Inspiring
Stories
Articles Included:
·
Reason for Life
·
The Phoenix
·
How to be Happy
·
O'Hare
·
The Daffodil
Principle
·
Quiet Courage
·
Hospital Charts
·
Youth Rally
·
Facts of Life
·
Funny Thoughts
·
Friends
·
A True
Story—Packs a Pouch
·
Poor People
·
Refined Silver
·
UOA Prayer
·
Why Come?
·
Water or Coke
·
Open Letter to
our Members
·
A Second Chance
·
United Ostomates
·
An Old Ladies
Poem
·
If I Had My Life To Live Over
·
12
Rules of Life
·
You
Thought I Wasn’t Looking
·
Time
·
Self-Esteem
·
Bonnie
Bachman: Reborn
Reason for Life
--New Life, Charlotte, GA
I don't know
how to say it but sometimes it seems to me
That maybe we
are stationed where God wanted us to be;
That the
little place I'm filling is the reason for my birth,
And just to
do the work I do—He sent me down to earth.
If god had
wanted otherwise,
I reckon He'd
have made me just a little different, of a worse or better grade.
And since God
knows and understands all things of land and sea
I fancy that
He knows He placed me just where He wanted me.
Sometimes I
get to thinking, as my labors I review
That I should
like a higher place with greater tasks to do;
But I come to
the conclusion, when the envying is stilled
That the post
to which God sent me is the post He wanted filled.
So I plod
along and struggle in the hope when day is through
That I'm
really necessary to the things God wants to do.
And there
isn't any service I can give which I should scorn
For it may be
just the reason God allowed me to be born.
The Phoenix
--The Beacon, Coos Bay, OR
The legend of
the Phoenix was told and retold throughout the ages, even appearing in Greek
and Chinese literature. The bird was
said to live for 500 years or more, to be consumed by fire by it's own act, and
to rise in youthful freshness from it's own ashes.
For now his
feathers were afire and the top of the palm tree burst into flame. Now there was nothing left of the bird but a
still glow atop the charred tree. The
glow took form and the color moved; sparks renewed, assumed the shape of the
feathers, and the gentle desert breeze blended the sparks together into the new
Phoenix, tall, iridescent, magnificent.
For now his rebirth was complete.
And as he rose from the flames, his song also rose like a silver clarion
call, proclaiming his rebirth to the world.
Adopted as
the symbol for the United Ostomy Association, the Phoenix represents a fiery
symbol of the spirit and feeling underlying the growth of the Association.
For the
ostomate, what more appropriate symbol?
From the ashes of despair and disease, from the fate of disability and
death, from the ebb tide of physical and emotional being to the full tide of
life—of hope—of health.
Reborn to a
life of fulfillment—of dedication—of giving to others. Although not ourselves immortal, we gain
perhaps true immortality by giving of ourselves to others, so that we may live
on in the hearts and minds of others.
As the symbol
of the constant renewal of spiritual values, of the flames of love and
compassion, of the season; spring of life, may the Phoenix serve as a glowing
vibrant sign for each of us.
How to Be Happy
Adapted By The New Outlook
Sharpen your
powers to observe. You get more out of
life if you stop and notice it. Notice
the beauty of nature. Take delight in
your physical surroundings.
Eliminate
fear, jealousy, and self pity from you life as much as possible. The first step is to recognize these deadly
vices in your daily life. We all have
these to some extent and becoming aware of these for the purpose of rejecting
them is a guarantee of happiness.
Count your
blessings. Positive thought can do a lot
for every one of us. God loves you.
Do something
for others. Sometimes when you are
distressed, you concentrate too much on yourself and your situation. When this happens, it is wise to do something
for someone else. Get your mind off of
yourself.
Life itself
can't give you joy, unless you really will it.
Life just gives you time and space.
It's up to you to fill it.
Yesterday's
gone—Tomorrow's a mystery—Today's a gift.
That's why we call it the "present".
God always answers the prayer of the loving person, immediately, wonderfully and more completely than we image. He always gives us an infinite amount of the best even when we ask for only a little.
O'Hare
World
War II produced many heroes. One such
man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.
He was a fighter pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier Lexington in the
South Pacific.
One
day his entire squadron was sent on a mission.
After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that
someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.
He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to
his ship. His flight leader told him to
return to the carrier.
Reluctantly
he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship, he
saw something that turned his blood cold.
A squadron of Japanese bombers were speeding their way toward the
American fleet. The American fighters were
gone on a sortie and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them
back in time to save the fleet. Nor, could he warn the fleet of the approaching
danger.
There
was only one thing to do. He must
somehow divert them from the fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation
of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50
caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then
another. Butch weaved in and out of the
now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until finally all
his ammunition was spent.
