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March
2010 Last Month’s Meeting (our 396th) We had a wonderful February meeting sharing our experiences and feelings during one of our Rap Sessions. We would like to offer special approbations to Lois Knaack, who provided delicious homemade cupcakes in celebration of her birthday and Ellen Credille for her help in editing our newsletter. We have some exciting programs in our upcoming get-togethers. Make sure that you check our calendar so that you do not miss any of our informative and cheerful discussions. We are planning with the Northwest C.H. group to put on a Product Fair and Stoma Clinic in the fall. We have secured parking coupons that allow us to park in the hospital garage during a general meeting for $2.00. Be sure to pick up a coupon at the front desk when you come in. Help
the Colon Cancer Alliance and UOAA raise awareness about colorectal cancer
and the importance of screening by wearing blue on national Dress in Blue Day
on March 5, 2010. “The Haitian people are dealing with the worst catastrophe in their lifetime. They need water, food, security and medical care. FOW-USA was able to respond quickly to a request for ostomy supplies. Thanks to the volunteers in Louisville, Yusen shippers and the Catholic Medical Mission Board, who have an organization in Haiti to ensure the supplies to get where they are needed, three pallets of ostomy supplies are on the way to Haiti.” “Without the support of individuals and organizations, FOW-USA would not have had the ostomy products or the financial capability to provide this aid. We do not know how soon more aid will be needed in Haiti or where the next crisis might be. You can help us to be prepared to provide help wherever it might be needed by sending supplies to restock our shelves and financial support to pay for the shipping costs. Thanks for whatever role you have played in getting FOW-USA to be in position to provide this support.” Ival Secrest,
FOW-USA President New Air Travel Rules from the TSA From the Transportation Safety Administration
rules, February 2010
·
Security officers will not require you to
remove your prosthetic device, cast or support brace. ·
During the screening process, please do not
remove or offer to remove your prosthetic device. ·
You have the option of requesting, at any
time, a private room during the screening of your prosthetic device, cast or
support brace. ·
If you wear an external medical device and are
uncomfortable with going through the metal detector or being handwanded, you
may request a private pat-down inspection and visual inspection of your
device instead. ·
You should be offered a private screening if
clothing is to be lifted to complete the inspection process. Advise the security officer if you have an ostomy or urine pouch. You will not be required to expose these devices for inspection. OAGC Meeting Dates for 2010 March 17—“A Conversation about
Food” hosted by Judy Svoboda April 21—Our 35th
Anniversary Celebration featuring Special Guest Speaker Janice Colwell,
President of WOCN Society May 19—“How do you tell
people you have an ostomy?” hosted by Joan Loyd June 16—Visitor’s
Training moderated by Peggy Bassrawi, RN July 21 August 18 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, Evergreen Park, Mary Potter Pavilion, Lower
Level, 2850 W. 95th St. 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 April 8 June 3 August 12 October 7 December 9 Urostomy Change Procedures By William Raymond Gantz As a person with a urostomy for 13 years and being quite comfortable with my situation, it seems appropriate that I share some of my own procedures with others. I now change my pouching system every three to four days, the maximum time recommended by the WOCN (wound, ostomy, continence nurses society). For some years, I had been able to get up to 14 days wear time during the temperate times of years, but several years ago, I started experimenting to reduce peristomal skin irritation and now settle for the three to four day average year round. I perform my change cleanup in the shower, using a suitable chair for comfort and relaxation. I start the process as early as possible after draining and rinsing my night-bag. The following are the procedures I use. 1. I remove the old pouch and skin barrier with the aid of ConvaTec AllKare Adhesive Remover wipes. I follow-up with the wipe to remove all traces of skin barrier material or adhesive. 