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June
2010 Last Month’s Meeting (our 399th) We want to give a well-deserved thank you to Connie Kelly, CWOCN for an informative and wonderful visual presentation. She was especially helpful to people who have relatively new ostomies and are attending for the first time. Everyone left feeling that each learned something that will be beneficial, if not now, perhaps in the future, regarding stoma management issues. We appreciate Connie taking time out of her busy schedule, driving all the way to Lutheran General Hospital and sharing some of her knowledge with us. Joan Loyd began a discussion on “How to Tell People that You Have an Ostomy.” This will be a continuing feature of our future meetings to complement the Visitor’s Training session at next month’s meeting. We all must confront this subject after our ostomy surgery. Make sure you are there to share your thoughts at our meetings. Be sure to come in June to participate in our Visitor’s Training session. Peggy Bassrawi, RN, a member of our group will lead the meeting. This abbreviated training will certify you as an ostomy visitor. This meeting will enhance your ability to serve people with ostomies whenever you talk to them about the new life we have after surgery. We would like to offer a hardy welcome Nancy Cassai to our board of directors as Secretary to our association. If you have a talent that you would like to share by participating in one of our many diverse committees, please let us know. A list of our officers and committees are listed in our bylaws, which anyone may view via www.uoachicago.org and by following the link to OAGC. We are updating our mailing/e-mail list
every month. Please complete the form
on the last page of this newsletter if your home or e-mail addresses change. Are you parking in the underground garage
for our meeting? Ask us for a pass to limit your
fee to $2.00! On
Thursday May 20, 2010, the popular ABC show Grey's Anatomy aired its season
finale http://www.hulu.com/watch/149668/greys-anatomy-mandy-moore There
is much buzz surrounding this clip in regards to its portrayal of ostomy
surgery. This, unfortunately, is not
the first time this popular show has presented ostomy surgery in a negative
light. While fear, anger and the idea
that an ostomy is "gross" are all emotions and thoughts encountered
when one first learns of his/her need for surgery, I strongly feel that most
people view having an ostomy in this way precisely because of the negative
stigma associated with the surgery that is reinforced every day by television
and other media. UOAA
is working very diligently to eradicate this stigma and present the positive
aspects to having ostomy surgery, showing that people of all ages and
backgrounds can live a full and rewarding life post surgery. We would like to provide ABC some positive
feedback on the correct manner that ostomy surgery should be presented. Kristin
Knipp, President, UOAA July 12-17: Youth Rally – Xavier
University – Cincinnati, OH YouthRally@aol.com OAGC Meeting Dates for 2010 June 16—Visitor’s Training moderated by Peggy Bassrawi, RN July 21—Nancy Chaiken, WOCN Swedish Covenant Hospital, “Hot Weather Management.” August 18—Alan Sears from Mark Drug Medical Supply will discuss the special
services they offer people with ostomies.
