Triangle Area

Ostomy

Association

Hi everyone,

Well, the June meeting will be our last before the summer

break, so please come out for a great meeting. We are having a

Rex counselor talk, but don’t let that scare you, she is an

upbeat, energetic woman who will make you leave the meeting

with a smile.

Yearly dues are due again, so please bring your dues to the meeting or mail

them to Ruth over the summer. For more information, see page 3 of the

newsletter. Your dues help us to provide chapter services and programs such

as newsletters, meetings, a patient visitation program, etc. and helps us to

serve patients and their families in our community.

I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday night June 1st at 7:30pm for a

great meeting.

See you on Tuesday!

Jennifer Higdon

President’s Message:

Triangle Ostomy Association Membership Application

Name __________________________________ Today’s Date: ___________

Spouse’s Name _______________________________________________________

Mailing Address _____________________________________________________

Phone Number: ______________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________

[ ] I would like to receive the newsletter by email

I have a Colostomy _____ Ileostomy _____ Urostomy (Ileal conduit) _____

Other _____ Year of Surgery __________

I am not an Ostomate, but would like to be a member and support the organization ____

I cannot afford the dues but would like to be a member ____ (Confidential)

We welcome for membership ostomates and other persons interested in the in this group

and its activities and appreciate the help they can provide as members. To join, complete

the above form and send it with a check or money order for $20.00 made out to Raleigh

Chapter of UOA Mrs. Ruth Rhodes, 8703 Cypress Club Drive, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Dues cover membership in the local chapter, including a subscription to the local By-

Pass publication and help support the mission of our organization.

June 2010

8703 Cypress Club Drive

Raleigh, NC 27615

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, June 1st, 7:30 pm Rex

SPEAKER: Terri Kuczynski, Rex Cancer Center counselor

MEETING INFO:

Meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month

(except July and August) at 7:30 PM in the Rex Sur-

gical Center Waiting Room, 4420 Lake Boone

Trail, Raleigh, NC. Enter through the Rex Hospital

Main Entrance, which is near the Parking Garage.

REMINDER:

In the event of inclement weather on the day of a

scheduled meeting, please contact Rex Healthcare at

919-784-3100. If Wake County schools are closed

due to weather, then we will not meet.

GROUP OFFICERS AND CONTACT INFO:

President/Editor: Jennifer Higdon 919-553-4770

VP: Jeff Burcham 919-847-9669

Secretary: Bonnie Sessums 919-403-7804

Treasurer Ruth Rhodes 919-782-3460

Past President: Dan Wiley 919-477-8363

Webmaster: Ed Withers 919-553-9083

Member Support: Susie Peterson 919-851-8957

Alison Cleary 919-387-3367

Member Support: Shirley Peeler 919-787-6036

Donald Meyers 919-781-0221

Website: www.RaleighUOA.org

Email: TriangleUOAA@EmbarqMail.com

IN THIS ISSUE:

Dues are Due Page 3

Foods to Avoid Page 4

Live and a Pouch Page 5

Ostomates on Everest Page 6, 7

CCFA Walk Page 8

Commandments for Ostomates Page 9

Health Vault Page 10

Minutes of Meeting Page 11

DISCLAIMER

Articles and information printed in this

newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by the

Triangle Ostomy Association and may not be

applicable to everybody. Please consult your

physician or WOC Nurse for medical advice

that is best for you.

MISSION of the Triangle Area Ostomy Association:

The mission of our organization is to assist people who have or will have intestinal or urinary diversions:

including a colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy, and continent diversions including j-pouches. We provide

psychological support, educational services, family support, advocacy and promote our services to the

public and professional communities.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

June 1 UOAA Meeting, Rex 7:30

June 14 Flag Day

June 20 Father’s Day

June 21 CCFA Meeting, Rex 7:30

July 4 Independence Day

CCFA SUPPORT GROUP

Date: Third Monday of every month

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Place: Rex Healthcare

Contact: Reuben Gradsky

reuben513@yahoo.com

MINUTES OF THE May, 2010 MEETING OF THE TRIANGLE OSTOMY ASSOCIATION

President Jennifer Higdon opened the Triangle Ostomy Association May meeting at 7:45 PM in the

Rex Surgical Center waiting room. 26+ members and guests were welcomed and Jennifer thanked

Sonya and Ed Withers for providing delicious refreshments. Jennifer announced that she still had

business cards available with ostomy information on the back to use when traveling. She also said

that May 6 is Nurses Day and a round of applause was given to our WOC nurses for all of their

help and support for ostomates. A member told Jennifer that ostomates who are Veterans can

receive their supplies at no cost from the VA. Contact Jennifer for more information.