Undaunted,
he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to at least clip off a
wing or tail, in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and
rendering them unfit to fly. He was
desperate to do anything he could to keep them from reaching the American
ships. Finally, the exasperated Japanese
squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to
the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in and related the event surrounding his
return. The film from the camera mounted
on his plane told the tale. It showed
the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had destroyed five enemy bombers.
That
was on February 20, 1942, and for that action he became the Navy's first Ace of
WWII and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later he was killed in aerial combat
at the age of 29. His home town would
not allow the memory of that heroic action die.
And today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage
of this great man.
Some
years earlier there was a man in Chicago called Easy Eddie. At that time, Al Capone virtually owned the
city. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic.
His exploits were anything but praiseworthy. He was, however, notorious for
enmeshing the city of Chicago in everything from bootlegged booze and
prostitution to murder. Easy Eddie was
Capone's lawyer and for a good reason.
He was very good! In fact, his
skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him
very well.
Not
only was the money big, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a
fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the
day. The estate was so large that it
filled an entire Chicago city block.
Yes, Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little
consideration to the atrocities that went on around him. Eddy did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddy saw to it that his young son had the
best of everything: clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized
crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.
Yes,
Eddie tried to teach his son to rise above his own sordid life. He wanted him to be a better man than he
was. Yet, with all his wealth and
influence, there were two things that Eddie couldn't give his son. Two things that Eddie sacrificed to the
Capone mob that he could not pass on to his beloved son: a good name and a good
example.
One
day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision.
Offering his son a good name was far more important than all the riches
he could lavish on him. He had to
rectify all the wrong that he had done.
He would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Scar-face Al
Capone. He would try to clean up his
tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this he
must testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But more than anything, he wanted to be an
example to his son. He wanted to do his
best to make restitution and hopefully have a good name to leave his son.
So,
he testified. Within the year, Easy
Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. He had given his son the greatest gift he had
to offer at the greatest price he would ever pay.
I
know what you're thinking. What do these
two stories have to do with one another?
Well, you see, Butch O'Hare...was...Easy Eddie's son.
The Daffodil Principle....
Several times my daughter had telephoned
to say, "Mother, you must come see
the daffodils before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake
Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her
third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and
rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there.
When I finally walked into Carolyn's house
and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road
is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except
you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another
inch!" My daughter smiled calmly
and said, "We drive in this all the
time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it
clears, and then I'm heading for home!"
I assured her.
"I was hoping you'd take me over to
the garage to pick up my car."
"How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few
blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I had to ask,
"Where are we going? "This
isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long
way," Carolyn smiled, "by way
of the daffodils."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn
around." "It's all right,
Mother, I promise. You will never
forgive yourself if you miss this
experience."
After about twenty minutes, we turned
onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the
church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden." We
got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down
the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped.
Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a
great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The
flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of
deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as
a group so that it swirled and flowed with its own unique hue.
There were five acres of flowers. "But who has done this?" I asked
Carolyn. "It's just one woman,"
Carolyn answered. "She lives on the
property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house
that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we
saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the
headline. The first answer was a simple
one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a
time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third
answer was, "Began in 1958."
There it was, The Daffodil
Principle. For me, that moment was a
life-changing experience. I thought of
this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun-one
bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain
top. Still, just planting one bulb at a
time, year after year, had changed the world.
This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
She had created something of ineffable
indescribable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is
one of the greatest principles of celebration.
That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a
time, often one baby-step at a time, learning to love the doing, learning to
use the accumulation of time.
hen we multiply tiny pieces of time with
small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish
magnificent things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What
might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or
forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all
those years. Just think what I might
have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the
day in her usual direct way. "Start
today," she said. It's so pointless
to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of
celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put
this to use today?".
We convince ourselves that life will be
better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't
old enough and we'll be more content
when they are. After that, we're
frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.
We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse
gets his or her act together, when we
get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire.
The truth is there's no better time to be
happy than right now. If not now,
when? Your life will always be filled
with challenges. It's best to admit this
to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
Happiness is the way. So,
treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it
with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...and remember
that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting...until your car or home
is paid off, until you get a new car or home, until your kids leave the house,
until you go back to school, until you finish school, until you lose 10 lbs.,
until you gain 10 lbs., until you retire…there is no better time than right now
to be happy. Happiness is a journey not
a destination. So work like you don't
need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.
Quiet Courage
By
J. Engelbert Dunphy, M.D.
I think we doctors, particularly surgeons,
are not apt to realize--we see how well you are, we see how well you are doing,
with what ease you appear to get along--and we fail to appreciate how much
courage it has taken you to reach that point.
I think today is a day when the big
pressure is being put on for the consumer to have something to say about
medical care. He/she wants to tell the
doctor what the doctor should do. Well,
actually we have in your ostomy association one of the finest examples of what
the consumer can and should do for the doctor.