Hedy Holleran from Hollister, Inc. will show us some new
products. September 15—Bernie au dem Graben, WOCN October 20—Jennifer Dore, WOCN December 15—Our Gala Holiday Celebration 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 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. All meetings are held at Little
Company of Mary Hospital Mary Potter Pavilion, Lower Level 2850
W. 95th St. Evergreen
Park Northwest Community Hospital An ostomy support group formed in 2008 at Northwest Community Hospital, 800 W. Central Road, 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 at 1:00 PM in the Busse Center, B1 level, Room LC7-8 of the Learning Center. 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 2010 June 3 August 12 October 7 December 9 Advance Care Planning Forwarded
by the Green Bay Area Ostomy Support Group The fifth anniversary of the death of Terry Schiavo was March 31. Just five years ago, the nation was fixed on Schiavo as her husband and parents waged a public legal battle to determine whether she would have wanted artificial means to prolong her life. Despite the attention brought to that heart-wrenching battle, today two-thirds of the public have not completed an advance directive to make their wishes known. While advance care planning involves legal documents, more importantly, it involves thinking, talking and preparing—to ensure health decisions are carried out in a manner consistent with your desires. When a health crisis occurs, as in Terry Schiavo’s case, it is often too late to begin these discussions. Since 2008, April 16 has been recognized as National Healthcare Decisions Day. It is a time for healthcare providers and community organizations to raise awareness about the need for advance care planning. Advance directives are written statements of your wishes, preferences and choices regarding end-of-life health care decisions. The terms associated with advance care planning can often be confusing. Two basic documents comprise advance care planning. One aspect of an advance directive is a living will. It lets you explain the care you would want, as well as what you would not want, if you were not able to speak on your own behalf. Advance directives also include a healthcare power of attorney. This document enables you to appoint someone (your healthcare agent) to speak on your behalf if you are unable to speak. (This is different from the Power of Attorney for Finance and Property form.) Your healthcare agent has the authority to make healthcare decisions only after you have been declared incapacitated by two physicians or a physician and a psychologist who have personally examined you. Both documents can be changed at any time, and neither requires a lawyer. Forms differ from state to state. Copies of Wisconsin’s legal documents can be found online: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/AdvDirectives/index.htm. The pastoral care departments at many local hospitals assist individuals looking to complete or update their forms, as well. Once your forms are filled out, signed and witnessed, they should not just be put in a drawer. Instead, you should be sure to talk about your decisions with your loved ones, healthcare providers, clergy and others important to you. Copies should also be shared with your healthcare providers and the healthcare agent you chose to speak on your behalf in the healthcare power-of-attorney form. The documents will not serve their purpose if they are not accessible when needed. Make sure your voice is heard. The 30+ Network
Support Group We are an ostomy support group affiliated with the United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. We exist to meet the needs of ostomy and bowel/bladder diversion patients in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and beyond. We are a virtual national support group. This means that we do not hold local meetings or have geographical boundaries. Rather, we are composed of people from many local groups who are interested in connecting with other people close in age who share similar interests and concerns. We keep in contact e-mail, telephone and the like. There are opportunities for us to meet in person at times. This would be at the national conferences sponsored by UOAA. The next national conference is August 2011 in Reno, Nevada. We recognize that as people with ostomies in this phase of our lives, we have many events taking place. Many of us are experiencing the best part of our lives. Whether dating, marrying, traveling, building a home and career, starting a family, raising our children, helping our children move out on their own or fulfilling the role of caretaker for our aging parents, we wear many hats. We are very busy balancing both our careers and our families. We have too much activity going on to let our ostomy or diversionary surgery get in the way. Through our common experiences and shared insight, the 30+ Network Support Group is here to dramatize that life can be fulfilling, rewarding and enjoyable regardless of the type of ostomy surgery we may have had. As a new ostomy patient finds out, there is much to learn while healing takes place; i.e., physically, mentally and emotionally. What a wonderful opportunity we possess in being able to teach and learn from each other. It is a positive experience sharing our successes and not so much successes with others who have “been there and done that” in virtually every aspect of life after ostomy surgery. The committee members of the 30+ Network, we have all had ostomy surgery, welcome you. Our goal is by working together we may all find encouragement, understanding and wisdom as well as healing and health as we live life to the fullest through the marvelous gifts we received with our ostomy. If you are interested in knowing more about our excellent group, please send us an e-mail at kathy30plusnetwork@uoaa.org. Feel Better After Ostomy Surgery A few of the types of people who fare better after ostomy surgery are · Those who think of others before themselves · Those who look forward and upward · Those who are busy and active · Those who are always inquiring and learning · Those who are not bogged down in grief · Those who come to their local UOAA meeting Join
UOAA on Facebook at http:// www.facebook.com/#!/pages/United-Ostomy- Associations-of-America/169475247090?ref=ts Follow
UOAA on Twitter at http:// General Information About UOAA UOAA
is an association of affiliated support groups. UOAA serves people with ostomies and other
intestinal and urinary diversions through its support groups by providing
information, by coordinating advocacy efforts and holding conferences, by
maintaining an Internet site at www.uoaa.org,
by our Discussion Board and a variety of methods to assist our affiliates to be
as effective as possible. Individuals
can join UOAA by joining one of its affiliated groups. UOAA is a member of the International Ostomy
Association. UOAA invites any ostomy or
continent diversion support groups to become affiliated
with us. People and organizations are
welcome to contact us any time with concerns and suggestions. When NASA first planned to send astronauts into space, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $1.2 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass, and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 Celsius. Confronted with the same problem, Israelis used a pencil. Recovery—a
Newbie’s Perspective By
Jennifer Decker I had my ostomy surgery on May 15, 2007. I made the decision to have a urostomy
after nearly 10 years of living with neurogenic bladder, a condition, which
began to steal my bladder control when I was a sophomore in college. Urinary incontinence ruled my life prior
to my surgery. Given that I have only had
my ostomy for about four months, I cannot tell anyone reading this that my
life has turned completely around, but I can say that I am regaining some of
the independence I lost to urinary incontinence. My postoperative course was not smooth,
by any means, but I have to ask myself if anybody's course is smooth after
having an organ disconnected. I can
say that I think I have adjusted easier to a urostomy than I adjusted to the conditions
that lead me to choose surgery. That's
another thing, my urostomy was a choice in that it did not result from an
injury or life-threatening illness; my life could have gone on without a
urostomy, but for me, a 3 oz. bladder capacity (when normal is at least 12)
did not equal living. I chose to have
surgery because I believed it would enhance my quality of life, no matter how
slowly or differently from what I expected. I want to pass on something that my home
care nurse told me nearly constantly when I was first out of the hospital. I have a horrible habit of perfectionism and
needed a reminder that I had just had "big surgery" because I
wanted my recovery to be done and over with.
Surprise, I am still actively recovering! Having an ostomy may not look major from the
outside (it is just a bag, right?), but everyone going through the surgery
should try to be gentle with themselves, mind, body and spirit, whatever that
may look like. I have to remember that everyday. If my mind has trouble holding onto that reality,
chances are my body will step in with some uncomfortable reminders of its
own. As I see it now, ostomy surgery
is a process, consisting of educating yourself about the procedure you are
going to have and making the choice to alter permanently your body, the
surgery itself, and finally adjusting to what life is like after the operation.
A crucial element in surviving this roller
coaster process is finding a support network.
For me, the support of the UOAA internet discussion boards has gotten
me through so much. Remember, others
who have ridden the ostomy roller coaster have been through circumstances very
similar to your own. Honor where you
are in the process of healing from your surgery, both mentally and physically. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong
way to heal, as long as you give yourself credit for where you are on the
journey. Do’s and Don’ts with an Ostomy Adapted By The New Outlook We put together a small collection of items we discovered about people who have had ostomy surgery. We endeavor to reminder each other that we should not take ourselves too seriously. · Do no drop a clip in the toilet. It is a prudent idea always to carry a spare clip. · Do not stand up too quickly when the clip is caught on the edge of the toilet seat. Many of us have stood up too quickly, ending up stopped instantly in midair, because the clip caught on the inside edge of the toilet seat. The clip will lift the seat, and you feel like a fish caught on the end of a line. Quite a bad visual, but we only do it once; or maybe twice; no, we will make this goof our whole life and it will surprise us every time. This is especially a problem for a woman. Imagine being at someone's home and dropping the toilet seat loudly just before you leave the bathroom. Everyone just looks and wonders why a woman would be dropping a toilet seat. · Do not have your dog jump on you when your pouch is full. The dog’s nails will puncture the pouch. · Do not drink PowerAde Mountain Blast or Gatorade Blue Bolt before a doctor visit. It turns your output bright green. This is especially true if you have an ileostomy. All food dyes turn your stool the color of the dye, temporarily. It will surprise you the first time it happens. This includes Blue Hawaiians or red beets. Beet makes you look like you are bleeding to death. · Do not put a cat on your lap. A cat's claw could cause a tear in your pouch. If you sleep with a cat, they sometimes curl up next to it when you sleep to keep warm. · Do not accidentally lean against an oven door, barbecue grill or fireplace. The pouch melts instantly. ·
Do not put underarm deodorants
around the pouch or barrier. It is made of either plastic or a latex
material and a deodorant may dissolve it. If you want to use some type
of order control, although modern pouches are odor proof, use one of the
commercially made products that will not harm your stoma or your pouch. ·
When drying your pouching system
with a hairdryer, use the cool setting only. Plastic melts. · Many men angle the pouch toward the outside of their leg. This advice is especially useful when using a drainable pouch. This will keep the clip from poking your private parts. Women need to keep the clip away from a sanitary napkin. If the clip is caught on the pad's adhesive, the clip could be pulled off. · Beer may blow up your pouch with gas. This may be helpful when you need a floatation devise. ConvaTec’s Better Together Newsletter When Cynthia Garrett
was born with spina bifida 40-some years ago, no one expected her to be able
to work, let alone support herself.
