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ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY MARYLAND OSTOMY ASSOCIATION, INe. t P.O.BOX 847 GAMBRILLS, MD 21054

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Joan Gardner Lyn Rowell Allyn Mellits

A Chapter of the United Ostomy Association, Inc.

OFFICERS
President: Paul Rossi 410-647 -6171 268 Shakespeare Drive Severna Park, MD 21146

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dennis Fila Ginny Gross Janice Winters

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Vice President Stan Novack Secretary Ja'mie Darr Treasurer Stan Baker Youth Rally Coordinatorl Webmaster: Janicel Winters 410-255-6802 410-987-0094 410-672-5219 Melissa Blood

OSTOMY ADVISERS:
Irene Repka, RN, BS, CWOCN Michelle Perkins, RN, BS.

DIRECTOR EMIRITUS - Mary Lou Thomas, RN, BA, CWOCN

Volume 37 Number 9 July 2011

wk're on the Web! www.annearundelostomy.com

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CURRENT MEETIING
July 7,2011

Group Discussions

FUTURE MEETINGS
August 4, 2011

Corey Lauer - Northern Pharmacy

Note: Regular meetings re held on the first Thursday of each month, at 7:30pm on the 7th floor of the Health Science Building (next to the Sajak building). Parking is available behind the Health Science building and can be accessed via Jennifer Road or Medical Parkway. See inside cover for directions. If AA County Schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no meeting.
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The Anne Arundel c~nJ. Ja'Yland, Ostomy Association, Inc. (MeDA) is a non-profit,volunteer-based organization dedicated to providing reassurance and emotional support for people who have had or will have some kind of ostomy surgery, such as a colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy (urinary diversion) or a continent procedure. The goal of the MCOA is to provide moral support, information, and education to people with ostomies and their families and friends.

A WORD OF THANKS for their constant support of our Chapter to: The American Cancer Society, especially the office in Gambrills, for essential help with our newsletter; and Anne Arundel Medical Center for providing rooms for our regular meetings and special events. We appreciate their support and assistance. NOTICES The display, description, demonstration or distribution of products at our meetings, or in the newsletter, or by the recommendation of a member of our Association, does not constitute an endorsement of that product by the MCOA. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR or ET Nurse before using any products or methods published in the AACO newsletter or suggested by a member of the AACOA. Your own doctor or ET nurse provides medical advice that is best for you. Items from this newsletter may be reprinted in other ostomy news/etters, provided proper credit is given as to source of material.

OSTOMY ADVISORS FOR STOMA HELP We are fortunate to have available the services of Enterostomal Therapy Nurses serving our local area: To consult with one of them, a physician's referral is necessary and a fee will be charged. Call for an appointment. BALTIMORE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL Carol Canada RN, BSN, CWOCN

410-787-4578
ANNE ARUNDEL MEDICAL CENTER Irene B. Repka RN, BS, CWOCN Michelle Perkins, RN, BS Kelly Heffron, BSN, CWOCN

443-481-5508 Private Consultants

Joan M. SUllivan, MAS, RN, CNA, CWOCN

410-932-7312

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Directions to Health Science Building

An-ne "Arundel Medical- Center

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From Annapolis and the Eastern Shore: Take Route 50 West to Jennifer Road exit (Exit 23A). Go through the traffic light onto Medical Parkway. From Baltimore: Take 1-97 South to Route 50 East, to Parole exit (Exit 23). Turn right onto West Street then right onto Jennifer Road. Go approximately one mile, and turn left at traffic light onto Medical Parkway. From Washington DC: Take Route 50 East to Parole exit (Exit 23). Turn right onto West Street then right onto Jennifer Road. Go approximately one mile, and turn left at traffic light onto Medical Parkway. Alternate to 197 from Crofton/Odenton area - Take 178 South through Crownsville towards Annapolis. Turn left on Bestgate Road and then right on Medical Parkway. REMEMBER!!! The entrance to the medical center is FROM THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE PARKING GARAGE. Once inside the building you will be on its second floor - take the elevators inside up to the 7th floor. When leaving, take the elevator the second floor and go through the doors onto the 2nd floor of the parking garage.

BOARD MEETINGS - 7:30pm For those serving on the board, the NEXT board meeting will be on September 19th
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Northern Pharmacy is your OSTOMY SUPPLY SPECIALIST!

Northern Pharmacy & Medical Equipment is a full service pharmacy that is family owned and operated.

Our Ostomy Department provides a full range of comprehensive services and quality products from trusted brands you can rely on._
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July 2011

The Rambling Rosebud

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
At our last meeting, our Treasurer, Stan Baker, talked about upcoming membership renewals. Our membership year runs from 1 October to 30 September. Every member will receive a letter reminding them of dues and Stan has written up a piece about it and you will find that on page 7. Our speaker was Anne Marie Tetkowski, the Pharmacist at the Waugh Chapel Safeway in Gambrills. She answered questions about medications but gave a great presentation about the need for the Shingles vaccine and which individuals are at risk. If you weren't there, anyone who had the Chickenpox as a child is basically at risk for Shingles and the chance of an outbreak increases as we get older. Thanks to Anne Marie and everyone who came. Once again, don't forget to bring any unwanted (unused!) ostomy supplies and whatever is left after the meeting will be given to Irene for patients that need supplies or donated 0 a local health clinic.

