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January 2004 Newsletter This page has a built-in search engine wherein you can search for specific words and be taken directly to that point on the page if such words are found. To find repeated instances of the same word, press the "ALT + S" buttons on the keyboard (works in Internet Explorer only). The search box is not case-sensitive. Our Next Meeting
Printing Firm Sponsor LDOA is still looking for a printing firm sponsor. If you have connections or know of a company that would be willing to donate their services to print our newsletters and brochures, please contact our Newsletter Editor, As a gesture of appreciation, LDOA offers a print ad for the firm in each news- letter, a sponsor-type ad on the web site, and a "Printed by our Sponsor" promo line in the brochures. Thank you. Reminders
From the President's Desk
As I struggle through my first year as your president, I would like to thank my Executive Committee and membership for your support and patience. Thank you, Heather Smith, for stepping into the Vice President position. We will be better organized this year. We have been making great strides with the newsletter and web site thanks to the devoted efforts of Deanna Sterling, and Edith Scheliga has been doing a terrific job as Treasurer. Hopefully Joy Ibsen, our Social Co-Ordinator, will be back with us after recuperating from her serious illness. And thanks to Brenda Turner, our Visitor Co-Ordinator, who will be very busy this year with our Visitor Training Seminar. John Jory, our Past President, has moved to Orillia. We will miss his wisdom and his absence will be felt. John attended our Christmas Dinner and it was good to see him again. We have an outstanding list of guest speakers for the next few months.
Let’s hope that our members who have been ill or hospitalized, in particular, Lillie Low, Dorothea Crover, Louretta Gavigan and Lynda Crockett, are all on the road to recovery and will be able to join us again. I look forward to seeing you at the meetings, and thank all of you for your support.
The waiting and the wondering are over! We are pleased to announce that Heather Smith has accepted the position of Vice President. Our Executive Committee is now complete! In addition to being an ileostomate for nearly two years with a genuine interest in LDOA’s further development in the ostomy community, Heather brings with her experience in the area of fund raising, which LDOA intends to put to good use in the near future! Those of you who were at September’s meeting may recall that Heather showed us her pouch covers. In addition to performing "regular" seamstress services, Heather makes durable and washable pouch covers, including special covers for joggers that keep the pouch secured snugly against the abdomen. She can also alter store-bought clothes to suit the needs of ostomates – everything from pants to bathing suits to intimate apparel. And those of you who were at November’s meeting may recall that Heather made an exceptional holiday swag which was raffled off and won by a lucky LDOA member! Indeed, we are fortunate to have as our Vice President someone with many talents, experience, and a sincere interest in the welfare of LDOA and it’s members. Welcome Heather!
Click and Collect Update Regarding the ads on LDOA’s web site, we are pleased to announce that we reached the $100.00 US goal on November 23, 2003. Shortly thereafter, LDOA received a bona fide cheque from Google in the amount of $121.00 US, which converted to $152.88 CDN. Altogether, it took us 54 days – just a wee bit under two months – to reach our goal. And now we begin again to collect another $100.00 US. As at January 3, 2004, the "kitty" sits at $15.60 US. Here’s hoping we reach our goal again by the time the next newsletter is published in March! ET Corner Each newsletter, London’s ETs answer your concerns
Do You Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome? An article for the non-ostomates among us. This article discusses the definition, symptoms and diagnosis of IBS, as well as the effects of diet, stress and medication. The article, which appeared in the printed version of LDOA's newsletter, has been given a web page of its own in the Articles Library and further elaborated upon. Click here to read the article. Click your browser's back button to return to this page.