However, boy, has she proved them wrong . . . several times over! “I was blessed with a family who never
wanted me treated differently than my brothers,” this San Antonio, Texas,
native tells us. Even
after urostomy surgery at age 12, her dreams were never discouraged. Not that anyone could have! Today, Cynthia has been a licensed
occupational therapist for 23 years; she earned a Master’s Degree in allied
health services, a neuro-developmental certification to work with adult head
injuries, and a hand certification, enabling her to become one of the first
certified hand therapists in the country.
Moreover,
if that were not enough, she runs a successful hand clinic in San
Antonio. Whew! In her spare time, Cynthia is an
experienced equestrian who has two horses, three cats and six dogs. In addition, she enjoys antiquing with her
supportive and patient husband, Michael.
When summing up her life, Cindy quotes poet/author Maya Angelou, “My
goal is not merely to survive—but to thrive, with passion, compassion and
style.” We would say she is succeeding!
Ask the
Expert Forwarded by the Green Bay
Area Ostomy Support Group Question:
How long does anesthesia stay in your system after ostomy surgery or a bowel
resection? I seem to be getting
extremely tired, intermittently, even a month after ostomy surgery. Some days I am fine and then “wham,” I have
a day that I am totally exhausted. Is this normal? Could it be from the anesthesia at this
point or from something else? Answer:
(provided by Franz O. Igler, M.D.,
Ph.D.; Bellin Hospital staff anesthesiologist in Green Bay, WI; Graduate
Medical College of Wisconsin 1980; Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Pain
Management.) Thank you for your question about the duration and side effects of anesthesia. Your question about fatigue and sleepiness after surgery and anesthesia lasting days later is common. To understand the aftereffects of surgery, one must take into consideration your general state of health, age, disease process, post surgery (postoperative) pain and its management, the surgical procedure, as well as the anesthesia that was required. Modern anesthetics are quickly eliminated from the body. For example, the volatile anesthetics (gases), which we commonly use, are quickly eliminated from the body just by breathing. They are administered as a gas through the lungs and are eliminated that way. These anesthetics are out of the body within hours. In addition to volatile gases, we often use agents such as Propafol. This drug is given through an IV into a vein. This medication has the advantage of a quick onset and a quick recovery. It also is eliminated within hours, via the liver. Some call Propafol “milk of amnesia” or MJ because of its milky appearance. Other drugs used during anesthesia are potent narcotics, muscle relaxants and antinausea medications. The narcotic most commonly used in surgery is Fentanyl. This drug is also rapidly eliminated from the body. It is highly unlikely, therefore, that the effects of general anesthesia would last much more than a day, if not hours. The most likely cause for prolonged fatigue and sleepiness are the medications used to control pain from the surgery and the healing process from the surgical tissue trauma. Your general health condition, extent of the surgery, your age and the amount and type of pain medication all have significant impact on your general state of well-being after surgery. Major surgery is like running a marathon, and you can imagine how you would feel after that. Your body needs time to recover. Your energy is channeled to that recovery and you might feel very tired for days afterward. The short answer is that the anesthesia is out of the body quickly, within a day, and your fatigue is probably due to pain medication use and/or your body trying to heal itself. The older we get, the longer it takes to heal. The sicker we are before surgery, the longer it takes. The more underlying (comorbid) conditions we have, the longer it takes. The best thing we can do is keep as vigorous and active as is possible . . . and keep smiling. Elvis Died of Constipation Formally