Paul

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EMPIRE
PROFESSIONAL PHARMACY
EMPIRE MEDICAL BUILDING 200 Hospital Drive Glen Burnie, MD 21061

RENTAL SALES SERVICE

Walkers-Mobility Devices Ostomy- Incontinence Supplies Bathroom Safety Aids Nebulizers- Blood Pressure Equipment Hospital Beds
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410-787-0030
.:. 10% discount on ostomy supplies and prescriptionsfor members of AA. Co. Ostomy Association We bill Medicare and Blue Cross for you

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FOR YOU!
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NATURA OSTOMY DEALER HOLLISTER

Members ofthe Anne Arundel Co. Ostomy Association Receive 10% OFFI

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117 Gibralter Ave Annapolis, MD 21401 www.ant]apolishealthcare.com

Monday through Friday 8:30am to 6pm Open Saturdays 9am to Noon Billing Department Monday through Friday 9am to 4:30pm

A man and his wife were returning from a party one evening. As the couple was driving home, she asked her husband. "Honey, has anyone ever told you how handsome, sexy and irresistible to women you are'?" fatally flattered, he replied, "No, dear they haven't." At that point she yelled, "then what the heck gave you 'fHA. ideo. at the party tonight'?" www.cteanfokes.com

July 2011

The Rambling Rosebud

A UROSTOMY EXPERIENCE TO

SHARE By: Becky Redmond, Via: Belleville,

Regina Ostomy News & Evansville Ostomy News

I have been reading articles on your site for a couple of years. I had an unusual and frightening experience concerning my urostomy last week that I thought might be of interest to your readers. I have had my stoma for .four years now and have had no complications or problems. For the past six months, I had noticed that the skin around my stoma was white and irritated. I tried several different things to clear it up, changing different brands of flanges, changing the flanges more often, drinking more water and cranberry juice, and using different powders but nothing seemed to clear it up. I knew I should get in to see the doctor, but with starting a new job this summer, I couldn't afford to take time off. So I just put up with it, hoping that once I had enough time saved up at work, I could g~t in for an appointment. Last Thursday, while at work, I went to empty my pouch and it was full of bright red blood. I noticed two small blood clots. This really got my attention and I went directly to the phone and called the doctor who had performed my surgery four years ago. The nurse said she would get hold of him and have him call me back at work. Meanwhile, I continued to work. I started drinking a lot of water and drank a bottle of cranberry juice, thinking this would clear things up. After lunch in the early afternoon, I again went in to empty my pouch and this time, it was not only full of bright, red blood but so full of huge blood clots that my pouch wouldn't even drain! I was so scared that I went immediately to the phone and told the nurse that I had an emergency situation and needed to talk to the doctor. I ended up at the emergency room and had a urologist come in to look at it. When I took off the pouch, the blood had coagulated so thick, the doctor couldIi.'t see the stoma. He peeled off the flange and blood was spurting from a

severed artery next to the stoma. He said that because the skin around the stoma had such severe erosion, it caused the breakdown by the artery and it broke loose. He had to put in several stitches to close the artery. I had lost quite a bit of blood, but not enough to keep me in the hospital, so I was released and went home. I was told my urine would clear up by later that evening, which it did. It took several days for me to get over the panic of what had happened. Because of this ordeal, I made an appointment with an ostomy nurse. She told me that she recommends people with urostomies wear a convex flange. It keeps the urine from pooling around the stoma area. And, she showed me how to use Stomahesive Powder and paste on the white, moist areas surrounding my stoma. I have also scheduled an appointment with my doctor to have him check what the emergency room urologist did. I was told that in twentyfive years of practice, this was only the second time the urologist had ever seen this happen.
OSTOMY HINTS & TIPS
Via Evansville Ostomy News

If your pouch doesn't stick well, are you applying it right after showering in a highhumidity bathroom? Skin must be perfectly dry to receive and hold the appliance. Also, oily products, such as Dove Soap, can cause the wafer to loosen and falloff. If you are beginning a new medication for any reason, keep a close eye on your appliance. Contact your doctor immediately if you suspect the medicine is going straight in and out. When taking liquid medicines, do not use a tablespoon instead of the measuring device that came with the medication. Tableware can give as much as 20% larger dose than desired. Washing ostomy bags with Woolite will keep them soft and odorless.

