We had a great time at our mid-year lunch this month! We met at Pinocchios Restaurant in Longmont and it was our annual meeting of Charles Gets to Ask!, an opportunity for our ostomy nurses to ask questions of us (and we need to now change the name because we have Tara and Kelly to support us!). There were some good questions asked of our group, such as:

  • What do we wish we’d been told when we left the hospital?
  • What concerns did we have around social stigma, intimacy and body image?
  • What products do we like or not and why?
  • What suppliers do we like or not and why?
  • What would men use to carry their supplies?

We also had show-and-tell of our favorite products. These included Sensi-Care Adhesive Spray Removal and wipes, barrier rings, unique belly wraps, panties and items from OstomySecrets. There was also a creative solution using clothespins for adding air into closed-end disposable bags. It was a good time sharing stories and experiences, and the food was good, too!

Are You Prepared for an Emergency?

The recent earthquake in California was a good reminder that emergencies can happen at any time. Are you prepared? A good rule of thumb is to have at least three months extra supplies on hand. If you have Medicare, and find you have leftover supplies at the end of your ordering period, hold onto them as extras. Have you tried any samples that you no longer use? Those are also good to have on hand. Hurricane season is upon us, and it’s a good reminder to be ready, just in case. This article from Shield Healthcare has some good tips to help you prepare. There are lots of creative ways to store your supplies, too. Here are some examples I’ve found:

Hack for Coloplast pre-filters

This image shows the Coloplast circle pre-filter that I hate!

I use both Hollister and Coloplast products. I need to use convex wafers and every 3-4 changes I’ll switch so that the pressure points from the convexity changes and helps prevent any pressure sores. I also like to use opaque pouches, but Coloplast only provides opaque pouches with a “pre-filter”. This is a circle filter that fills with liquid and it feels like I’m wearing a pillow. I recently found a great hack to remove this filter and my life has so improved. I’ve never posted anything on YouTube, but I appreciate those that have!

I’m going to the UOAA Conference August 6-10 in Philadelphia. Two issues I’m going to follow up on are (1) the benefits of probiotics with an ostomy, specifically those with ileostomies and (2) try to understand the effects and needs of sodium and dehydration with an ileostomy. Are there any other questions you’d like me to try and get answers to? Email your thoughts and questions to smbogatin@yahoo.com.

ALSO, a followup to our conversation about having Rolf Benirschke speak here in Denver. The Denver Ostomy Group is in discussions with his supporters at BBraun and it seems they can work something out. They may coordinate with the upcoming WOCN conference in 2020. As I get more information I’ll let you know.