2. I then wipe the peristomal area with a triple-square piece of folded toilet paper to dry as much adhesive remover from my peristomal area and from my fingers as possible. 3. I next wipe the peristomal area thoroughly with a fresh alcohol swab. I like the B-D brand. 4. I use another triple-square piece of toilet paper to dry the alcohol from the peristomal area. 5. If any long hairs are visible immediately around my stoma, I trim them carefully with a pair of baby scissors. About every four weeks, I carefully shave my peristomal area with the beard trimmer on my electric razor. 6. I begin my shower by washing my hands thoroughly with regular bath soap. I next wash my peristomal area twice (okay, I am being freakish) using only my hands and a bar of Neutrogena soap. The use of a neutral soap was recommended to me by one of the consulting nurses at ConvaTec. 7. I take my regular shower, rinse, and dry my head, back, buttocks and the back of my thighs. Then I bend my upper body and ripple my stomach muscles, and then massage my peristomal area, which often elicits the discharge of urine. 8. I turn on the shower again and hand-wash my peristomal area with Neutrogena soap for the final time. If I have not yet elicited a urine discharge, I will try once again before rinsing thoroughly to clean off the Neutrogena soap residue. 9. I dry my hands, and place a previously prepared slender, regular tampon in my stoma, rotating it back and forth gently so that a quarter inch or so penetrates into my stoma. 10. I hold the tampon in place with one hand while I finish drying with the other hand. I then move to the bed where I previously had placed a beach towel. I dry my peristomal area with a hair dryer set on cold with a low speed. 11. I hand the hair dryer to my wonderful wife who uses it on high to soften the adhesive on the skin barrier. I use a ConvaTec Natura Durahesive skin barrier with convexity and pouches with the Accuseal tap. 12. On signal, I remove my finger from the tampon, and my wife carefully places the skin barrier whereupon I move the retaining finger back onto the tampon. Upon the next signal, I remove the tampon and she quickly presses the pouch onto the skin barrier, which has a distinct click. 13. I press the skin barrier against my abdomen to ensure maximum adhesion while my wife cuts a piece of pink tape which she places along the top edge of the picture frame tape on the skin barrier, which otherwise turns down and picks up gnarr and smurgle during the next few days of wear. I know that I have it really good being married to such a wonderful woman. I can complete the change by myself and have done so when my wife was elsewhere. However, as long as she, bless her, is willing, I will use her loving support. This has been an elaborate, long-winded exposition, but it is my hope that someone, particularly a newbie, will find portions that will assist him/her in learning how to get extended wear with his/her urinary pouching system. 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 Winter Ostomy Concerns The Greater Louisville
Newsletter For those of
us who live in northern climates and have undergone ostomy
surgeries, it is important to use caution when shoveling snow. Because we have had abdominal incisions, we
are at higher risk than the general public and must
protect ourselves from stoma injury. Keep in mind
the following safety precautions when shoveling your way through the piles of
snow that await us this winter. Because
we are all different, check with your doctor to see if there are weight
limitations for you to push or lift. Do
a little at a time and rest in between; it does not usually have to be done
all at once. Pushing snow may be
easier than lifting every shovelful. Hold
the handle slightly to the side of your body as you push the shovel along;
that way if you were to hit an uneven part of the driveway or sidewalk, the
handle would not suddenly poke into your abdomen or stoma. Drink plenty
of fluids before, during and after shoveling.
