pouch. Rinsing the interior can only increase permeation of odor, but cleaning the exterior neck will avoid any odor that may be present because of having fecal residue on the end of the pouch. Therefore, I often recommend that a person carry an alcohol wipe—individually wrapped in foil—to clean the tip of the pouch. The pouch is emptied, the toilet flushed immediately and the lower portion of the exterior pouch cleansed with toilet tissue and alcohol.

Editor’s note: Some of our members do regularly rinse out their pouches. If the pouch is a one-piece, we do this with cool water and a gentle swishing action so as not to interfere with the barrier seal. Two-piece ostomy systems allow the pouch to be removed and then rinsed. This is done primarily as an aesthetic exercise, which is fine. We mostly wear opaque pouches anyway for the sole reason of obtaining a sportier look even though we only are the only ones ever to see the pouch.

Goofy Answers You Will Never Hear About Living with an Ostomy

Forwarded by that loony Portland Maine Ostomy Group (revised)

If you have an ostomy, you probably read many of those question-and-answer articles where people ask a WOC nurse or doctor about life with an ostomy. I pretty much can bet that none of them gave these answers. Please consult with your medical professional and a local comedian before taking any of these seriously.

Q. How will medication affect my ostomy?

A. The general answer is . . . adversely, although the opposite may also be true. Especially important, your stoma should not be allowed to operate heavy equipment with some painkillers, and alcoholic beverages should only be introduced to the stoma through ones mouth. Do not feed booze, or anything else, directly into a stoma.

Q. May I still do everything I did before surgery?

A. It depends what you did before your ostomy surgery. If you robbed banks, then no you may not do everything you did before surgery. Send me a list of what you did before, and I will let you know which of them you can do.

Q. What about alcohol?

A. I thought I just answered that question. Nevertheless, if you are asking it again, maybe you should consider abstinence. Alcohol has the greatest influence on the brain, not the stoma. However, if you were told for years that you have your head up your ass, I guess I can understand the question.

Q. Should I exercise after ostomy surgery?

A. The stoma does not need any exercise, but the rest of your body does, especially the abdomen. A firm tummy reduces the probability of hernias. Plus, exercise tones the body, makes the blood flow, releases endorphins and makes one happy.

Q. What foods can I eat after surgery?

A. Most can usually eat virtually all the same foods after surgery as before surgery. Just remember that people with ileostomies have slower transit times, which means more can be absorbed thereby making it easier for them to get fat. People with urostomies are thin and trim, so they do not need to be concerned.

Q. Why did this have to happen to me?

A. Having ostomy surgery means you are one of the lucky ones. Complaining just makes the situation worse. If you exercised more, you would be happier; just think of it as the ultimate body piercing.

Q. Will spicy food cause any damage to my stoma?

A. That depends. If you eat spicy foods . . . probably not. But if you smack the stoma with a jar of hot peppers, then yes. I would advise against striking the stoma with any hard object, spicy or not.

Q. In the past, certain foods gave me digestive trouble. Will they affect me the same way after surgery?

A. You seem to be a little obsessed with food, aren’t you? You should be more concerned about how fat you’ll become from eating all that food. To answer your question . . . my crystal ball is being repaired right now so I do not know the future. Just eat the darn stuff—one thing at a time—and see for yourself.

Q. What about sex?

A. The answer is yes, if you can find anyone who will have sex with you. The answer is no, if you think you’re going to have any sort of stoma sex. Now you are pushing the envelope, and someone from Chicago would never have asked a question like this.

Did you know that we have our own Internet site? Next time you are on your computer, check out our site at www.uoachicago.org .

Why Come?

By Renard Narcaroti, UOA of Chicago

Why should you come to an ostomy association meeting? Here are some thoughts given to us by our members.

If no one came, there would not be an organization. We would not have any way of communicating what new options were available and being developed to improve the care and maintenance of ostomies. We would not be aware of the new pouching systems being introduced by manufacturers, product developments and improvements, or better ways to use them. Most people with ostomies are happy with their current pouching system. Nevertheless, you still want to know the state-of-the-art in ostomy products and services, n’est ce pas?

We are reminded by one member of how he wore a three-piece, re-useable, black-rubber pouching system before coming to a meeting, which had worked just fine for him for years. Then he discovered that the industry had developed high-quality one- and two-piece disposable systems that are very secure, reliable, odor proof, easy to use and have a low profile. He said that he now has a better quality-of-life since he started coming to ostomy association meetings. You will virtually never see an ostomy advertisement on TV. You need to be part of the local ostomy association to keep informed and educated.