It is this attitude, I think, that makes a
model for the medical profession and other groups to improve the care of
patients with all kinds of diseases and particularly those which create
handicaps for the patients. The
individuality of man is never more evident than when he/she faces some great
personal crisis. No matter who we are,
or what the crisis is, we are seized by a terrible sense of aloneness.
Fortunately, there is in a man a latent
quality equal to any crisis. It makes
the weak strong and the strong steady.
More obvious in some, it is present in all men of good will. This quality is courage.
It is the quiet courage which endures
stark fear and over-powering sorrow. It
is the courage of Roland before the dark tower and of Anne Frank in the attic,
it is the courage to face the terrible, the unknown and the uncertain. It is the virtue which the surgeon and
physician see every day in the eyes of ordinary men for the first time when
they realize they have some fatal or crippling disease. It is an awful thing to learn that one must
be blind or paralyzed or crippled. Yet
in some ways, the initial impact of having to live with an ostomy must be
harder to face.
I have often thought this must be
particularly true of the patient with ulcerative colitis who has fought a long,
bitter and now an apparently losing battle with his/her disease. On top of the aloneness of the crisis, there
is apt to be superimposed a sense of failure and defeat. How can he/she help but say: "Why should
this happen to me? What have I done to
deserve this? Who can help me in my
aloneness?" And the answer is
always the same--no one--you must help yourself.
You must never forget, however, that no
matter how much better ostomies can be made and managed, the individual
patient, when he/she first realizes what he/she must face, finds
him/herself alone. The sympathetic reassurance of others who
have faced the same thing, and the guidance and support of a skilled and compassionate
surgeon are of inestimable value. Yet,
in the final analysis, the patient must face the issue himself He must help himself. Happily, history is now on his/her side.
He/she can be assured that, like others
before him/her, he/she will find within him/herself the quiet courage of men of
good will. And, once the crisis has been
faced, he/she will find a rich and rewarding companionship among people like
himself. For what draws people with
ostomies together is not their problems, but their courageous natures. Although no ban or banners hail their
victory, they have joined the ranks of men and women with dignity and
courage. And for their surgeons and
physicians, it is an honor and a tremendous privilege to know them.
Hospital Charts
Actual Excerpts from Hospital
Charts
·
She has no rigors
or shaking chills, but
husband states she was very hot in bed last
night.
·
Patient has chest
pain if she lies on her left
side for over a year.
·
The patient is
tearful and crying constantly. She
also appears to be depressed.
·
The patient has
been depressed since she began
seeing
me in 1993.
·
Discharge status:
Alive but without my permission.
·
Healthy appearing
decrepit 69-year-old male,
mentally alert
but forgetful.
·
The patient
refused autopsy.
·
The patient has no
previous history of suicides.
·
Patient's medical
history has been remarkably
insignificant
with only a 40-pound weight gain in the past three days.
·
The skin was moist
and dry.
·
Occasional
constant infrequent headaches.
·
Patient was alert
and unresponsive.
·
Rectal examination
revealed a normal-size thyroid.
·
She stated that
she had been constipated for most
of her life,
until she got a divorce.
·
Examination of
genitalia reveals that he is
circus sized.
·
The lab test
indicated abnormal lover function.
·
The patient was to
have a bowel resection.
However, he
took a job as a stockbroker instead.
·
Skin: somewhat
pale but present.
·
Patient has two
teenage children but no other
abnormalities.
Youth Rally
(As a Chapter, we donate funds to help
send a person to the annual UOA Youth Rally.
This is a letter we received from a teenage girl that due to our
contribution was able to attend.)
Thank you for making it possible for me to attend the Youth
Rally this year. I look forward to the
Rally more than anything else that I do during the year. It gives me a chance to learn about myself;
my disease; meet many interesting people, but most of all, see other people who
are surviving. The other people who
attend do not allow any of their medical limitations to become mental
limitations.
During my first year, I was shy and quiet. It felt like I couldn't talk about my ostomy
issues. I thought there was no one else
who really knew what it was like to be a fourteen year old girl with ulcerative
colitis. By the end of that camp, I had
made close friends. We are in contact
throughout the year to support each other and just be friends. As we talked about the things other people
would never talk with me about, I became more confident in myself.
This is my third year here.
I found myself helping first year campers become comfortable with just
being themselves. This will be my last
year as a camper, but I can't wait to come back as a counselor next year. I want to continue to learn and continue to
help others cope with ostomy surgery.
Camp is a very special opportunity to be a normal
person. I find that I am not alone, and
that there are other people just like me out there. I no longer want my battle with ulcerative colitis nor my ostomy issues to
slow me down. Thank you again for giving
me the chance to experience this valuable trip.
