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Archive for the 'Ostomy News' Category
A recent patent application could provide an alternative appliance for those whose bowel output is drainable.
With similarities to a urostomy leg bag, the contents are drained not into an immediate ostomy bag but to one attached to the leg.
The disadvantages of this must surely be a risk of leakage if the tube is dislodged. But – if it works – the advantages would be a much greater choice of where to attach the bag. Maybe it could be adapted to move the bag simply to a more convenient place on the abdomen, or even a night drainage system. It could allow raw skin to heal.
You can view the application here:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0022975.html
The drawings in the PDF document give a much better idea of what it’s all about.
Is this the future? What do you think?
A colostomy patient has been featured in the latest episode of “Embarrassing Bodies” on Channel 4 television in the UK.
Despite the name of the programme, the aim of the piece was to portray ostomies in a positive light, and that a lot of the preconceived ideas people have about colostomy patients is false. The piece showed the young lady swimming with her pouch, as well as showing the viewer what today’s average colostomy pouch looks like, and also a colostomy stoma.
On the whole it was a very positively represented piece, and worthwhile viewing for anyone whom is awaiting ostomy surgery.
In case you’ve missed it, here is the full 3 minute clip for you. I’d love to know what you think about the programme’s portrayal of a stoma. Was it positive enough? Should it have featured more than one ostomate? Maybe an Ileostomate too? Or maybe it should have also shown some of the negative issues some ostomates experience after surgery, such as leakage? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to use the comments system at the end of this post. 
Tann Research are doing a market research study with Canadian patients who have had an ostomy in the past 3 months. It’s being done online and participants will receive $30 for the 20 minute study which asks about which ostomy products they use and the education they received.
If interested phone Tann Research (xxx) and ask for Hailey, or email Annette.
Update: This study has now closed so the contact details have been removed.
The winter 2009 edition of the Salts Medilink Linkline magazine is hitting doormats around the UK at the moment. A free magazine published on behalf of the UK company, Salts, this edition of the magazine features 12 pages of Salts products promotions and stories and news from the Ostomy world.
Features in this issue include:
The Stuff of Legends
News from the Branches
Salts Brothers in Cook-Off
Take a break with Breakaway
…and lots more.
The magazine is available free to all Salts mailing list members, and is also available to UK ostomates by phoning the Salts customer care team on 0800 626388
The Ostomy Lifestyle’s (UK Based Ostomy Support Charity) Ostomy Awards 2009 winners have started to be announced.
I’d like to offer all the winners my very hearty congratulations, and I’m certain they will all be excellent ambassadors for the Ostomy world in their respective specialised areas. I’d especially like to congratulate Robert Azevedo Gilbert, (Chairman and founder, Inside Out Stoma Support Group) especially heartily as he has won the award that myself, O-land favourite Jules Bastin, and Barbara Andrews were nominated for. So congrats to him! Robert is a VERY deserved winner.
For More Information:
http://www.ostomyawards.org
http://www.ostomylifestyle.org.uk/
It’s like something out of science fiction, or the Six Million Dollar Man, but the bionic bottom is a reality. A man from Barnsley, South Yorkshire (UK) who was horrifically injured in a motorcycle accident has managed to avoid having a lifelong colostomy thanks to an operation which attached electrodes to strategically placed nerves — operated by remote control — around his bottom. He then carries around a small cell phone sized device which has a button on it that he presses which stimulates the nerves and moves his bowels for him.
The operation was carried out by Professor Norman Williams at the Royal London Hospital. The surgeon also used muscle that was cut from above the man’s knee and then pulled back to his groin
It’s a fascinating article, and goes to show that in the future it might just be possible to reverse the so called “permanent” colostomy. This certainly takes us one step closer to that dream!
The article was printed in todays Sun newspaper, and you can click on the link below to read the full article over on the Sun website.
Read more: http://bit.ly/sunbionicbottom
Issue #15 (Autumn 2009) of the UK’s Colostomy Association magazine – Tidings – has been published and is hitting doormats around the country as I type.