Known as Hirschsprung's Disease FOX News, Los Angeles It has been widely reported that Elvis Presley died in 1977 from cardiac arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, possibly brought on by drug dependency, obesity and a weak heart. But the music legend's longtime friend and physician, Dr. George “Nick” Nichopoulos, has put pen to paper for the first time and revealed his belief that it was chronic constipation that actually killed the King of Rock and Roll. “After he died we weren’t sure (of the exact cause of death) so I continued to do some research and I had some doctors call me from different places and different med schools that were doing research on constipation and different problems you can get into with it. I just want to get the story straight – it all made sense with the new research that was done,” the now retired Memphis M.D told Pop Tarts. "Dr. Nick" was by Presley's side for the last twelve years of his life and tried to resuscitate him the day he died. He recently released the book “The King and Dr. Nick” about his time with The King, and his theory on the death that shocked America. “We didn’t realize until the autopsy that his constipation was as bad—we knew it was bad because it was hard for us to treat, but we didn’t realize what it had done," the doctor explains of Elvis' condition. "We just assumed that the constipation was secondary to the meds that he was taking for his arthritic pain and for his insomnia.” According to Dr. Nick, the autopsy revealed that Presley’s colon was five to six inches in diameter (whereas the normal width is two to three inches) and instead of being the standard four to five feet long, his colon was eight to nine feet in length. “The constipation upset him quite a bit because Elvis thought that he could handle almost anything, he thought he was really a man’s man and he wasn’t going to let something like this . . . he thought that this was a sign of weakness and he wasn’t going to be weak,” Nichopoulos said. “And it’s not the kind of thing you table talk. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s you did not talk about constipation much, you did not hear people complaining about it or saying what they did or how much trouble they had with it.” In 1975, the primary treatment for this kind of problem involved removing part of the colon, known as a colostomy, and at the time, Dr. Nick was in talks with a surgeon at the University of Memphis to perform the procedure. However, Presley’s “ego” got in the way. “He would get embarrassed, he’d have accidents onstage. He’d have to change clothes and come back because of the way we were trying to treat his constipation,” Nichopoulos said. “So if they had done the colostomy then, he’d probably still be here. However, it was not acceptable treatment at that time. Now the treatment is short.” Nichopoulos also believes that Presley’s prominent weight gain in the years prior to his death was not a result of overeating or eating the wrong foods, as they initially assumed. The doctor reveals that Elvis' bloated appearance was due to his severe constipation. “It was really a physiological problem. During the last few years we were going back and comparing pictures, some of them were taken just two weeks apart but he looked like he’d gained 20 pounds when the only difference was that he had a good healthy bowel movement and then lost a lot of weight from that,” Dr. Nick explained. “Usually you pass it all in two or three days, but at the autopsy we found stool in his colon which had been there for four or five months because of the poor motility of the bowel.” So how would Presley feel about all the details of this “debilitating” disease being made public? “I still think it’d be embarrassing for him, but that may be because we couldn’t explain it at that time the way we can now. But bowel paralysis is hereditary and you can in fact pass it down to your children,” he continued. “His condition was either something he was born with like Hershberger’s disease, or some viruses cause the paralysis of the nerves in the colon. The nerves weren’t functioning enough in places, or weren’t functioning at all because his colon would not push food out, it would just accumulate.” Moreover, even through all the trials and tribulations of their personal and professional relationship, Nichopoulos will first and foremost remember the captivating yet compassionate person that was our beloved American icon, Elvis Presley. “He was well-written, a very kind person, a very giving person. He was just one of a kind. You couldn’t ask for a better friend,” Dr. Nick added. “The main thing that he enjoyed in life was doing his shows. He would change from one person to another as soon as he walked on the stage. He would just go through a metamorphosis–all of a sudden he flipped a switch and looked like a toy soldier dancing up there.” New for Medicare Beneficiaries Social Security Administration Anyone who has Medicare can get Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Some people with limited resources and income are eligible for Extra Help to pay for the costs—monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co–payments—related to a Medicare prescription drug plan. To qualify for Extra Help: · You must reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. · Your resources must be limited to $12,510 for an individual or $25,010 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds. We