With gratitude,
Elizabeth Long
Facts of Life
like you.
likely turned your back on the world.
it, but if you believe in yourself, you probably sooner or
later will get it.
know.
Funny
Thoughts
·
Women should not have children
after 35. Really...35 children are
enough
·
Shopping tip: You can get shoes
for 85 cents at bowling alleys.
·
After all is said and done,
usually more is said than done.
·
I am a nobody, nobody is
perfect, therefore I am perfect.
·
No one ever says "It's
only a game," when their team is winning.
·
I gave my son a hint. On his
room door I put a sign: CHECKOUT TIME IS 18
·
If carrots are so good for the
eyes, how come I see so many dead rabbits on the highway?
·
How come we choose from just
two people for president and 50 for Miss America?
·
On my first day of school my
parents dropped me off at the wrong nursery. There I was …surrounded by trees
and bushes.
·
Marriage changes
passion...suddenly you're in bed with a relative.
·
I earn a seven-figure salary.
Unfortunately, there's a decimal point involved.
·
Snowmen fall from Heaven
unassembled.
·
Home is where you can say
anything you like 'cause nobody listens to you anyway.
·
I live in my own little world,
but it's ok, they know me here.
·
I saw a woman wearing a
sweatshirt with 'Guess' on it. I said,
"Thyroid problem?"
·
I don't do drugs anymore 'cause
I find I get the same effect just by standing up really fast.
·
Sign In Pet Store: "Buy
one dog, get one flea..."
·
Dyslexia means never having to
say that you're yrros.
·
If flying is so safe, why do
they call the airport the 'terminal'?
·
I see your IQ test results were
negative.
·
Regular naps prevent old
age...especially if you take them while driving.
·
I don't approve of political
jokes...I've seen too many of them get elected.
·
I think your problem is low
self-esteem. It is very common among
losers.
·
The most precious thing we have
is life. Yet it has absolutely no
trade-in value.
·
I have learned there is little
difference in husbands, you might as well keep the first.
·
If life deals you lemons, make
lemonade; if it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Mary's.
·
Travel is very educational. I
can now say "Kaopectate" in seven different
languages.
Friends
--The Green Bay
News Review
The best
known relief for mundane, everyday stress—the flat tire, breaking a dish, the
batteries dying on the remote, and hundreds of other nits that pick at us—is
nothing more complicated than someone to pal around with.
The basic
human need for playmates—childhood or adult—serves us well, it seems, in
helping us deal with day-to-day troubles.
We need emotional support from our friends in the stressful times of
severe life situations, when some major life event occurs; such as, death of a
loved one, losing a job or ostomy surgery.
In times of
ordinary life, troubles are relieved more by companionship—going to a movie
with a friend; visiting a museum with a buddy; and coming to a Chapter Meeting,
etc.. In those situations, talking
doesn’t reduce distress as much as doing something with an acquaintance.
In fact,
talking too much about small troubles actually can make them worse. What we need instead is distraction,
something that gets our minds on something else. A companion with shared interests is usually
just the ticket.
A True Story—Packs a Pouch
By Goergene Whiteway
After years of struggle, I
finally faced the inevitable and had surgery which resulted in an
ileostomy. I endured the same fears,
depression and hopelessness common to anyone undergoing this type of traumatic
procedure. With the total support of my
family, I faced each day of my hospitalization.
Finally, a milestone—I would
get to see my 10 year-old daughter! It
meant walking all the way to the visiting area, but , rolling my IV stand and
holding on to my sister-in-law, I knew I would make it
My nurse placed a fresh ileostomy bag on
me and I started my journey. Within a few minutes, I felt fluid draining down
my leg and knew the bag had broken. Back
to my room. Call the nurse. Replace the bag. Start again.
Halfway there, the bag broke
again. Is this what my future was to be?
Was there something about me that caused the breakage? I was in tears as the nurse placed a new bag
on me.
When the third bag broke, my
morale was completely destroyed. My
daughter was still waiting, crying now to see her mom. A new nurse came in and in a matter of
seconds was able to turn disaster into a quick and happy reunion with my badly
shaken daughter.
What magic did this new nurse
perform? None. But she did know that drainable pouches
require a clip at the end to hold liquids in!
Yes, the first nurse had been
“exposed” to ostomy care, but her skill was so minimal that she could not
identify the various forms of pouches.
As a result, she inadvertently put me through 60 minutes of sheer
hell. Will I help promote
familiarization training in our hospitals?
You bet!
Poor People?
Contributed by Jane Michnik
One
day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country
with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be.
They
spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a
very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son,
"How was the trip?"
"It
was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the
father asked. "Oh Yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn
from the trip?" asked the father.
