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"OSTOMY NEWS"
The Official Newsletter of the Ostomy Association of Greater Orlando
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Our April 27th Meeting will be held in the first floor Conference
Center of AdventHealth - Winter Park (formerly known as Winter Park Memorial Hospital).
However, please check our website for any possible last minute room changes!
The meeting will begin at 10:30 AM. If you are a new member or guest, please try to arrive 15 minutes early (10:15); we'd love to introduce ourselves and give you a welcome packet!
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The topic for our April meeting is,
“To Tell or Not to Tell.” For many ostomates, deciding who to tell, what to tell, how to tell, and when to tell others about their ostomy, can cause a great deal of stress. Please note, there is no "one" right way nor wrong answer; this is a very personal decision. Opinions will vary greatly, but every contributor will be treated with equal respect.
It can be very helpful to find out how others dealt with this situation and what factors they considered when making their decisions. Topics open for discussion will include how/when/how much to tell family members, employers, children, friends/acquaintances, potential love interests, TSA officers, etc.
Although this will be a guided discussion, everyone is encouraged to discuss their concerns, and/or share their personal experiences. Remember we are a SUPPORT group and that support goes both ways.
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Our sincere apologies to anyone who did not receive timely information about our April meeting date change. Every effort was made to inform people, E-mails, posted announcement at the site, phone calls, etc., but it is possible not everyone was reached in time. If you were one of the aforementioned people, would you please contact Erica at [email protected], so we can make sure we have the correct contact information for you. Thank you.
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Greetings Everyone,
We continue to grow! The number of calls and E-mails is more and more frequent. Our demographics are changing in every way - our new members are coming from communities farther north, east, and south. The age bracket of members is getting younger. We are getting inquiries from more and more veterans, and we are seeing the best of cultural diversity. In addition, the care giver community wants to get more involved and is seeking more information.
We've made promises (support, education, outreach) and we need to keep them! We would like to offer an occasional satellite meeting (Clermont, Oviedo, etc.) in addition to our regular meetings. We would like to set up a special "young people's" lunch (casual social meeting). We would like to train more "Vet" visitors, to work on setting up at least one support meeting at the VA. We would also like to create a bank of visitors who are fluent in other languages.
We need you! If you would like to chair or co-chair a committee to help move these projects forward, please, please let me know. Or, if you would like to serve on one of these committees, we'll welcome you with open arms. We are also looking for a full-time newsletter editor (if we are not able to find one, I'm afraid our newsletters may have to be shorter or less frequent).
Here's to moving forward...
Yours truly,
Erica Michaels
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Only one third of our 2019 members have paid their dues! We need your help to continue and grow our programming. If you haven't yet paid your dues, you can bring them to the next meeting, pay right from our website www.oagohome.org, or mail them to: Patrick Rodgers, Treasurer, 309 E Citrus Street Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
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Your Story and Your Picture Belong Here!
Each month we'd like to feature the story of one of our members. Each of us has made this journey, in a different way and for a different reason. Sharing benefits both the reader and the writer. We are currently working on our feature for next month; would you like to be our feature for June? Please let us know (E-mail: [email protected].)
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Last Month's Meeting Notes
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If you missed our March meeting...
Our last meeting "Old Business, New Business, No Business" was just that! Although many of our "regulars" were not able to attend, we were very glad to see a number of new faces. There was definitely a positive atmosphere, and everyone chipped in to help (thanks Jack for manning the door, and thanks to all of you who helped fold our next batch of pamphlets. I didn't even see who you were! - I just turned around and everything was done!
Greeting new visitors at the door is very important. If you would like to make this your "official" meeting job, please E-mail
[email protected] for more information.
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Would You Like a Name Tag?
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Can we make you a name tag? Please E-mail your first and last name and the correct designation (type of ostomy, family member, care provider, or medical professional) and we’ll try to have it ready for you at the next meeting.
E-mail: [email protected].
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Each month, our newsletter is going to feature a quick and easy fundraiser. A percentage of the sales will be donated to OAGO and go directly into our general fund.
April Tupperware Fundraiser
Due to technical difficulties, our online Tupperware Fundraiser was unable to run its entire course. We will be try this again later in the year, but our Tupperware Dealer will be bringing actual catalogs to our meeting this Saturday. We're getting a great percentage of the sales, but please remember that when your order comes in, you'll be responsible for picking it up at the following meeting.
Super Awesome Fundraiser is coming in May!
PANERA'S MAY RAFFLE!
Free Bread for a Year!
or
Free Lunch for a Year!
Panera Bread has graciously donated two special items: Free Bread for a Year (value $85) and Free Lunch for a Year (value $125). These are two separate raffle items. Raffle Tickets will be $5.00 each. To participate, join us at our April 27th or May 18th meetings (drop your tickets in the box), or look for the link in our next newsletter and/or on our website and you can enter and pay online!
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It's an Ostomy Cruise!