do not count your house and car as resources; and · Your annual income must be limited to $16,245 for an individual or $21,855 for a married couple living together. Even if your annual income is higher, you still may be able to get some help. Some examples where your income may be higher are if you or your spouse: · Support other family members who live with you; · Have earnings from work; or · Live in Alaska or Hawaii. Beginning January 1, 2010, when determining your eligibility for Extra Help: · We will no longer count as a resource any life insurance policy; and · We will no longer count as income the help you receive when someone else provides you with food and shelter, or someone else pays your household bills for food, mortgage, rent, heating fuel or gas, electricity, water, and property taxes. It is easy to apply for Extra Help. Just complete Social Security’s Application for Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). · You can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/extrahelp; · Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to apply over the phone; or · Apply at your local Social Security office. After you apply, Social Security will review your application and send you a letter to let you know if you qualify for the Extra Help. Once you qualify, you can choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. If you do not select a plan, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will do it for you. The sooner you join a plan the sooner you begin receiving benefits. Forging a Clinician-Patient-UOAA Partnership
By Kristin Knipp President, UOAA, WOCN Magazine, 2010 Nineteen years ago, as a very frightened and bitter 15 year old, I had ostomy surgery as a result of Crohn’s disease that had ravaged my body for six miserable years. I was hopeful for the potential health the ostomy offered me, yet terrified of the journey that I would have to make to get there. Two days postsurgery, a young nurse entered my hospital room,
flung open the blinds on the window and, ignoring the “Do Not Bump My Bed”
sign posted above me, positioned her on my bedside. “I’m the enterostomal therapist,” she
said. “I’m going to teach you how to
take care of your ostomy.” I did not
know it then but that meeting would lead to a life-changing relationship for
which I will be forever grateful. That
young nurse taught me far more than how to complete the simple basics of
ostomy care. She
gave me the tools I needed to embark on my journey toward finally living
again—not just an ostomy pouching system and a few brochures, but also the
courage to learn to care for myself, confidence in my medically altered body,
and perhaps most importantly, information about organizations and other
resources that would champion and support me in my journey with an ostomy. Since my initial surgery
19 years ago, a great deal has changed in the ostomy world — surgical
procedures, pouching systems, even the names by which we call the clinicians
that provide ostomy care. But many things are still the same. The need for patient education and support,
pre- and post- surgery, will always exist. As President of the United
Ostomy Associations of America, I encourage you, as clinicians, to learn more
about our organization and the resources we provide to help you meet the
needs of your patients. With more than 290 affiliated
support groups across the nation and several online communities, the UOAA
offers patients and their caregivers the opportunity to connect with others
for mutual support. Our comprehensive website (www.uoaa.org) is home to
various educational guides, advocacy information, and a new Living with
Ostomy video (also available in DVD) that highlights people with ostomies of
varying ages and activity levels doing both the ordinary and the extraordinary
and talking about their journey to acceptance. Our
quarterly publication, The Phoenix, is the leading ostomy patient magazine
and features professionally written, in-depth articles on topics of concern
to new and experienced ostomy patients, such as stories of recovery after
colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy or continent diversionary surgery; ostomy care
advice in “Ask the Ostomy Nurse” and “Ask the Doctor;” and information on
living a full life with an ostomy. The UOAA has a vision: a
society where people with ostomies and intestinal or urinary diversions are
universally accepted and supported socially, economically, medically, and
psychologically. As a clinician
providing ostomy care, you play a key role in helping the UOAA make this
vision a reality. You are instrumental
in setting patients on the path toward living a fulfilling life after ostomy
surgery. We hope that you will allow
us to assist you in guiding your patients to success.