Shoveling is strenuous exercise. Do not hold your breath while straining to
lift heavy snow, breathe through the lift. Wear boots that have good grip, not ones
that may let you slip and fall. If you
are not physically up to shoveling safely, hire someone to do it or ask a
relative or a friend to do it for you. It is not worth injuring yourself or facing
additional surgery just to get it done. By Ellice Feiveson, Metro
Maryland Trust me, every person with an ostomy has had or will have an ostomy accident. By accident, I mean a pouch leak of some kind. The question is, are you prepared in case an accident occurs away from home? Not so much prepared as far as having a change of clothes and extra pouches, but prepared emotionally to deal with the unexpected mishap. The reality of it is that every person with an ostomy must think of what he/she would do if at a party, in a restaurant, work or anywhere else your pouch leaked because it was not on securely or the clasp came off and the contents were spilling out. The question is,
what do you do if you feel your pouch is not on securely or you feel wet
around your pouch? First, you think
that everyone is noticing you and knows what is happening. Stay calm. Go to the nearest bathroom and take care of
business. Most likely, your friends
are continuing their conversation in the restaurant or in your workplace and
no one knows you are temporarily missing. When I encountered an accident while I was
in a group situation, I just removed myself, and took my time in freshening
up and rejoined my friends. No
explanation is ever necessary. The
more outings you take and the more public situations you are in, the more
confident you will be as time goes on. Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I'll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give all of his blood to his sister in order to save her. Regardless, he had chosen to save her anyway. The Regina Ostomy News You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was a young girl, just married and embarking on my new life with my husband. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all, and I have glimpses of how it was back then . . . of all my hopes and dreams. Nevertheless, here it is, the winter of my life; it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go; where did my babies go? Where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. However, here it is; husband retired yesterday and he is really getting gray. He moves slower and I see an older man now. He is in much better shape than I am, but I see the great change. Not the one I married who was dark, young and strong, but, like me, his age is beginning to show; we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we would become. Each day, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day. Taking a nap is not a treat anymore; it is mandatory. If I do not on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit. Now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains, the loss of strength and ability to go and do things. At least, I know that though the winter has come, and I am not sure how long it will last. Yet I am confident that when it is over that I will enjoy the spring in the arms of my loving Father, and wait in anticipation for my loved ones to come when their winter is over too. If you are not in your winter yet, let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. Whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly. For remember that scripture that our life is but a vapor, it vanishes away. Do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life; live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember. Who is really providing Ostomy Care Today?
Gwen
B. Turnbull, RN, BS, CETN "The WOC nurse is only there two days a month." "The home care agency didn't have a WOC nurse." "I never saw an ostomy nurse." So say the ostomy patients—those who are newly operated or those with long-standing ostomies who develop problems. The burden of their concerns is not the direct responsibility of the WOC nurse—it is simply a result of current circumstances and basic arithmetic. The numbers do not add up. The biggest problem is an imbalance between supply and demand. The number of WOC nurses (just fewer than 4,000 nationwide1) is insufficient to care for the growing number of patients within the profession's range of practice. This is compounded by the fact that registered nurses can become certified by the WOCN (Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses Society) in one, two or all three of the specialties within the scope of WOCN practice. It is fair to assume that there are fewer COCNs (certified ostomy care nurses) than CWCNs (certified wound care nurses) because of the size of the population of patients with wounds and their drastic need for care. Perhaps, the expertise of CWOCNs (certified wound ostomy continence care nurses) is used primarily for wound care. A Multifaceted Problem Recent
advances in technology and increases in public and private payer cost
controls, as well as shortened hospital stays, have shifted higher acuity
patients, such as those with ostomies, into alternative care settings faster.