The
son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of
our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and
they have the stars at night. Our patio
reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and
they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect
us, they have friends to protect them."
With
this the boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we
are."
Too
many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. What
is one person's worthless object is another's prize possession?
It
is all based on one's perspective. Makes you wonder what would happen if we all
gave thanks to God for all the bounty we have been provided by Him, instead of
worrying about wanting more. May God
bless each and every one of you. Take
joy in all He has given each and every one of us, especially our friends.
Refined Silver
Contributed by Jane Michnik
There was a
group of interfaith women that met for Bible study. While studying they came across the Book of
Malachi 3:3, where it says: "He
will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled
the women, and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and
nature of God. One of the women offered
to find out more about the process of refining silver and report back to the
group.
The woman
called up a silversmith who generously allowed her to watch him work. She didn't mention anything about the reason
for her interest beyond her curiosity.
As she
watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let
it heat up. He explained that in
refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire—where
the flames were the hottest—as to burn away all the impurities.
She then
asked the silversmith why he had to sit in front of the fire the entire time
the silver was being refined. The man
said not only does he have to sit there, but that he must keep his eyes on it
the entire time it is in the fire. If
the silver is left even a moment too long in the flames, it will be destroyed.
She was
pensive and silent for a little while.
She asked the silversmith, "but how do you know when the silver is
fully refined?" He smiled at her
and answered, "Oh, that's easy—when I see my image in it."
If today you
are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that you are in the hands of
God. He has His eyes on you. He will keep holding you and watching you
until He sees His image in you.
UOA Prayer
-- St. Paul Ostomy Assn.
Dear Lord…be with us always and make us
ever mindful of the many blessings you have given us: our homes, our jobs, our understanding
families. But most of all, make us ever
mindful of the life, which has been given back to us. Give us the courage to face its challenges
daily.
Dear Lord…make me a worthwhile member of
this group by performing willingly and often the task for which it was begun. Let me never say that I am too busy to help
someone in doubt or need.
Thank you for bringing us together again
and bestow, we pray, Your blessing on each of us here, until we meet
again.
(The opening prayer at the
UOA, St. Paul founders first meeting in December 1954.)
Why Come?
Why should
you come to your Chapter's meetings?
Here are some thoughts given to us by our members:
If no one
came, there would not be an organization.
We would not know what was being developed to improve the care of
ostomies. We would not be aware of the
new appliances being introduced. Even if
you are happy with your current system, you still want to know the state-of-the-art
in ostomy products and services, don't you?
We are
reminded by one member of how he wore a
three-piece, re-useable, black-rubber ostomy system—which worked years for him
just fine—before coming to a meeting.
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.
You will
virtually never see an ostomy advertisement on TV. You need to be part of the Chapter and UOA to
keep informed and educated.
Now, consider
the new ostomate—you were once one too—who timidly comes to his/her first
meeting. Think about what it felt like
to know that you weren't the only one in town with a "bag". A new ostomate comes to a meeting and sees
other ostomates—I mean you—looking stylish; living active, normal, happy and
productive lives. It gives them hope.
Bear in mind
the manufacturers' executives who give of their free time by attending our
meetings just because they want to help us.
They sincerely ask for our input on products and services. But, we must be there to provide our thoughts
and be advocates for our positions.
The ET's at
each of our meeting completely volunteer their time for our good. Not only do we learn from their
presentations, but they are also available for consultation afterwards.
We gain the
most from each other. What may be
"old hat" to you could be a most important discovery to a new
ostomate or even to someone who has had an ostomy for several years.
Ostomates
find strength in each other. Therefore,
it is important for you to come to our meetings. We need you.
Water or Coke?
Researched
by Jane Michnik
This is really an eye opener...Water or Coke? We all know
that water is important but I've never seen it written down like this before.
Water
·
70% of all
Americans are chronically dehydrated.
·
In 37% of
Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for
hunger.
·
Even mild
dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
·
One glass of water
shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost all of the dieters in a U-Washington
study.
·
Lack of water is
the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
·
Preliminary
research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease
back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
·
A mere 2% drop in body
water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and
difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on printed page.
·
Drinking five, 12
ounce glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 35%; plus it
can slash the risk of breast cancer by 50%; and one is 40% less likely to
develop bladder cancer.
Coke
·
In many states (in
the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove
blood from the highway after a car accident.
·
You can put a
T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
·
To clean a toilet:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing"
sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from
vitreous china.
·
To remove rust
spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of
Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coke.
·
To clean corrosion
from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to
bubble away the corrosion.
·
To loosen a rusted
bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several
minutes.
·
The active
ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail
in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major
contributor to the rising increase in
osteoporosis.
·
To carry Coca-Cola
syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material
place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
·
The distributors of
coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20
years!