For those members who have not yet discovered the wit and wisdom of UOA Evansville Chapter's Ostomies and Flu Season The flu brings with it headaches, upset stomach, diarrhea, muscle aches and pains! The advice to drink plenty of fluids and rest in bed remains sound medical advice for your general attack of the virus. But if your case of the flu includes diarrhea, the following may be helpful. Colostomates • It is usually wise not to irrigate during this time. Your intestine is already washing itself out. After diarrhea, you have a sluggish colon, so leave it alone. Start irrigation again after a few days when your colon has had a chance to return to normal. Ileostomates • For those with an ileostomy, diarrhea is a greater hazard. Along with the excess water discharge, there is a loss of electrolytes and vitamins that are necessary in maintaining good health. This loss brings a state of dehydration, therefore, you must restore electrolyte balance. First, eliminate all solid food. Second, obtain potassium safely and effectively from tea, bouillon and ginger ale. Third, obtain sodium from saltine crackers or salted pretzels. Fourth, drink a lot of fluids, including water. Cranberry juice and orange juice also contain potassium, while bouillon and tomato juice are good sources of sodium. Increased water intake results in increased urine output rather than increased water discharge through the appliance. Vomiting also brings the threat of dehydration. If it is severe and continuing, your doctor should be consulted. Urostomates • Be sure to keep your electrolytes in balance. Follow the general instruction for colostomies and ileostomies. No ostomate should take medicine for pain or a laxative without a physician’s advice. Do not use an antibiotic for cough or flu unless ordered to do so by your doctor. When returning to a normal diet, use fiber-free foods at first, then gradually increase to a normal diet. Prompt attention to symptoms of distress of colds and flu could bring a happier and, hopefully, healthier winter. Telling People You Have an Ostomy
Thinking back to those critical days of adjustment just after your ostomy surgery, you may only have wanted people around you that you trusted and loved. You may have needed the support of your spouse, friend or children. In order for those people to support you, they needed to know about your ostomy surgery. By sharing this information, you were helped through what may have been a very difficult time. Once you were home, friends started to call and then visit when you felt up to it. The question arose as to “What do I tell them about my surgery?” Probably, you thought about each person and their relationship with you – the closeness you felt for that person, their relationship with you and maybe the sincerity of that person’s concern for you. After considering these factors, you may have made a decision to tell the person about your ostomy. When you returned to work, the question arose again: “Should I tell my employer about my ostomy?” Here again a couple of questions needed to be asked. “Do I need support from my employer because of my ostomy? How does my employer knowing about my situation help me?” The answer to this becomes situational. For example, if you work on an assembly line and must take scheduled breaks and you’re still adjusting to emptying your pouch, you may or may not need a different schedule for breaks than those enforced. Your employer needs to know that you’re not breaking the rules, but have a real need. Whether to tell someone you have an ostomy becomes a matter of who has a right to know and how you will benefit from their knowing. Simply explain that you had surgery (for whatever reason you had your surgery) which resulted in having an alternate route made for emptying either your bowels or bladder. By having had this surgery, you were given the opportunity to increase the length and quality of your life. Educate the people whom you have de- cided have a right to know about your ostomy using the articles at this web site or pamphlets available from UOAC. Share with those persons you believe have a vested interest in your well being. Colostomies and Irrigation Bowel control after colostomy depends in part on the nature of the person. People with right-sided colostomies do not have as much remaining colon as those with a left-sided one. Because of this, there is usually too little colon to absorb enough water to make a solid stool. This type of colostomy cannot be controlled by irrigation but rather behaves very much like an ileostomy with a fairly continuous output. The sigmoid, or left-sided colostomy, is often described as a “dry” colostomy as it discharges formed stool. One has the choice of attempting to manage this type of colostomy either by trained control or irrigation control. Only one-third of people who attempt to train themselves to control their colostomy without irrigation are successful in doing so. Training relies heavily on diet and medications to achieve regularity. Most physicians feel that control is more easily and satisfactorily achieved by irrigation. However, there are some people who cannot achieve irrigating control because of “irritable bowel”. This problem has nothing to do with the colostomy – it is just part of some people’s physical make-up. Even before they had their colostomy, they may have had irregular bowel habits. They may retain these habits after their colostomy is performed so that regular irrigation does not assure them regularity. When this condition exists, physicians will often suggest the person dispense with irrigation since it will not produce the desired regular pattern and the person may become frustrated trying to achieve this. In the Event You are Hospitalized First, take all of your ostomy supplies with you that you will need during your hospital stay. The hospital may not have the same type of appliance system you are using. Prepare yourself to do some expert communicating, especially if you go to a hospital where ostomy patients are not seen too often, or if you go for a condition not related to your ostomy. Do not assume that all hospital personnel are knowledgeable about ostomies. Do not submit to procedures which you think may be harmful to your stoma. If you are in doubt about any procedure, refuse to have it performed and talk to your physician about it. THIS IS YOUR RIGHT !!! Notify your ET no matter what the reason is for your hospital- ization. Give her your room number immediately. Do not leave this important part of your hospital stay up to the nurses in your unit. Regular nurses are not always trained in the care of ostomates. Coping With An Ostomy Book Excerpt by Robert Phillips, Ph.D.