Today, the majority of pre- and
postoperative ostomy teaching and rehabilitation takes place in these
settings. Therefore, the bulk of
ostomy care today is likely provided by nonspecialized clinicians who lack 1)
current knowledge of state-of-the-art ostomy
care, 2)
appropriate use of modern ostomy products, and
3)
an understanding of what
comprises cost-effective ostomy care. This
situation is the result of many factors, including the small percentage of
nurses specially trained in ostomy care and the fact that the majority of
today's nurses are older than 40—meaning that their nursing education and
training was completed many years ago. Through no fault of their own, many of these
staff nurses may have an inadequate understanding of their role in caring for
patients with stomas as well as limited problem-solving expertise regarding
the frequent skin and stomal complications presented to them. Local
and national payer regulations that restrict access through prior approval
requirements, e.g., referrals from a primary care physician or price setting,
i.e., prospective payment systems can result in underuse of appropriate
resources2 required for optimal ostomy rehabilitation, e.g., adequate
supply of appropriate ostomy supplies or WOC. Implementation of PPS in Medicare-certified
home health care agencies has spurred a decline of nearly one-third the
numbers of such facilities since 1997.3 Previously viewed as revenue by home care
agencies, Medicare skilled nursing visits are now considered an expense,
further increasing the potential of distancing an ostomy patient from
appropriate and adequate care. Impact on Patients Over
the years, great strides have been made in the surgical techniques involved
in creating stomas and the ostomy products used to manage them. Unfortunately, today's problems (inadequate,
inconsistent care and teaching or little to no access to specialized ostomy
care nurses) are not new. In an era
where patients are being asked to assume more of a financial responsibility
for their medical care, this situation not only exacerbates the emotional
turmoil inherent in ostomy surgery as it lengthens rehabilitation time, but
it also unnecessarily increases the overall costs of care. What can be done? Healthcare
providers are eagerly searching for ways to improve their financial and
clinical outcomes and minimize their exposure to legal liability. Due to the current overwhelming nursing
shortage and the small number of certified ostomy nurses, savvy
administrators are searching for nurses with specific skills who can have a
positive affect on their business. WOC
nurses with a working knowledge of state-of-the-art ostomy care and modern
ostomy products can become a valuable asset to any healthcare organization—not
just by providing all the hands-on ostomy care, but also by taking a step
back from the bedside and serving proactively as resource and teacher for
nonspecialized staff. This individual
should be responsible for establishing standards of care, teaching protocols,
providing staff education, evaluating ostomy products, and determining
cost-effective ostomy care that matches the organization's patient
population. The
burden is on the WOC nurse to recognize and clearly demonstrate the value of
ostomy care services through the establishment of a standardized approach
throughout an organization and across referring institutions. It is a win-win situation. The healthcare organization wins. The staff nurses win. The WOC nurse wins. Moreover, most importantly, the patient
wins. 1. Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses
Society. Available at: www.wocn.org Cited: July 22, 2002. 2. McNeil BJ.
Shattuck lecture: hidden barriers to improvement in
the quality of care. New England
J Med. 2001;345(22):1612-1620. 3. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Access to Home Health Care After Hospital
Discharge 2001. July 2001. OEI-02-01-00180. Available at: www.oig.hhs.gov. Cited:
February 26, 2002 Remember: You
can park in the attached parking structure for $2.00 and come to our meeting
by taking just a few steps to the elevators. Valet parking and
wheelchairs are also available. I’m Alive . . . You’re Alive We Both Have Ostomies Ostomy Support group of Central Indiana They did not perform this surgery on us just for fun. They did not call it elective surgery. They hustled us off to the operating room to save our lives. They told our husbands, wives and other loved ones that it was necessary or we would die . . . maybe not today, but sometime very soon, too soon. So now, we have an ileostomy, a colostomy, an ileal conduit—or maybe two of these—and we are alive. We are alive because of this surgery and we can accept this or reject it. We can live a secret sheltered life. We can be embarrassed and not talk about our affliction . . . or we can say thank you for another chance to live this life in a helpful, hopeful way. We can tell people that an ostomy is not the end of a normal life. Sometimes they may have a loved one who must face this surgery. We can hope that because we were normal, happy, well adjusted and alive, and told someone about our ostomy, his/her loved one would fare better, perhaps, as well as we did. Try it. Would it not make you feel good to think someone could benefit from your experience? The Woman Who Changed My Life By anonymous, www.c3life.com
I When
I went back to work, most of the people I worked with knew about my
surgery. Of course, since I was a
seemingly eligible bachelor to those around me, my male friend's wives and
girlfriends were always trying to fix me up with someone. This went on for about 10 years. Most
of the time, I would cordially accept the set-ups, go on a single date and
then wiggle out of any addition dates with the girls. I was always afraid of having a girl learn that
I had an ostomy. I feared the worst at
all times . . . you know: horror,
rejection or worse . . . laughter and ridicule. Finally, I put a stop to everyone trying to
set me up with dates. The last five
years I have been completely alone . . . safe from emotional challenges but living
a pretty miserable life. Two
weeks before Thanksgiving, I met an old boy friend at a local golf course. I had not seen him in 20 years. We talked for about an hour, catching up
and reliving old memories. Well, the Sunday
before Thanksgiving there was a knock on my door and it is my old friend. He told me that his younger sister was
coming into town and needed someone to hang around with through the holidays.