The magazine is free to all existing members of the Colostomy Association, and features in this 64 page issue include:
- Open Door: A new dimension in my life – by Ernie Hulme. The CA Trustee and volunteer talks about the key role of the volunteer
- Irrigation and you…
- Reaching out and building awareness
- CA Open Day – Swansea 2009
- Reader’s Stories
- Dear Nurse
- Readers Letters
…and many, many more articles too!
Also, inside you’ll find an article all about Jules, Rach, Hannah and Jasmine’s visit to the World Ostomy Day 2009 event at the Bullring, Birmingham where they were promoting their Breakaway children’s charity (Jules and Rach being part of the Ostomyland message board team, and firm favourites among the team and community members).
http://www.breakaway-visit.co.uk
About the Colostomy Association:
The Colostomy Association is the national colostomy support charity for Colostomates in the UK. They were formed after the BCA closed down. The CA’s services include (but are not limited to):
- Support and advice for colostomates, their families and their carers
- Email and 24hr telephone helpline
- Comprehensive advisory literature and quarterly magazine
- Visits for those who need it
For more information on the Colostomy Association please visit their website, or phone them free on 0800 328 4257
http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk/
Convatec currently have a competition running for UK ostomates where you can win a weekend away for two which will be tailor-made especially for the winner! Sounds cool to me! To enter you just need contact the ConvaTec UK customer helpline on 0800 834 822 to register your details. Alternatively you can register your details on the ConvaTec UK website. If your details are already entered, dont panic, you can still be entered just be phoning to check your details are correct.
Best of all though, if you register yourself and refer another ostomate to ConvaTec then you both get entered into the draw meaning you both could win a weekend away with your respective partners.
The ConvaTec customer support line is a great source of ostomy info and help on subjects such as:
- How to keep fit
- Dietary advice – healthy cooking and eating
- How to wear the latest fashion
- Advice on intimacy and relationship issues
3rd October 2009… hey, thats today! It’s World Ostomy Day 2009 and many national ostomy associations are doing public events to themed to celebrate the day. The theme of this years event is “Reaching Out” be it to the general public to enhance their awareness of the ostomy associations and their vital work, or to the Ostomates themselves who maybe didn’t realise such associations existed to help them.
Here in the UK, the Birmingham Bullring is hosting an awareness event, featuring stands from many companies and associations. And, thanks to Julie at Breakaway, Ostomyland leaflets will be circulating the stalls too!
Full details of WOD09 can be found on the IOA website.
Useful Links:
International Ostomy Association
Ostomy Secrets has recently celebrated it’s first anniversary. Founded by ileostomate and Crohn’s patient, Lisa Becker, Ostomy Secrets is a company that carries “men’s and women’s underwear, intimacy wraps, sport wraps and swim wraps” and their products are available for dispatch worldwide.
It’s been a very successful first year in business for them and they are building a sound customer base who often wish that they’d “found out about [Ostomy Secrets] sooner!”. They were even recently featured on Fox News which I’m insanely jealous about as I’d love that to happen for Oland lol! You can see the Fox News feature on Ostomy Secrets below thanks to the wonders of You Tube.
You can contact Ostomy Secrets via their website, or phone them on 800-518-8515, or you can email them! And when you do contact Lisa, dont forget to ask for your copy of the free Ostomy Secrets newsletter!
Congratulations from Ostomyland on your first anniversary Lisa!
Useful Links:
Ostomy Secrets Main Website: http://www.ostomysecrets.com/
Products: Women’s Style Range | Men’s Style Range | Wraps
Download OS’s full brochure (.pdf) (Adobe Reader required – Download)
Extras: Ostomy Secrets Facebook Page
Lisa’s story behind OS
NB: Ostomyland is not responsible for content or services outside of it’s own domain name, and any services/products featured on Ostomyland is listed for informational purposes only and is not necessarily a recommendation of their services/products.