Now, consider the person who has just had ostomy surgery—you were once one too—who timidly comes to his/her first meeting. Think about what it felt like to know that you were not the only one in town with a red rose on your tummy. A new person with an ostomy comes to a meeting and sees other people with ostomies—I mean you—looking stylish; living active, normal, happy and productive lives. It provides him/her hope. You have an obligation to be a good example for these new people. They need to know that life with an ostomy can be better than ever before.

Bear in mind the executives from manufacturers who give of their free time by attending our association meetings just because they want to help us. In addition, they sincerely ask for our input on products and services. We are the experts on living with an ostomy and for them to improve ostomy products, they need us to tell them what we want and expect from them. This cannot happen if we are not at a meeting. Our voices will never be heard. We must be there to provide our thoughts and be advocates for our positions.

A wound, ostomy and continence nurse (WOC) is a consummate professional who has dedicated his/her life to helping people like us. The WOC nurses at our meeting completely volunteer their time for our good. Not only do we learn from their presentations, they are also available for consultation afterwards. Coming to meetings better enhances our knowledge of how WOC nurses can be of service to us.

We gain the most information, wisdom and support from each other. What may be "old hat" to you could be a most important discovery to a person with a new ostomy or even to someone who has had an ostomy for several years. People with ostomies find strength in one another. It is important for you to attend our ostomy association meetings. We need you.

Summer Living with an Ostomy

Gwen B. Turnbull, RN, BS, ET

Summer is here. People flock to the beach, languish by the pool or head out for vacation. However, summer with all its related activities, can be produce a great deal of anxiety for someone living with an ostomy. One of the major concerns for a person with a stoma is body image and fear of public embarrassment; e.g., noise from flatus, leakage, odor or possible appearance of the pouch under clothing. Summer means wearing thinner clothing, bathing suits and shorts, which can increase the level of unease surrounding these already angst-ridden circumstances.

Selecting a bathing suit for a woman or man with an ostomy is somewhat easier than it was several years ago. Men’s swimming trunks tend to be patterned and knee-length. Flowered, patterned or textured materials often serve as camouflage for a pouching system. Today, women have a variety of bathing suit styles from which to choose–many find a one-piece patterned suit appealing while others choose “boy short” bottom “tank-inis” or two-piece suits with a chemise-type top and/or a skirted bottom.

As temperatures rise and exercise increases, so does perspiration. Individuals with an ileostomy must be instructed to monitor carefully fluid intake and stomal output, especially during periods of exercise or extreme heat. Many senior citizens live in homes without air-conditioning. Water alone is not sufficient—it does not replace the extra sodium and potassium lost in sweat as well as what is normally lost in ileostomy or high-output effluent. Sports drinks, tea or colas should replace plain water because they contain valuable electrolytes.

Patients should be taught the signs and symptoms of dehydration as well as preventive measures. Should dehydration develop, patients need to contact their physician or report to an emergency room for re-hydration with IV fluids. Higher environmental temperatures and increased perspiration also may decrease the wear time of solid skin barriers or skin barriers with a flange. Patients should anticipate this phenomenon, perhaps reducing wear time during the summer or switching to extended-wear skin barriers that are more resistant to meltdown i.e., erosion, from increased body temperature, high-volume liquid output and increased perspiration.

The need to change pouching systems before entering into physical activities should also be stressed, particularly if the individual is near the end of the usual wear-time. Summer also produces a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as corn on the cob, watermelon, peaches, green beans, cherries, okra, plums, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peppers—foods that potentially create more gas and/or difficulty with digestion, especially those foods with an abundance of seeds and skins.

This is usually more of a problem for people with an ileostomy but an increased amount of fresh fruits and vegetables also can cause problems; e.g., diarrhea, excess gas for people with a colostomy. If gas and odor become a problem, patients should be familiarized regarding closed-end and drainable pouching systems with effective gas relief and odor reducing filter systems. Activities in the summer or any other season, for that matter may drive the individual’s pouching system choice.

Some people with an ileostomy may chose to use a closed-end pouch under a bathing suit or switch from a drainable pouch to a closed-end pouch while on vacation for convenient disposal on the road. One-piece pouching systems also may be appropriate during these times. Visiting friends and family can become problematic for people with an ostomy, especially concerning emptying and/or disposing of soiled pouches. Sadly, many people choose to avoid situations; e.g., visiting, sharing bathrooms and the like because of these issues.

Clinicians should teach their clients to put the soiled pouch in a zip-lock bag or aluminum foil for sanitary and odor-proof disposal to avoid embarrassment. A sense of freedom can easily be restored if people with an ostomy are educated about various pouching options. Some individuals choose to alternate pouch types depending on their activity, output, and the setting in which they find themselves. These are personal lifestyle decisions that can only be made if people with a stoma are shown a variety of pouching options. Something as simple as a different type of pouch can make a huge difference in someone’s life — and what better time to feel better about oneself than during the summer.