By E. McConnell, CWOCN, Snohomish Co., WA Did
you ever try to snuggle into a comfortable position in bed only to find that
your tummy flab or pouching system seems to pull when you are on your side? Do not let it cramp your style. Happiness could just turn out to be a
pillow. Try tucking one across your
front and lean into it for firm support. If the pillow is too soft, first roll it
like a bolster. A flat pillow placed
between the legs in such a way that one end is brought up high enough to
support the lower abdomen also helps to relieve or prevent any strain. If you
lie on your back, try a pillow under your knees for added comfort. If your feet get cold during the night,
remember that pillows are not just for heads anymore. A soft pillow on the foot of the bed is
perfect for tootsies to snuggle under. Try
placing a pillow on top of you, under the sheet if you are stuck in a motel
where bed clothing is inadequate for lowered temperatures—it will warm you up
in a hurry. Even placing a pillow
alongside your body helps. You know
there are soft pillows, firm pillows, goose downs, satin jobs, king size,
crib size, wedges, rings, triangles—anything your little heart desires. Movie queens surround themselves with heaps of pillows. Turks perch atop them with their legs crossed, tough guys slam their fists into them, kids have pillow fights and dogs and cats curl up and sleep on them. As people with ostomies, we started out as pillow people, one pressed firmly into our back to keep us on our sides, one under the arm with the IV in it, one clenched tightly in our arms across the incision when we were made to cough and even one under our bottoms when we painfully tried to sit up. If you have forgotten about pillows, just remember—they are a natural for people with ostomies. Try them—you might just like them. Water Adopted by The New Outlook Water is important for our life. A person with an ostomy especially needs to drink enough water. It is necessary when you want to take better control of your life. Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, water has many positive benefits you may enjoy, which provides good health for your body and mind. Water keeps us fit. We all want to stay lean and avoid adding fat. Dehydration slows down our metabolism, which leads to a reduction in the number of calories we burn. Did you know that sometimes when we feel hungry it might just be that we are thirsty? Next time instead of snacking, drink a bottle of water. You actually train your body to be thirsty. Drink water regularly and you will be thirsty more often. Your body will know when it needs water and will begin telling you, if you train it correctly by drinking enough water. Water helps prevent headaches, dizziness and cramping caused from dehydration. You will also be able to think and remember more clearly, when you drink enough water throughout the day. Water distributes the chemicals our bodies need. Enough water distributes vitamins and minerals evenly and dilutes them enough for us to use. Water helps us normalize our body weight. Water washes fats out of our bloodstream. If we start drinking about three liters of water a day, our weight will increase the first few days. Then, amazingly, our weight goes down sharply. The water we drink is washing the waste out of our bodies while making our metabolism more efficient. Fashion models that need to maintain a thin figure drink water to wash out body tissues. Water reduces itchy skin. It you have ever had itching around your pouching system, try drinking a glass of water. People with ostomies are notorious for always being somewhat dehydrated. Our skin will become dry and itchy when this happens. People with new ostomies have the most trouble with itchy skin while their bodies adapt to their new life. Drink water to reduce itching and dry skin. Water helps lubricate the joints in our bodies. Not only that, our skin will feel softer and will be smoother. Drinking water removes wrinkles and creases in skin. You will look better. The water we drink combines with nutrients in our body to create the oils and lubricants necessary for a healthy body. Water is especially helpful to people with ostomies in preventing kidney stones and promoting a healthy liver. When the kidneys are overworked because of a lack of water, the liver must assume some of the kidneys' tasks. This is not good. Because minerals may not be removed from the kidneys, stones may form more easily. Simply drinking enough water helps prevent this condition. In addition, excess bile salts are utilized and disposed of more easily. This assists