Ostomy Awareness Day – October 3
EB Rains Jr Park, Northglenn, CO 11:00 am

The theme for Ostomy Awareness Day is again Ostomies are Lifesavers. To help raise awareness, I’ve partnered with Athena LaPera. Athena is the ASG Leader of the It’s In The Bag Support Group in Brighton, CO. We’re going to walk around Webster Lake at EB Rains Jr Park in Northglenn, Colorado. The lake is lovely and there are benches all along the path to sit, rest and enjoy the water. We’ll meet at 11:00 am. The lake is not large and easy to walk. Bring a lunch and join us!

UOAA Conference Cancelled

Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, the UOAA has decided to cancel the biennial conference in 2021 in Houston. They will evaluate and hopefully reschedule for 2022.

Would you like to make a donation this year to the UOAA to celebrate Ostomies are Lifesavers? For a $30 donation to the Ostomy Awareness Fund you can receive this adorable bandana for your pet!




Is your ostomy due to diverticulitis? This article by Ellyn Mantell describes this condition and reasons for getting an ostomy. There are many that can manage diverticulosis (a precursor for diverticulitis) through diet, but when diverticula are inflamed or rupture, serious infection can result. You can follow Ellyn’s story at her blog, More Than My Ostomy.

Lynn at Bill Nelson’s office on Capital Hill

I have to admit a little sorrow that the UOAA Conference is cancelled for next year. I mean, it’s only every two years anyway! Last year I met Lynn, a woman with short bowel syndrome, and her support dog. As a child, she was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease, but the diagnosis didn’t come easy and was precipitated by a call from her mother to the pediatrician of President Kennedy’s children! In spite of her chronic SBS and the use of TPN (an infusion nutritional therapy), she has traveled and advocates for self-reliance. She thinks of her service dog as a personal ambulance that carries all of her medicine. She’s an advocate for all ostomates and has participated in conferences around the U.S., including with the National Instututes of Health. She’s an inspiration and I’m happy to share this profile of Lynn.

To stay sane over these past few months we’ve been planning visits to the YMCA of the Rockies. Still isolated, but the view is better! This was the view from the Y shortly after the beginning of the Cameron Peak Fire, west of Ft Collins. Surprisingly, the air up there was actually better than it was in Longmont during the worst days. Hope everyone is staying safe.