A motion was made and seconded to send a teenage ostomate to the UOAA Youth Rally in

Cincinnati July 11-17. Ruth Rhodes, Treasurer, announced that dues would be due in September.

She would appreciate being sent the $20 dues during the summer months so that she won’t be

overwhelmed by them in the fall.

Congratulations to Jennifer and Chad who are expecting twins in late October to late November!

Jennifer and Reuben reminded everyone about the walk for Crohn’s and Colitis research that is

June 5 at Lake Crabtree Park and that all donations would be appreciated. Ruth made a motion

that the Triangle Ostomy Association donate $50 each to their team and this was unanimously

approved.

Jennifer introduced Sonya Withers as our guest speaker. Sonya is not only the wife of a member

ostomate and our Web Master, Ed Withers, she is a graduate of Meredith College with a degree in

Social work. She has years of experience as a Social worked at Wake Med, with the Disability

Determination Services, a NC agency that determines disability eligibility, and is currently

working for the Triangle Disability Advocates through Wake Med. Sonya passed out hand-outs

which gives detailed information about Medicaid, Social Security and Disability benefits. She

discussed all areas of these benefits and answered members’ questions. Sonya offered to answer

any other questions members may have concerning these issues. Thank you to Sonya for

presenting such an informative program.

Leanne Richbourg, WOC nurse at Duke Medical Center, announced that she and Reuben had

visited with a NC Senator and that Medicaid now pays for supplies from local North Carolina

suppliers. Stephanie Yates announced that Terri Kuczynski, Rex Cancer Center counselor, will be

our speaker at the June meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM. The June meeting will be on Tuesday, June 1 at 7:30 PM

and Carolyn and Cy King will provide refreshments.

Respectfully submitted,

Bonnie Sessums 11

Wake Med

Leigh Ammons 919-350-5171

Melanie Johnson 919-350-5171

Wake Med, Cary

Joanna Burgess 919-350-5231

UNC Hospital

Jane Maland 919-843-9234

Barbara Koruda 919-843-9234

John Worsham 919-843-9234

Durham Regional

Tom Hobbs 919-470-4000

Felicia Street 919-471-4561

Duke

Jane Fellows 919-681-7743

Michelle Rice 919-681-2436

Leanne Richbourg 919-681-6694

Duke Health Raleigh Hospital

Krys Dixon 919-954-3446

Maria Parham Hosp.

Kathy Thomas 919-431-3700

Durham VA Center

Mary Garrett 919-286-0411

Rex Hospital

Ann Woodruff 919-784-2048

Carolyn Kucich 919-784-2048

WOC Nurses

What HealthVault can do for you Make it easier to manage your family’s health

You should be able to use your health information wherever and whenever you want.

You should be able to share it with whoever you want and decide what they can see and can’t.

HealthVault can help you do that.

HealthVault offers you a way to store health information from many sources in one

location, so that it’s always organized and available to you online.

HealthVault is working with doctors, hospitals, employers, pharmacies, insurance

providers and manufacturers of health devices – blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors

and more – to make it easy for you to add information electronically to your HealthVault record.

With a more complete picture of your family’s health, you can work with your healthcare

professionals, and with all the Web sites that connect with HealthVault, to make more

informed decisions.

See www.healthvault.com to open a free account. 10 3

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE!

Dear Chapter Member: It is time to renew your chapter membership for the Triangle

Ostomy Association. Your dues help us to provide chapter services and programs such as

newsletters, meetings, a patient visitation program, etc. and helps us to serve patients and

their families in our community.

Please send Ruth a check over the summer or pay at the June meeting. Make your

check made payable to:

Raleigh Chapter-UOA

and mail to: Mrs. Ruth Rhodes, 8703 Cypress Club Drive Raleigh, NC 27615.

Call Ruth with any questions at 919-782-3460

***Please fill out form entirely so we can crosscheck

the information with our records.***

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statement/Invoice for Dues: September 2010-August 2011

Date: _______________________

Dues Amount: $20.00

Member name: ________________________________________________

Spouse/family member name: ____________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

City: ________________________ State: _______ Zip: _____________

Phone: ______________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________

Type of ostomy: _____________________ Year of surgery: _________

Commandments for New Ostomates by Ron Bartlett, Halton-Peel UOAA UPDATE 2/10

Thou shalt not take out thy feelings of

anger and frustration on thy

spouse/significant other or family.

