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TheMailbag UOA Jacksonville Chapter #211 July 2003 Volume 5 Issue 7 Meetings are held at the Baptist Medical Center 8th Floor - Meeting Room C - 3rd Sunday of each month 3PM Contacts:
Inside this issue News from Inside the UOA Central Office
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News from Inside the
UOA Central Office Spouse and Family Support for Ostomates is a new brochure from UOA that explains the important role of a spouse or family member in the rehabilitation process of an ostomate and his or her caregivers. Information is included on the psychological impact of surgery as well as diet, clothing, travel, odor and sexuality. Complimentary copies are available by calling 1-800-826-0826 or printing from http://www.uoa.org/new/files/Spouse.pdf. Watch your mailbox for the summer Ostomy Quarterly magazine. This jam-packed issue contains a special section devoted to advocacy information written by Linda Aukett, chair of the UOA Government Affairs Committee. Articles cover how chapters can change public policy, Medicare/Medicaid challenges, how to use the advocacy section of the UOA Web site to get involved and a recap of recent reimbursement changes. Look for it in mid-July. Planning a night out in Las Vegas during the August 10–13 UOA conference and need help in obtaining reservations for shows and restaurants? Visit http://www.uoa.org/events_conference.htm and click to the ultimate Las Vegas reservation site for assistance in obtaining tickets for tours, concerts, shows and restaurant and nightclub reservations. Or call toll-free 1-877-LV-SHOWS. Have fun in Las Vegas, and be sure you don’t miss any conference sessions! Givers live longer. In a recent study of older people, those who were in the habit of providing support to other people were 60 percent less likely to die during the course of the five-year study, compared to unhelpful people. Assisting with housework, childcare, errands or transportation all counted as helpful acts. If lending a helping hand can help you to live a longer life, our UOA volunteers and chapter leaders have found the fountain of youth. The first Inflammatory Bowel Disease
quilt was on display in Washington, D.C. this month during the Crohn’s and
Colitis Foundation of America’s IBD Day on the Hill, a lobbying event to
educate Congress about the IBD Act and guarantee research funding. There are
over 100 squares in the quilt made by people who have Crohn’s disease or
ulcerative colitis that represent the emotions of people with IBD. The
project will continue until a cure is found. Ostomy Discussion Forums Ostomy Related Discussion Forums where one may post and or find answers to questions about living with an Ostomy: International Ostomy
Association:
http://www.ostomyinternational.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi ___________________________________________________________________________________________
The below are via Stillwater-Ponca City (OK) Ostomy OutlookThings Not To Do If You're An Ostomatevia Chicago North Suburban and Halifax (NS) News This is a collection of items compiled from the Internet and many other sources. It is just a reminder that we should not take ourselves too seriously. · Drop a clip in the toilet. It is a prudent idea to always carry a spare clip. · Stand up too quickly when the clip is caught on the edge of the toilet seat. Most of us have gotten up too quickly and ended up stopped instantly in mid-air 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'll make this goof our whole lives 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. · When drying your appliance with a hair dryer, use the cool setting only. Plastic melts! · Do not have your dog jump on you when your pouch is full. The dog's nails will puncture the pouch. · Drink Power Ade 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 dye turns your stool the color of the dye, temporarily. It will surprise you the first time it happens. This includes Blue Hawaiians or red beets. Beets make you look like you are bleeding to death. · For men only: You may want to angle the pouch toward your leg. This warning is especially true if you use a drainable pouch. This will keep the clip away from your private parts. Sorry if this is a wee bit graphic for the faint of heart, but it will make you more comfortable. · For women only: The clip may bother you also. You have the same option. Also, keep the clip away from a sanitary napkin. If the clip gets caught on the pad's adhesive, the clip could be pulled off. · 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. · Beer may blow up your pouch with gas. This may be helpful when you need a flotation device. · Don't accidentally lean against an oven door, barbecue grill or fireplace. The pouch melts quickly. · Don't put underarm type deodorants around the pouch or barrier. It is made of either plastic or a latex material and will dissolve it. If you want to use some type of odor control--although modern pouches are odor proof--use mild mouthwash or one of the commercially made products that will not harm your stoma or your pouch. Many chemicals can damage an appliance.
Now You can Sniff Vitamin B12!via Orange Oasis and Hemet-San Jacinto (CA) Stoma Life People who have the terminal end of the ileum (close to the ileocecal valve) removed as part of an ileostomy or continent ostomy procedure may have lost the capability to absorb vitamin B12, which can lead to anemia and other long-term adverse effects. Normally, after loss of this section of the ileum, vitamin B12 must be administered via monthly shots. Vitamin B12 is also available as a convenient nasal spray via prescription. (Your physician usually monitors the progress of the administration.) If you have had surgery that involved the removal of the lower part of the ileum over a year ago and vitamin B12 has not been monitored, check with your doctor.
United Ostomy Association, Inc. SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MEETING DATE: October 3-5, 2003 LOCATION: Clarion Hotel, 407 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee The UOA Chattanooga Chapter will host the UOA Southeast Regional Meeting. The meeting will begin on Friday evening, October 3, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. with registration and a social event. Saturday breakfast will be on your own or the hospitality room will be open for coffee and breakfast treats. Registration and exhibits will open at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby of the hotel. There will be general sessions held in the morning that will include an update on types of diversionary surgeries and a presentation on coping with psycho-social issues. A free stoma clinic will be offered. Appointments for the stoma clinic can be made at registration. Local WOC(ET) nurses will staff the clinic and offer assistance for ostomy management problems. A buffet lunch will be served in the hotel restaurant. The lunch break will include a "Chapter Chatter" session with table topics assigned to discuss chapter activities. "Ask the ET" is the title of the afternoon breakout sessions. There will be separate sessions covering colostomy, ileostomy, urinary diversions and continent diversions. Each session will be facilitated by a WOC(ET) nurse. The last breakout sessions of the day will cover advocacy issues, spouse support, and chapter leadership. Saturday night dinner and entertainment will complete this educational and fun day. Don't forget to visit the hospitality room on Sunday morning for good byes and breakfast treats. REGISTRATION: $50 (includes lunch and dinner) Registration Information will be mailed to all chapter members in the Southeast Area. Easy driving distance. Directions will be included in Registration Information. LODGING: $69.00 single/double Make hotel reservations direct to Clarion 1-800-Clarion (1-800-252-7466) INFORMATION: Contact Bill Johnson, (423) 877-1988 and email billbetty100@aol.com. Or contact Bobbie Brewer, (770) 952-4906 and email fieldservice@uoa.org. Ostomy Chat Room Weekly Meetings
Yahoo
Peoples with Ostomy2*
- Mondays, 8:00 pm US Central time
StuartOnline Ostomy Chat*
- Tuesdays, 8:00 pm US Central time Community
Zero (Ostomy) Support*
- Wednesdays, 9:00 pm US Eastern time
Shaz &
Jason's Chat* -
Saturdays, 8:00 pm UK time / 3:00pm US Eastern Time Yahoo
UK Ostomy Support*
- 1st & 3rd Sundays, 8:00 pm UK time / 3:00 pm US Eastern Time Provided as a courtesy
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Monday July 07, 2003 02:22:16 PM