·
Open Letter
To our loyal members and
supporters:
Chicago's
North Suburban Chapter of UOA is your organization. We will achieve our goals only if you:
Sit and talk
to a new person at one of our meetings.
New people are here to meet other ostomates. Smile and visit for awhile.
Volunteer
for a committee. We have a place for
everyone. Assist with our activities to
make them better for you and your fellow ostomates.
Run for
Chapter office rather than waiting to see who is elected. We do make a difference.
Become a
visitor rather than remembering how helpful your visitor was or how you didn't
even have one because too few were available.
Come to our
meetings. It is better than just reading
about them in the newsletter. Plus, new
ostomates have the opportunity to actually see experienced ostomates. We want to show the them that we look, feel
and smell good; have active fulfilling lives; and are grateful for our new
life.
Submit
questions and suggestions to our Board members.
Someone may never have thought of your observation.
Write an
article for The New Outlook. Most
of our articles were researched and created by people just like you who want to
tell a message.
Assist with
a meeting or a function. It is really a
lot more fun when you do and you'll be surprised how many new friends you make.
Offer to do
a program for our General Meeting. You
may have an idea and the people to implement it that can turn lives around.
Bring
a new member to a meeting. If you know
of an ostomate, bring him/her with you.
Our Chapter
welcomes all well-intentioned people and admission to our meetings is
free. We are a collection of
individuals, not a handful of members, medical advisors or equipment
suppliers. If we are to thrive and grow,
it will only be because of the desire of each and every one of you.
A Second Chance
--The Optomist—Seattle,
WA
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?" Didn't we all have similar
thoughts? Monopolize the bathroom when
changing an appliance; 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.
Didn't we all have some of these challenges?
Sure we
resent what happened to us, but we can't be resentful and grateful at the same
time. We can't change what already
happened, but we certainly can do something about the future.
Living is
like playing poker—it isn't the cards you hold, but how you play them that
makes the difference between winning and losing. We are not invalids. We don't need pity or sympathy or 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. To find happiness, we
must think about what we owe ourselves, others, the world and God, rather than
what life owes us.
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.
Reason for Life
--New Life, Charlotte, GA
I don't know
how to say it but sometimes it seems to me
That maybe we are stationed
where God wanted us to be;
That the
little place I'm filling is the reason for my birth,
And just to do the work I
do—He sent me down to earth.
If god had
wanted otherwise,
I reckon He'd have made me just a little
different, of a worse or better grade.
And since God
knows and understands all things of land and sea
I fancy that He knows He
placed me just where He wanted me.
Sometimes I
get to thinking, as my labors I review
That I should like a higher
place with greater tasks to do;
But I come to
the conclusion, when the envying is stilled
That the post to which God
sent me is the post He wanted filled.
So I plod
along and struggle in the hope when day is through
That I'm really necessary to
the things God wants to do.
And there
isn't any service I can give which I should scorn
For it may be just the reason
God allowed me to be born.
United Ostomates
--GB News Review
Prior to
1962, there was no United Ostomy Association.
At one time, there weren’t any off-the-shelf appliances available through
many retailers to collect waste. Early
ostomates tell how they cemented rubber gloves, leather pouches, hot water
bottles, cigar boxes or tin cans to their abdomens. We read about a lady who had a successful
urostomy, but didn't know about UOA. For
three years she used gauze to absorb the urine coming from it. She didn't leave the house.
It was UOA
that worked with manufacturers to help develop modern ostomy systems, barriers
and pouches that we now we have so readily available and take for granted. It was the UOA that testified before Congress
to help pass Public Law 92-603, October 20, 1972, providing ostomy supplies
through Medicare, and in April 2002 worked to help make reimbursements easier. Congress also removed the tax from all ostomy
supplies through our lobby.
It was the many dedicated workers at UOA that
gave of their talent in forming the over 400 local chapters with membership of
more than 25,000 in the U.S. alone. UOA
helps new ostomates as well as those who have had their ostomies for years.
When one has
lived with a stoma five years or more, changing an appliance is just another
routine like brushing one's teeth. But
think back to when you first found out your were going to be an ostomate. You had a hundred questions: Can I drive a car? Can I play golf? Can I swim?
Will I ever be able to return to work?
How will I live with this thing?
Every hour you were awake you had another question.
At one time,
we had no chapters, suppliers, manufacturers or ET's, and there was nobody to
provide answers to these basic quality-of-life questions. Thanks to the generous people who share the
vision of UOA with our thousands of dedicated members, this has changed.
Every
ostomate who is living has a debt to repay to the people who went before us
paving the way in improving our quality-of-life. The debt is there, whether you pay it or not,
is up to you. Think about it. If each of us just attend monthly meetings,
sharing our experiences and offering emotional support to others we can help
repay the debt we each owe.