She is two years younger than we are; we
never actually dated in school but were very good friends. I
always thought about her in the years since high school; you know how one
rethinks what might have been. I guess
I thought she always had a crush on me, but I was shy and never acted upon my
feelings. We went out for dinner with
her brother and his wife the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I was absolutely stunned at how beautiful she had become. We talked and laughed, just a great evening. We traded texts during the next morning and
saw each other that Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. I thought that she might just be interested
in me as more that a casual friend, so I considered how to approach this
whole ostomy thing. I
wanted badly to tell her about my ileostomy but was afraid she would
instantly reject me . . . my ego is way too fragile. I guess I am not a very self-confident male
after all. On Saturday night, I
finally worked up the courage and told her everything from becoming
sick, the ostomy surgery, how my life seemingly changed afterwards, how I was
scared about getting close to anyone and how I led a miserable, lonely life
for the past 15 years. It was as
a huge weight had been lifted off me. She
came and sat down next to me and told me everything was all right. She said that she sensed that something was
troubling me but did not know how to bring it up. It was an emotional catharsis for me. My worst fear of having to tell someone I
cared for about my surgery had passed.
It was the absolute best outcome I could have hoped for happening. She
lives about seven hours away from my home by auto. Two weeks later, we met halfway at a B&B
and spent a romantic weekend together.
Remember, I was 46 and she was 44, we were not kids and things
happened fast. During our stay, I had
an accident. I felt the leak before it
was serious and hurried to the bathroom to change. Unfortunately, I did not perform my normal pouching
routine and early in the morning had another accident. This time, I took more care in changing my
skin barrier and when I returned o bed, she was awake. She
asked if everything was fine and I explained what had happened, becoming a
little choked up as I explained. When I
gathered myself, I told her that she might be better off without me because
of my freakishly mutated body—in retrospect this was a pathetically unmanly
display of self-pity. I dressed and
went out on the balcony, and then she came out to talk. She was crying and so was I—I was so
ashamed. She wanted to know what the
big deal was about having a leak . . . she thought it was nothing at
all. The worst thing that could come
out of it is doing a load of laundry. I
realized that I had worked myself up for a completely stupid reason. She had the simplest answer to my problem
while keeping it in the correct perspective. The
following week, I drove to her home to spend the week at her place. It is still difficult to understand the
simple circumstances that led to this remarkable positive change in my
life. If I did not meet her brother
again, I may have not been reacquainted with her. I realized how stupid I have been over
these past 15 years. I actually
thought I was living a good life. Now,
I come to find out I could not have been more miserable if I had tried. Anyone
who is feeling the ridiculous way I did should take stock of their good
fortune and not worry so much about things that are out of one’s control. I almost declined my friend’s offer to
accompany his sister around for a few days. I could have gone on just as I had . . .