This 7 day, Eastern Caribbean cruise will leave from Fort Lauderdale on May 18th, 2019 and return on the 25th. Not only will you enjoy a relaxing, yet exciting, journey with Princess Cruise lines, you'll have the opportunity to attend your choice of lectures, social activities, and product demonstrations, specifically designed for ostomates. A single room inside cabin will be $1600 (taxes not included). For further information, please go
to: www.travelwithcindy.com. You can also contact Cindy directly at Cruise Planners; Phone 904-806-2067 or
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Adapting to life with an ostomy can a challenge. But what’s with these new words! Appliance? Pancaking? Barbie Butt? Some terms come from medical terminology, but others are “insider” words (slang expressions) used by ostomates who “live” them first hand.
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Closed
(Accidentally printed upside down!)
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Click the gray bars below to view helpful articles or videos!
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UOAA (United Ostomy Association of America)
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We've been promoting (and will continue to promote) the UOAA 2019 National Conference in Philidelphia (link) below. If you haven't been to one of these conferences before, here are just a few reasons why you should go. In addition to all the general ostomy programs, this year’s UOAA Conference will be offering three new “tracks” – pediatric, young adults, and care givers! There will be something for everyone! These sessions are led by eminent Physicians, Wound Care and Ostomy Nurses, Ostomates, and other highly respected professionals. Here are just a
few of the wonderful sessions that will be available:
General:
Psychosocial/Psychological Issues for Ostomates: Intestines Are Sooo Overrated
Medicinal Marijuana
Peristomal Hernia Repair with Minimal Invasive Surgery
Sexuality and Intimacy for Ostomates
Probiotics & Nutrition
Hirschsprung’s Disease
Traveling, You and the TSA
Irrigation
Free Stoma Clinic with outstanding Ostomy and Wound Care Nurses
Pediatric:
Pediatric Ostomy Complications and Troubleshooting
Adults Who Had Ostomies as Children
Young Adult:
Relationship Considerations
The 20/40 Program
Body Image and Self Confidence
Care Givers:
Caring for a Female Ostomate (Also a separate session for Males)
Care Giver Stress - How to Cope
Social Activities
Tai Chi
Improv Comedy
Roaring 20's Casino Night and Music
Game Night
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UOAA 2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
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UOAA’S 7th National Conference will be held in Philadelphia, from August 6th through August 10th. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet with ostomates from all over the country (and world). Attend interesting and informative lectures, join in fun social events, and explore the latest ostomy products and innovations from vendors.
For more information, just "click" the bell. Do you want to know more from members who have attended in the past? Check out the conference's Facebook Event Page.
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One of the great benefits of being affiliated support group (ASG) with UOAA is that they graciously share important articles for us to use in our newsletters. The following, is only a short excerpt from a recent article, "A Couple of Ostomy Myths" by Bob Baumel, North Central OK Ostomy Association. Look for other "myths" in the following months.
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Myth 1 - Stomas Have No Nerve Endings
This myth has been stated an awful lot, often by people who should know better, such as ostomy nurses. There is, to be sure, a factual basis behind this myth, namely, the observation that stomas are insensitive to certain painful stimuli such as cutting. This can be a genuine problem, as you can cut your stoma without being aware of it. However, it’s a mistake to jump from this fact to the assumption that stomas have no sensation at all, or that they don’t even have any nerves.
The intestine from which a stoma is made actually has a rich supply of both autonomic and sensory nerves. The autonomic nerves are responsible for certain reflex motions such as peristalsis—the wavelike movements that propel food through the intestine (and if you watch your stoma, you may see it change shape, showing that peristalsis continues to occur in this portion of intestine, illustrating its autonomic nerve activity). The sensory nerves are sensitive to certain kinds of pain, notably when the intestine is stretched. This can be evident when portions of intestine get distended, resulting in cramping sensations which are sometimes very painful. And even after the intestine is made into a stoma, you’ll probably still be able to feel motions that involve stretching of this intestinal tissue.
There is, of course, a possibility that nerves supplying this portion of intestine might have been damaged in the surgery that creates the stoma. But this is unlikely. The intestine’s nerve supply, as well as its blood and lymph supply, are provided through the mesentery, which is a membrane that connects the intestine to the abdominal wall. In making a stoma, surgeons must be careful to preserve connection to the mesentery because of its essential role in providing the intestine’s blood supply (Without a good blood supply, you’ll have just a dead piece of intestine). And, assuming that the intestine’s connection to the mesentery is well preserved, its nerve supply should be preserved as well.
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Thank you sponsors, donors, and advertisers. Your support of OAGO allows us to reach out to fellow ostomates and provide quality information and programs.
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Are you trying to contact us? Looking for an ostomy nurse? Supplier? Or, do you need a copy of our membership form? You can now access this information quickly and simply, by clicking the links below. From there, you can either save the documents to your computer or print them out to hang by your phone.
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