An Old
Lady's Poem
Contributed by our friend, Jane Michnik
Last year, when an old lady died in the
geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she
had nothing left of any value. Later, when
the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem.
Its quality and content so impressed the
staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One
nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has
since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North
Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made
based on her simple, but eloquent, poem.
This little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world,
is now the authoress of this anonymous" poem winging across the Internet.
It is proof that we all leave "some footprints in time"...
What do you see, nurses,
what do you see?
What are you thinking when
you're looking at me?
A crabby old woman, not
very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with
faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food and
makes no reply.
When you say in a loud
voice, "I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice the
things that you do,
And forever is losing a
stocking or shoe...
Who, resisting or not, lets
you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding,
the long day to fill...
Is that what you're
thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse;
you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am as I
sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, as
I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of
ten...with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters, who
love one another.
A young girl of sixteen,
with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now a
lover she'll meet.
A bride soon at twenty—my
heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I
promised to keep.
At twenty-five now, I have
young of my own,
Who need me to guide and a
secure happy home.
A woman of thirty, my young
now grown fast,
Bound to each other with
ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons
have grown and are gone,
But my man's beside me to
see I don't mourn.
At fifty once more, babies
play round my knee,
Again we know children, my
loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my
husband is dead;
I look at the future, I
shudder with dread.
For my young are all
rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years
and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old woman...and
nature is cruel;
'Tis
jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles,
grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone where
I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass
a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my
battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I
remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living
life over again.
I think of the years...all
too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact
that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, nurses,
open and see,
Not a crabby old woman;
look closer...see ME!!
An Old Lady's Poem
12 Rules of
Life
Adapted By The
New Outlook
·
Never
give yourself a haircut.
·
You need
only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If
it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.
·
The five
most essential words for a healthy relationship are "I apologize" and
"you are right."
·
Everyone
seems normal until you get to know them.
·
Never
pass up an opportunity to pee.
·
If
someone says that you are too good for them...believe them.
·
Learn to
pick your battles; ask yourself, "Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week?
One day?"
·
When you
make a mistake, make amends immediately.
It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.
·
If you
woke up breathing, congratulations!
You have another chance!
·
Living
well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because of a bad or former
relationship just might mean that the other person was right about you.
·
Work is
good, but it's not that important. Money
is nice, but you can't take it with you.
Anything we have isn't really yours.
We just borrow it while we're here...even our kids.
·
And
finally... Be really good to your family and friends. You never know when you
are going to need them to empty your bedpan.
You Thought
I Wasn’t Looking
Forwarded By
Jane Michnik
A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and
doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on
the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I
learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take my favorite cake for
me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew
there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to
a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money
to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something
should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and
everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of each other and family.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your
responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would
have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I
learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to
be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that
I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say,
"Thanks, for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."
Time
Adapted
By The New Outlook
There is a bank that credits your
account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening deletes whatever part of the
balance you failed to use during the day. What
would you do? Draw out ALL OF IT, of
course!!!
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400
seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost,
whatever of this you have failed to invest to good
purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no
overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the
loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no
drawing against the "tomorrow."
You must live in the present on today's
deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the
utmost in health, happiness, and success!
The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR,
ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH,
ask a mother who gave birth to a premature
baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK,
ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the! Value of ONE HOUR,
ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE,
ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE-SECOND,
ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND,
ask the person who won a silver medal in the
Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And
treasure it more because you shared it with
someone special, special enough to spend your
time.
Self Esteem
By D.
Shannon, RN/ET, GB News Review
Self-esteem is defined as to respect or to favorably regard one’s
self. Generally, a person sees in
him/herself what he/she wants to see. It
makes a great difference what you want to see.
In other words, your viewpoint about yourself really matters. In times of adversity, such as illness, many
people show disappointment or defeat.
Actually, when things go adversely, we may be allowed feelings of
depression, guilt, anger and denial.
Some short periods of grieving are allowable and healthy.
Coping with these feelings are gradual.
In addition, the person who has misfortune can turn it into
opportunity. Your handicaps, your
deficiencies, your frustrations and your defeats may be the very means by which
you grow into a much stronger person with even greater self-esteem. Yet, no one is justified in sitting back and
forever assuming him/herself defeated and unworthy to others.
One way to gain self-esteem is to look away from yourself and to look at
the needs of others. Our inner resources
are far stronger than we suspect when they are exercised. There are internal powers at your command
that will enable you to face the adversities in your life.
Bonnie Bachman: Reborn
By
Billie Bachhuber
Bonnie Bachman is attractive, happy, active...and glowing with good
health. Bonnie is an ostomate. (Bonnie
was one of the first presidents of the North Suburban Chapter of the United
Ostomy Association.) Mrs. Bachman
lives life with special verve and gratitude.