July 2011

The Rambling Rosebud

--- ------ -COLOSTOMY AND CONSTIPATION

Via: Greater Cincinnati, Metro Mff) & Vancouver Ostomy High Life

Way back before surgery, did you go to the bathroom after a hot cup of coffee, milk, cold juice, whiskey or beer? Well, whatever made you feel that need then can make you feel the need now. Check it out. See if your irrigation can be helped by some of the things you used to do. Of course, if you have had your colostomy for a number of years, your previous habits may not be the same now. Your body can, however, be trained as it was before, and you can adapt y.ourself to qertain habits which can help you to be In control. A glass of hot water or juice, or a cup of coffee before a morning irrigation may initiate gut reaction. Also, a glass or two of water, after the water return starts, is usually helpful. If you irrigate before going to bed, a glass of ice water or a cup of hot coffee should get you started. If you have not drunk much water during the day, it would be wise to drink an extra glass or two to make sure your tissues will not absorb so much, or you may be left with little or no return. But what if you don't irrigate? Part of the difficulty in elimination of waste matter experienced by colostomates is due to lack of bulk in the diet. Consumption of white bread, pastry and highly refined f09ds does not provide the roughage and bulk necessafY for proper evacuation of the colon. The deficiency can be overcome in part by the simple addition of br~n to the diet. Bran can be made into muffins adding !raisins and molasses to taste. Diet. There is no such thing as a colostomy diet. A colostomy is not an illness, so try to eat the same foods you have eaten and enjoyed in the past. If you are on a diet for a condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, of course you should stay on that diet. Foods can be acidic or alkaline, bland or spicy, laxative-like or constiPati~g. Individuals react differently to food. Try to return to your former, normal diet. Those foods which disagreed with you in the past may still do so. Chew well and see the effect of each food on your colostomy output. To maintain good health, the body requires carbohydrates, proteins, fat, iinerals and vitamins. Water is not nutritious but is absolutely necessary.

Having a balanced diet is a fitting way to maintain good nutrition and keep bowel activity normal. Every day your body needs meats or fish, dairy foods, vegetables and fruits, cereals and bread, and liquids. Talk to your physician or ET nurse if you have problems. KEEPING WEIGHT DOWN
Via: Ostomy News Review, Green Bay, WI & New Directions, Ft. Worth, TX.

Keeping weight down is especially important for ostomates. Even a few extra pounds can affect the fit of our appliance (pouching system) and cause the stoma to recess. For new ostomates, extra weight may put pressure on healing tissues. Here are a few ways to drop or maintain weight: Eat your biggest meal at noon and then have a light dinner by 6:00 pm. Eat an apple or two slices of bread, or other fiber-type food 20-30 minutes before dinner. It will help you curb your appetite. These foods, combined with a glass of water; will expand in _ your stomach and reduce your capacity to eat. Chew well and eat slowly. It takes up to 20 minutes for the brain to receive the messages of fullness from the stomach. Don't eat after 6:00 pm. Resist snacking late at night, and your body will reward you with more restful sleep and lots more energy in the morning. Food eaten in late hours will generally go directly into fat production because the body's energy needs are low at night.

Remember that vegetables are considered free of calories when not covered with dip, butter, or other extras-so you can have these healthier snacks without guilt. Instead of plunking down in front of the TV until bedtime, how about a relaxing evening stroll? You'll sleep and feel better in the morning.

July 2011

The Rambling Rosebud

Dues notices will be mailed in August, and need to be returned

by October 1st

Our annual dues renewal is officially October 1st of each year. Generally, notices are mailed out in August so that people can have a full month before October 1 to pay their dues. A few people (about st five) have jumped the gun and already paid their dues for the coming year 2011-2012. THANK YOU! Their interest in keeping the AACOA going is greatly appreciated. If there is anyone who wants to pay before I mail out dues reminders, please feel free to do so. It saves us the mailing costs -letterhead, envelopes, and postage. It also saves me a bit of time. You will get your membership card at the next monthly meeting or by return mail, whichever you prefer. An important part of our official chapter policy is that anyone who is cannot afford dues can be given a courtesy membership. But it must be applied for f each year, by contacting me or Paul. On the next to the last page of The Rosebud, the membership application has been changed. It is the same as the application form which was created for our website. Please use that form. This same form will be the form mailed out in August. I will have extra copies at our meetings. Ilook forward to seeing you at our meetings. Stan Baker
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BEING HAPPY
(anonymous, via email)

No HE doesn't MAKE me happy .. .1 AM HAPPY I am the only person upon which my happiness depends. I make the choice to be happy in each situation and in each moment of my life. If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this earth, I would be in serious trouble. I decide to be happy and the rest is a matter of "experience or circumstances" like helping, understanding, listening, consoling, accepting. Happiness will always be found in forgiveness and in loving yourself and others. It is NOT the responsibility of my (spouse/parent/friend/fill in the blank) to make me happy.

There are those who say I cannot be happy because I am sick, or too hot, or I don't have enough money, or someone has insulted me, or didn't love me or hasn't valued me. But what you don't know is that you can be happy even though you are sick, whether it is too hot, whether you have money or not, whether someone has insulted you, or someone didn't love you or hasn't valued you. Being happy is an attitude about life and each one of us must decide. Being happy depends on YOU!

A.A.C.O.A. P.O. BOX 847GAMBRILLS, MD 21054

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