safe, but miserable. A person just has
to take a chance, extend oneself and hope things work out for the best. Even if they do not, the worst that can
happen is that there is one more person who knows about ostomy surgery. For our liability disclaimer and privacy policy
visit http://uoachicago.org/liability.htm. The Phoenix is the official
publication for the UOAA. Each issue
contains 72 pages of education, information and inspiration for people with
ostomies. An annual subscription—four
issues—is $25.00. Send your name, address
and a check to The Phoenix P.O. Box 3605 Mission Viejo CA 92690 If an Ileostomy Fails to Function By Kosta Karvounis It is normal for an ileostomy to cease functioning for short periods. However, if such cessation is lasting four to six hours and is accompanied by severe cramps and nausea, the small intestine could be obstructed and a doctor should be called or a visit to the hospital emergency room is needed. Even if the blockage is only partial, allowing some liquid to pass through, it still may be prudent to call a doctor in the event the material in the intestine does not pass on its own. There are home remedies we sometimes try. At the first sign of an obstruction, remove the pouching system and put on one with a larger opening so the stoma will not be constricted if it swells. It is a good idea to even go without a pouching system altogether for a while. This will provide the stoma an opportunity to expand and perhaps expel the blockage. Stretching the body out and then tucking the body in may help loosen the blockage or put added pressure on the abdomen to help push it out of the intestine. Taking a warm bath without the prosthetic may relax the abdomen enough to expel the offending material. The blockage is usually right at the skin level. A member of our local ostomy association was advised by his doctor to try the following more aggressive tactic: Lubricate the little finger well, make sure the nail is cut and dulled, place the little finger gently into the stoma, pushing the obstruction backwards, and then remove the finger. This will probably help break it up. The offending material has a good chance of passing. This procedure is also called dilating the stoma. Never stick an object into the stoma. It could perforate the intestine without you even feeling it, causing a life-threatening situation. A blockage is usually caused by high-residue foods. This means foods that do not break down into small pieces or clump when chewed like Chinese vegetables, pineapple, coconut, whole seeds, olive pits, vegetable skins, popcorn, un-chewed nuts, mushrooms, fruit skins, fruit pulp, kernel corn, whole peas, shrimp, lobster or gristly meats. It may be caused from overeating foods that usually agree with us when we only eat small helpings. It may also result from internal changes beyond our control, like volvulus—a twisted intestine. A partial blockage may have the following characteristics: odorous discharge, cramps, watery squirts, noises and pain from around the stoma. When consulting a doctor because of a partial blockage, advise him/her if you are taking antibiotics, penicillin or other medication. A change of medicine may be needed. Although, the experience of our members show that most partial blockages pass on their own if we drink plenty of water, move around to give our body a chance to loosen it on its own and do not compound the problem with volumes of high fiber or any other foods. Diarrhea may also signal trouble. In this case, intestinal contents pass through the small intestine too quickly for the absorption of fluid, salts and minerals. In fact, illness may cause the tissues to pour out needed fluid, salts and minerals. Electrolytes must be replaced quickly to avoid illness from dehydration and mineral deficiency. Loose stool may result not only from a virus or disease but also from eating certain foods. Such diarrhea is usually temporary. Raw fruits and vegetables, milk, fruit juice, prune juice or strange drinking water may be the culprits. Another possible cause is emotional stress. For some people with ileostomies, a watery discharge is simply normal for them. Diarrhea has three characteristics · The intestine discharges great quantities of watery stool. · It may come on suddenly and be accompanied by cramps. · It may be caused by intestinal flu or gastroenteritis. What does one do about diarrhea? Take alternately, every hour the following drinks ·
One
cup of sweetened tea, or · One glass of orange juice, or · One cup salty broth, e.g., a bullion cube in a cup of hot water Continue as long as the diarrhea persists. Glucose drinks are also available to help replace electrolyte losses. Most importantly, call your physician and take whatever medications he/she may prescribe. Diarrhea will probably affect all people with ileostomies from time to time. It usually passes in a few hours. Take the above drinks. Monitor your progress. You should be back to yourself after taking a few glasses of these drinks. If you stop
urinating after taking these drinks, it means your body is not accepting
fluids orally. Your pouch would be
full of the liquids you have been drinking. This is a critical situation. If it persists for many hours with no
relief in sight, you may want to go directly to a hospital emergency room
while you are still conscious. Tell
them your circumstances. They should
put you on a saline intravenous feeding tube. The saline IV will
re-hydrate your body and you should be able to urinate again. The