Thou shalt not demand special

consideration Thy ostomy doth not make

thee an invalid or render thy disabled.

Thou shalt remember to use deodorizer

in the bathroom after thou has emptied

thy pouch. Remember thy family needs

thy love and affection just as thee needs theirs.

Honor thy WOCN—she/he is your friend in need.

Thou shalt not be ashamed of thy ostomy; it may have saved thy life.

Thou shalt be ready at all times to help others as others have helped thee.

Thou shalt not feel sorry for thy self, instead thou shalt give thanks for a new lease on life.

Thou shalt remember at all time that thy partner in life suffers with thee and thou shalt not

add to his/her suffering.

Above all thou shalt give thanks for a new life and freedom from pain.

Foods to Avoid with an Ostomy www.livestrong.com

An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the body for discharge of

waste. It can be placed in the large intestines (colostomy), the small

intestines (ileostomy) or the bladder (urostomy). After surgery, you must understand how foods will affect output. According to the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA),

tolerance to food is trial and error and should be individualized. UOAA suggests re-

introducing foods slowly and monitoring the effects on ostomy output and function. UOAA

says anyone with an ileosomy or colostomy should be able to resume a regular diet. People

with urostomies do not need to follow special diets, but drinking plenty of fluids is

recommended.

FOOD BLOCKAGE: Blockage is more likely to occur with an ostomy in the small

intestines because the opening is narrow. Undigested fibrous foods build up and block the

exit. Children's Hospital of Boston recommends calling your doctor if you have abdominal

pain; limited stool output for more than 4 hours; large, foul-smelling stool output; poor

appetite; irritability; or nausea and vomiting. Foods that can cause blockage include celery,

raw Chinese vegetables, coleslaw, corn, dried fruits, hot dogs, sausage, kielbasa, nuts, peas,

pineapple, popcorn, raisins, oranges, mushrooms, coconut, apple skins and seeds.

ODOR-CAUSING FOODS: The UOAA says an ostomy significantly changes appearance

and function, and it can affect body image and self-esteem. Someone with an ostomy can

experience embarrassing, unpleasant odors related to certain foods. These foods include

asparagus, beans, brussel sprouts, cabbage, coffee, cucumbers, eggs, fish, garlic, green

peppers, milk, onions, prunes, radishes, turnips, vitamins, cod liver oil, strong cheese and

peanut butter. The UOAA suggests consuming foods to counteract odors, such as

buttermilk, cranberry juice, orange juice, parsley, tomato juice and yogurt.

GAS-CAUSING FOODS: Abdominal pain, bloating, and gas are exacerbated by certain

foods, including raw apples,

asparagus, beans, broccoli, cabbage,

carbonated beverages, cauliflower,

corn, cucumbers, dairy products, eggs, melon, mushrooms, nuts, onions,

melons, peas, spicy food, spinach,

alcohol and radishes. Chewing gum

also can cause gas. Anyone with an

ostomy should avoid gas-causing

foods to limit discomfort.

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For more information contact our Customer Interaction Center at

1-800-422-8811 Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., ET

Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., ET www.ConvaTec.com

What: CCFA Take Steps

Fundraiser Walk

When: June 5, 2010 at 5pm

Where: Lake Crabtree Park

Contact: Tracey Coppedge

919-682-7023

Hey Raleigh... Make Noise and Be Heard! We have already achieved so much but there is much left to do! The health of our economy has

improved, but unfortunately, the health of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients is

uncertain. The Crohn's and colitis community in North Carolina is committed to continue

awareness and fundraising efforts because we need to find better therapies and ultimately a cure

for our friends and neighbors who struggle daily with these terrible digestive diseases.

At over 100 Walk sites across the country, thousands of people will gather this spring and

summer to join the fight against digestive diseases. Together we’ll raise money for crucial

research and raise awareness of these diseases that afflict millions of people.

After two successful years, Take Steps has raised over $13 million for research and patient

programs. Our goal is even higher in 2010 and we know we can BE HEARD as we raise

awareness and critical funds!