Where Products Come From

Did you ever wonder where a product was originally manufactured or came from when you purchased something? Well, there is an easy way to tell. Simply look at the barcode; the first two or three digits designate the country of origin.

690 to 692 China

00 to 09 USA or Canada

30 to 37 France

40 to 44 Germany

47 Taiwan

49 Japan

50 United Kingdom

You Have Adjusted to Your Ostomy When . . .

Forwarded By Fred Shulak

® You stop spending all of your spare time in the bathroom waiting for your stoma to work so that you can empty the pouch right away.

® You can move about freely without holding onto your pouching system as though it might fall off at any minute.

® You make that first trip to the mailbox without taking along all your spare ostomy supplies.

® You stop grabbing your abdomen when the grocery clerk asks if you need help to the car with your bag.

® You go out for the evening and realize too late that you left your emergency kit at home.

® You think how lucky you are to be alive instead of how unlucky you are to have an ostomy.

® You attend the monthly support group meetings with an expectation of learning more about your ostomy along with helping others rather than staying at home worrying about it all.

 
Ostomy Advocacy Services 
 
  Jennifer C. Jaff, Esq., Executive Director of Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc. has entered into an agreement with UOAA. She will provide legal counsel at no cost to members of UOAA’s Affiliated Support Groups, which we are one. If you are experiencing discrimination issues because of your ostomy, be it in the form of social discrimination or discrimination in the workplace, Jennifer stands ready to advise you of your rights and assist you in the development of a plan of action. This service is provided at no cost to any member of our ostomy association. As a service to its members, UOAA underwrites the cost of these services.
 Jennifer Jaff may be reached at her home office in Farmington, Connecticut by phone 860-674-1370, by fax 860-674-1378, by e-mail patient_advocate@sbcglobal.net . Visit her Internet site www.advocacyforpatients.org. 
 

The instructor was teaching the women how to breathe properly. Also, he was telling the men how to offer assurance to their partners’ this stage of the pregnancy.

She said, “Ladies, remember that exercise is good for you. Walking is especially beneficial. It strengthens the pelvic muscles and will make delivery that much easier.” She looked at the mend in the room, “and gentlemen, it wouldn’t hurt you to go walking with her.”

The room suddenly became quiet as the men absorbed this information. Then a man at the back of the room slowly raised his hand.

“Yes?” Answered the presenter

“I was just wondering. Is it all right if she carries a golf bag, while we walk?”

Second Chance

Sure, you were shocked. You were depressed. Who wasn't? You thought, "How am I going to get accustomed to this thing?" "What will my life be like?" Did we not all have similar thoughts? Monopolize the bathroom when changing our ostomy system; use up too much valuable time primping; feel embarrassed; worry about our diet; be overly concerned about how we smell and odors and what other people would think, etc. Did we not all have some of these challenges?

Sure, we resent what happened to us, but we cannot be resentful and grateful at the same time. We cannot change what already happened, but we certainly can do something about the future. Living is like playing poker—it is not only the cards you hold, but also how you play them that make the difference between winning and losing. We are not invalids. We do not need pity, sympathy, special considerations or concessions. We are normal, capable people. The ostomy is yours to do with as you wish. You have a choice to take either of two paths, and the decision is yours alone. You can refuse to accept it; feel sorry for yourself; be bitter; be resentful; withdraw from society; suffer the loss of many of the fine things life holds for you; or you can accept it. You can develop a good attitude and go on to live a happy and productive life. You can enjoy the extra time God has granted you to continue doing the things you did before surgery.

The proper training of the mind and body is not an easy job. Nature has not endowed all of us with the same ability to make correct decisions. Some people find it easy to look at a situation from all angles and decide what to do. Others, because of a lack of knowledge or because of emotions, resentments, habits, etc., find it difficult to make a correct decision.

Ostomy surgery—thank you modern medical science—has provided us with a rare gift . . . the gift of a second chance, a chance to live, a chance not given to everyone. An ostomy—any type—is not a handicap, it is a new method of elimination—a life-saving device. Be encouraged. Accept your ostomy. Prove to yourself that you can adjust better than anyone else can. To find happiness, we must think about what we owe to others, the world and God rather than what life owes us and ourselves. Let us give thanks for every precious moment; be thankful that we have been helped; be thankful that we now have the opportunity to help others. Let us count our blessings. Let us thank God we are alive.