How can your surgery affect you? Each person is unique and deals with the circumstances surrounding surgery in a different way. You need to analyze your situation to determine how to best live with your illness. Because having ostomy surgery affects different people in a number of ways, you may experience some or all of the following concerns:
What can you do? Your ultimate goal is to take charge and live a happier life despite having an ostomy. Here are a few strategies that can help you to better handle your ostomy and improve your overall health, happiness, and productivity. Be a person, not a patient. Make this the foundation of your thinking. You are a person who has had ostomy surgery, not an ill person. The only time you are a patient is when you are in the doctor's office or in a hospital. The way you see yourself living with an ostomy is an essential part of coping successfully. Understanding how your ostomy affects you and your life. Identify the ways that your ostomy causes problems for you. Are you experiencing any problems with the pouch system, leakage, odour, skin breakdown? How does having an ostomy affect others around you? Does it limit your activities? There are many other factors that may affect you. You'll want to identify them and determine how you're going to deal with them. Set overall goals for improving your life. You'll find that your efforts can include many of the following:
Pinpoint what you need to help improve your life. Think about the difficulties you are having living with an ostomy. Write these down on the left side of a piece of paper. On the right side, next to each item, write down things you can do to improve each one. Keep adding to your list and plan how you will use these ideas to improve your life. Anticipate the negative. There are negative things that can happen during your life with an ostomy (leakage, skin irritation, depression, fear, sexual concerns). But some of these could also happen if you didn't have an ostomy. The more you anticipate and prepare, the better you will cope. Isn't this true of us all – ostomates or not? Five Steps to Getting Better
World's Easiest Test
Are you sure? Click here for the answers. Fallacy and Fact Fallacy • After ostomy surgery, men become impotent and women have impaired sexual function and are unable to become pregnant. Fact • Generally, ostomy surgery does not interfere with a person's sexual or reproductive capabilities. Although some men who have had radical ostomy surgery for cancer lose the ability to achieve and sustain an erection, most men do not experience impotence or, if they do, it is temporary. If impotence does occur, a variety of solutions are available. A urologist, a doctor who specializes in such problems, can help find the best solution. In women, ostomy surgery does not damage sexual or repro- ductive organs, so it does not directly cause sexual problems or sterility. Factors such as pain and the adjustment to a new body image may create some temporary sexual problems, but they can usually be resolved with time and, in some cases, counseling. Unless a woman has had a hysterectomy to remove her uterus, she can still bear children. Suggested Reading: UOAC Library
In addition to the paperback books shown above, UOAC also offers the following publications geared towards the new or soon-to-be ostomate. Ostomy – A Reference Guide Members Price • $2.00 (10-001) Deanna's Comments • The following three "Guide to Self-Care" booklets are intended for adults but the simple and colourful illustrations make them ideal aids in explaining ostomies to young children – whether they have an ostomy themselves or someone in their family does. I used the booklet’s illustrations to help my 6 year-old niece better understand her grandma’s (my mother’s) ileostomy. Guide to Self-Care: Living With Your Colostomy Members Price • $2.25 (05-001) Guide to Self-Care: Living With Your Ileostomy Members Price • $2.25 (05-002) Guide to Self-Care: Living With Your Urostomy Members Price • $2.25 (05-003) A Young Person's Guide to Living With an Ostomy Members Price • $2.00 (17-001) Colorectal Cancer Treatment and Your Colostomy Members Price • $2.00 (17-002) Adjusting to Life With an Ostomy Members Price • $2.20 (07-007) Pelvic Pouch Procedure Members Price • $3.25 (08-004) A Guide to Living With a Urostomy Members Price • $2.50 (13-001) A Guide to Living With a Ileostomy Members Price • $2.50 (13-002) A Guide to Living With a Colostomy Members Price • $2.50 (13-003) If you are interested in purchasing any of these publications, visit UOAC’s web site
Change of Address • Membership Renewal Form The Change of Address • Membership Renewal Form found on the back page of the printed newsletter can be printed directly from your computer by clicking here. Answers to the World's Easiest Test
On the Lighter Side ![]() Final Thoughts
Disclaimer • This site and its contents are presented expressly for informational purposes only about London & District Ostomy Association (LDOA) and gastrointestinal and/or urinary diversions in general. In no way are any of the materials presented here meant to be a substitute for professional medical care or proper attention by a qualified physician, nor should they be construed as such. Always check with your doctor or ET if you have any questions or concerns about your condition or before starting a new program or treatment. The Webmaster and LDOA are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied by this site. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||