diarrhea may then be treated. Most of the time, our bodies can fight
this temporary illness after receiving fluids and electrolytes. This
means the hospital will send you home after a few hours, and you should
probably be fine. If you can urinate, you have some time remaining to
see if your body accepts the above home treatment. 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 that 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 person 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 people of good will. This quality is courage. It is the quiet courage, which endures
stark fear and overpowering 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 people 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,
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 a person help
but say, "Why should this happen to me? What have I done to
deserve this? Who can help me in my aloneness?" 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 him/herself. He/she must help him/herself. 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 people of good will. Once the crisis has been faced, he/she will find a rich and rewarding companionship among people like him/herself. 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. For their surgeons and physicians, it is an honor and a tremendous privilege to know them. Open Letter to Our Members
The Ostomy Association of Greater Chicago is your local ostomy support organization. We will achieve our goals only if you 1. Sit and talk to a new person at one of our meetings. New people are here to meet other people with ostomies. Smile and visit for a while. 2. Volunteer for a committee. We have a place for everyone. Assist with our activities to make them better for you and your fellow people with ostomies. 3. Run for office rather than waiting to see who is elected. We do make a difference. 4. Become a visitor rather than remembering how helpful your visitor was or how you did not even have one because of apathy. 5. Come to our meetings. It is better than just reading about them in the newsletter. New people with ostomies have the opportunity to actually see others experienced living after ostomy surgery. We want to show them that we look, feel and smell good; have active fulfilling lives; and are grateful for our new life. 6. Submit questions and suggestions to our Board members. Someone may never have thought of your observation. 7. 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. 8. Assist with a meeting or a function. It is really a lot more fun when you do, and you will be surprised how many new friends you make. 9. 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. 10. Bring a new member to a meeting. If you know of a person who has an ostomy, bring him/her with you. Our local
ostomy association 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 every one of you.
“Mr. Peebody” By Sharon Holt, North
Central OK Ostomy Outlook After suffering for many years with urinary tract pain, unsuccessful surgeries, a supra-pubic catheter and catheters, including “Mr. Peebody,” Sharon had urostomy surgery. Joining the North San Diego County Ostomy Association shortly after her surgery, she read this to express her feelings. “Free at last! I am a free person now. Mr. Peebody and I parted ways on August 25, 2009. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t good either. He had his drawbacks. He could be so irritating. He often embarrassed me. He wasn’t anything to look at; in fact, the very sight of him made some people uncomfortable. He kept me awake nights. He was messy. He was lazy, working only part time or not at all. I just couldn’t rely on him. He was possessive. We went everywhere together. He even followed me into the shower. I never had a moment alone. He even dictated what type of clothes I could wear—usually long skirts and oversized blouses. Oh, he tried to do better—about once a month he would change, but within a week, he was back to his old ways. I don’t think we liked each other from the start. I resented him. He drove me to drink. I began to hate him. We sought professional help. He didn’t know it, but his days were numbered! After much counseling and soul searching, and at the advice of my urologist, I decided to get rid of Mr. Peebody. I am much happier now. I am in a much better relationship. I am a person with an ostomy, and I have my life back! I even joined a wonderful support group, the Ostomy Support Group of North San Diego County. I am free at last!”
Setbacks are a part of life.
The next time you are facing a setback, think of Abraham Lincoln. He entered the Blackhawk War in 1831 as a
captain. By the end of the war, he had
been demoted to the rank of private.
When Alexander Graham Bell showed his telephone to the President in
1876, Rutherford B. Hayes said, “That’s an amazing invention, but who would
ever want to use one?”
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books was an aspiring
writer and single mother living on welfare in an unheated, mice-infested
flat. Joanne’s first book was rejected
by 12 publishers before the world met Harry Potter in 1997. Fred
Smith submitted a paper to his Yale University management professor. The response was, “The concept is
interesting but in order to earn better than a “C” the idea must be
feasible.” The paper proposed a
reliable overnight delivery service. Fred
went on to build FedEx Corporation.
Failure is not falling down, but staying down. March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month |