“Except for heavy contact sports like football, of which I never played
anyway, I have absolutely no restrictions because of my health,” she reported,
bubbling with spirit. This was not always
true for the red-haired peppy Buffalo Grove homemaker.
Because Bonnie has had an ileostomy—surgery to remove the colon, and in
her case, also part of the small bowel and rectum—she is an ostomate. That means she wears an appliance attached to
her skin covering a stoma which eliminates body wastes.
A minute or two, whenever I go to the bathroom to urinate, is all the
time it takes to dispose of such wastes, she explained. And she changes the lightweight, odor-proof,
plastic, ostomy appliance every five days, following the procedure necessary
for her personal needs.
No one could possibly know Bonnie is an ostomate unless she chose to
tell. She does. She says, because she hopes sharing her
experience will benefit other ostomates—and educate the public to understand
ostomies—the aim of her Chapter of the United Ostomy Association.
Bonnie elaborated:
·
The
colostomy, for instance, in which an opening in the colon is performed is
usually because of cancer, birth defect or injury.
·
The ileal
conduit—a urostomy—is isolation or removal of the bladder usually because of
cancer, disease or injury. The ureters
from the kidneys are implanted with an isolated six to eight-inch section of
the small intestine which opens through the abdominal wall for emission of
liquid wastes.
·
And the
ileostomy, Bonnie’s operation, is the removal of the entire colon because of
the disease ulcerative colitis. It can
also be performed for birth defects and injury; etc.
Because of complications, her surgery was more extensive, she said. Bonnie suffered about eight years from
worsening pain, diarrhea, minimal appetite and severe weight loss. She developed fistulas and hemorrhoids, becoming
anemic from resultant loss of blood. On
a frightening seesaw of attack and recovery, she spent years—weeks at a time—in
and out of the hospital.
Her illness eventually diagnosed as regional enteritis, Bonnie recovered
with the help of antibiotics and gave birth to a healthy son, Bradley in
1969. But for Bonnie and husband Bill, a
field engineer with Peterson Enterprises of Glenview, joy at Bradley’s birth
didn’t last. Another painful attack and
Mrs. Bachman was back to the hospital for surgery to remove fistulas.
“But that wasn’t the answer and eventually I was begging for an
ileostomy,” she recalled. The operation
over and health restored, Bonnie says she truly feels reborn. “If I had know the before and after, I would
have had the operation five years ago!”
Now that the bad times are behind her, Mrs. Bachman can’t get enough of
everyday enjoyment. Two months after
surgery she was spading and weeding her flower gardens, a favorite hobby. She was also a “motor mom” for her son’s kindergarten
class. “I taught motor facilitation,
functioning as a sort of gym teacher,” she explained.
Bonnie continues to crewel, a pastime she started during long hospital
stays. She’s made samplers for all her
nieces and nephews, a wedding sampler for her sister and an assortment for her own neatly kept
home, including several with nursery rhyme themes for Bradley’s room.
To help appease her grand new appetite, she attended gourmet cooking
classes and she and Bill joined a neighborhood gourmet dinner club. “Friends and relatives got ecstatic during
the holidays when I sampled everything!
I had a ball!” she recalled.
Bonnie now bowls in a league, takes golf lessons, goes to the beach and
plans to travel. She and Bill have
already been to Jamaica and to Europe.
Right now her attention and her family’s are focused on the foster
children who have just come to live with the Bachmans, two little sisters, one
two years old and one eight months. “ I
can have more children,” Bonnie explained, “but we decided to share our home with
foster children at present.”
Mrs. Bachman’s whole-hearted acceptance of ostomy and adjustment to
normal living were not accomplished alone, and she’s grateful to “some very
special people.” First, of course, her
husband whose love and moral support helped her through the long difficult
illness and recovery. An to her doctor,
who took time to explain the illness and surgery to her and Bill. “And most of all for treating me with
consideration as a person,” said Bonnie.
She also acknowledged the emotional and physical help of Mrs. Marilyn
Tousignant, enterostomal therapist at Holy Family Hospital in Des Plaines. In 1973, Mrs. Tousignant was the only such
therapist in the northwest suburbs. “I
don’t know what I would have done without Marilyn,” said Bonnie.
She’s also grateful to the trained ostomate volunteer who came to see
her after surgery. “She visited me when
I was sick and depressed. Seeing her—so
vitally alive, attractive and well dressed—started me on the way to recovery.”
Now Bonnie wants to volunteer in the same way. That’s what the North Suburban Chapter of the
United Ostomy Association is all about, ostomates helping ostomates.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Chicago
Tribune on August 4, 1975. It seemed so
relative to some of the same issues we face today, I thought it would be an interesting
article for all of you to read—probably for the first time.