the body in efficient operation affecting multiple organs and body units. Water is an excellent remedy for a hangover, which exists partly because of dehydration. Drinking caffeine drinks like coffee, alcoholic beverages, sodas and the like may actually dehydrate the body. Drink more water after enjoying these drinks. You do not need to remove them from your diet; you just need to drink more water when you imbibe. Water fights fatigue. Many people have tiring schedules and by the day's end are exhausted. One source of fatigue might be that we fail to drink enough water during the day. Make sure you always bring along a bottle of water. Drink water on the way to work, at work, at home, away from home . . . all the time. Water should be obtained from a high-quality source. Tap water should only be used in moderation. It contains toxic chemicals that are poisonous to our bodies when overdosed. Bottled water should not contain these toxins. Reputable water vendors have high-quality water, preferably in glass bottles, that contain minerals beneficial to us and which allows us to drink in sufficient quantity as to obtain the good results promised here. One of the easiest things you may want to do to be healthier quickly is to start drinking three liters (that is, about seven 12 ounce glasses) of water throughout every day. We value each of our members, and we value the good health of each one of you too. Editor’s Note: Some people are advised by their doctors to
limit water intake. This may be due to
a medical condition like kidney disease or diabetes. The information contained in this article
is very beneficial for generally healthy people. However, you individual circumstances may
require a different strategy to maintain optimal health. In addition, drinking too much water in a
day, over a gallon, may drown one’s bodily tissues. Baby Boomers with Ostomies As the millions of baby boomers in the
United States age, there are a greater number of illnesses just waiting for
them. Years of fast food and stress
make a breeding ground for intestinal problems. When they can no longer deny that their
fast-paced lifestyle, poor eating habits and lack of exercise have caught up
to them, they seek medical help. When medical tests confirm intestinal
problems that require surgery their whole world seems to explode around them. Their doctor has just told his/her patient
that he/she needs an ostomy. If the
patient is fortunate enough to have a doctor who is aware of the local ostomy
support group, he/she will advise the patient to visit them. In addition, the doctor will ask the WOC
nurse managing the pre-surgery examination to make an appointment to see the
patient. Experience has shown us that it is only
when a person with an ostomy talks to another person with an ostomy that the
problems that initially seemed insurmountable are gradually chipped
away. This is what the UOAA and the
local ostomy support groups embrace as their primary mission—people with
ostomies helping other people with ostomies.
We want everyone to know that one of the best places to find this type
of information and assistance is with your local ostomy support group. Bring someone with an ostomy to a
meeting. Centering Your Pouch A well-fitted skin barrier does not allow for a very big margin or error. Consider that the correct opening in the skin barrier is determined by measuring the stoma’s diameter with a measuring card (the kind included in a box of skin barriers) and adding about 1/8th of an inch. This means that the skin barrier must be centered just about perfectly. To perform this well, it is a good practice to have good lighting from above and from the side. Standing sideways to the light source is good for better visibility. A wall mirror is a great help to see that the skin barrier in applied straight. A crooked skin barrier exerts pressure on the skin and stoma, which can only lead to problems. Do not rush with your ostomy care. Take the time to check the placement carefully before allowing the skin barrier to make contact with the abdomen. No time is saved if one needs to do the whole operation over again because the skin barrier is crooked and uncomfortable. Whenever your skin barrier feels out of place and uncomfortable, take it off immediately. Do not wait for injury to occur. It is better to change it unnecessarily than to risk damaging the precious stoma. We will be living with our stoma for a long time. I always said my stoma keeps me alive. Once you become accustomed to your stoma and changing your pouching system on some schedule, ostomy management will be much easier |