Reuben Gradsky and Jennifer Higdon have formed a team called JUICY TOOTS. If you would like to support our cause, please donate today at www.ccfa.org. Thank you for your support!

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LIFE ISN’T THE SAME

WITH A POUCH

Via Lee Co. FL, Hemet-San Jacinto, CA,

Indianapolis IN, and Southwestern IN

While the pouch is nice and handy to

collect whatever comes out (what

would we do without the pouch?) it

can come loose as a result of certain

body movements (and leave us with a

big mess.) Thus abruptly sitting up

straight from a flat-on-your-back-

position or bending over to pick

something up, or stretching to reach

something high can cause the pouch to

pop loose.

Learn to get in and out of bed on

your side. Get in bed by sitting far

onto the bed and going down on

your elbow while holding the

mattress with your other hand and swinging your legs sideways off the bed.

Learn to use tools to help you with some of the chores requiring bending over.

Don’t for instance bend over to clean the bathtub. Use a broom and a cleaner.

To pick something up, or to reach high shelves, get a clamp-type ―reacher.‖

Learn to lift and carry on the side of your leg or hip, carry things high on your

shoulders, or drag it or get some help. Not only do you prevent the pouch from

becoming loose, you might also prevent a hernia. (Ostomates get hernias

easier than anyone else.)

5

OSTOMATES on

EVEREST

Uoaa update

www.nogutsknowglory.com

At the end of March, Rob

Hill (adventure athlete,

Crohn’s patient, ostomate, Great Comebacks Global Ambassador and friend of UOAA)

will be embarking on his final challenge in the No Guts Know Glory Seven Summits

Campaign – tackling the highest peak in each of the seven continents. Everest is the last

peak Rob needs to summit to complete his mission.

A feat only achieved by a handful of individuals to date, Rob will be the first Canadian

with Crohn's disease and an ostomy to complete all seven summits. Rob will be joined on

his trek to Everest Base Camp by several other ostomates, including Tony Bell, Youth

Rally counselor and 2009 Great Comebacks winner. You can follow Rob and Tony’s

journey to the highest summit on Earth at: http://nogutsknowglory.com Read more about

Rob below:

In 1994, Rob was a fit, healthy 23-year-old, an amateur runner and athlete. Until that

time, he had never really been sick. He didn’t even have a regular doctor. When the

illness started, it progressed rapidly. Daily diarrhea. Sustained stomach cramps. The

diagnosis was Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract. It got

worse, and his weight plummeted from 185 to 105 pounds. After a year and a half, it

became clear that his large intestine, his colon, needed to be removed.

Not long after surgery, Rob started getting active again, running and eventually

competing. In his lowest moment, he had not been able to climb the stairs in his house so

regaining his fitness became a very personal challenge. Recovering mentally would take

longer.

When Rob was ill, he learned an aunt of his also had Crohn’s, a fact she had never

shared, even with close family members. Through her experience, and his own, Rob

realized how destructive the stigma surrounding intestinal diseases and having an

ostomy can be. How it can isolate you, keep you from reaching out and getting

help. Rob decided he had to do something about it.

Continued on page 7

7

Ostomates on Everest Continued from page 6

The Seven Summits campaign, which we call ―No Guts Know Glory‖

grew from Rob’s love of sport, adventure and the outdoors. By taking it

to the extreme, and on a global basis, Rob hopes to show people

everywhere that having these diseases or having an ostomy, like Rob

does, shouldn’t stop you from leading a full life. You may not be able to

climb mountains, but there are so many other things you can do.

To further this goal, Rob started the Intestinal Disease Education and

Awareness Society (IDEAS), from his home base in Vancouver, British

Columbia. Rob also approached ConvaTec, whose ostomy products he

wears, to sponsor his climbs, and became a member of the Great

Comebacks™ family.

This global program has allowed Rob to

speak in many countries, alongside his

climbs and through local patient and

professional organizations.

While reaching the top of each mountain is

a great accomplishment, with respect, Rob

says removing the social stigma associated

with these diseases and having an ostomy is

a far more daunting task. A task which will

require much more than his voice on its

own, so Rob hopes you add yours in letting

people know they are not alone. One of the

young people Rob recently met said, ―this

isn’t really about climbing mountains, it’s

about moving them.‖

Rob will attempt his final 7 Summits climb

in the spring of 2010–up the south route to

the top of Mount Everest in Nepal–thanks to

the generous support of Abbott Laboratories

and ConvaTec.

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