Hope everyone is staying safe and well. Check out the meeting times for the Denver support groups on the right. As always, if you have questions or need any support, don’t hesitate to reach out.

I recently ran across a post about the history of Coloplast, and that led me to this video. The company was started by a nurse, Elise Sørensen, and her sister, Thora. Thora developed cancer in 1954, that resulted in a colostomy. Based on Elise’s idea, Aage Louis-Hansen, a civil engineer and plastics manufacturer, and his wife Johanne Louis-Hansen, a trained nurse, created the first adhesive ostomy bag. And Coloplast was born. This movie is a little cheesy, but it’s an interesting look at how the supplies we use today came to be.

But wait….There’s more!
This was a month of history in the Ostomy World. Hollister also published an historical perspective of ostomy pouches. This article recounts the first stoma ever recorded in 1706. The first patent was granted in 1913 to Mary Manney of Chicago, for a “surgical appliance, which may be secured to the body of a person upon whom a surgical operation has been performed”. Innovation took off starting in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that industry started to take the needs of the ostomate into consideration. Full disclosure — it is continuing today. I am a beta tester for Hollister and love trying new products!

For those concerned about going to see their doctor or visiting a hospital for ostomy questions, Hollister has designed a Resource Site for their users. Included is a Stoma Self-Help Guide, Self-Care plans, and Staying Healthy tips.

And finally……
This was a Facebook post by my good friend and double-ostomate, Joe Vega, who lives in California. As you can see there were many replies to the question “What is the best piece of ostomy advice you’ve received?” Most replies focused on what to do in case of a leak. Use flange extenders! Use pink tape! Use paste! Use calamine lotion! (a very popular response on FB that I think is ridiculous). But I think my friend Joe’s response was the best: