Thanks for Visiting
& Get Well Soon
Ostomyland @ Breakaway May 2012
The Ostomyland Stand at Breakaway - May 2012 Event
We’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Breakaway very much for hosting our stand during their May Day Weekend event over the last three days. Our very own Sarah was there to fly the flag for Ostomyland, which also attending the Colostomy Association stand in her role as CA Facebook Group admin.
We hope all the kids who attended the weekend had a great time and made lots of new friends, and the Mums and Dads too managed to get some mud on their faces too. 
And to all the kids, Mums and Dads who are visiting Ostomyland for the first time as a result of the event’s exhibition, welcome! We hope you enjoy your stay with us, and if you need any help with the site please feel free to message me.
Finally, for more information on the excellent Breakaway charity please visit their website linked below. Julie, Hannah and everyone there do a fabulous job.
External Links:
Breakaway‘s website: http://www.breakaway-visits.co.uk
Colostomy Association Website: www.colostomyassociation.org.uk
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
I.A. (UK) National Council Meeting – April 2012 Report
On the weekend of April 20-22 2012, the UK’s Ileostomy Association (I.A.) held their annual National Council Meeting in the famous coastal resort of Blackpool, North West England. They were hosted at the lovely Barceló Imperial Hotel. This three day event is one of the highlights of the IA‘s events and exhibitions calendar and Rover – our roving reporter – was there to bring us a report and some photos.
All the large ostomy companies were present and correct in the exhibition held in the Washington Suite of the Barceló Imperial throughout the three days of the meeting, of which the friday evening was set aside for them to set up their stands.
The official start of the conference was on the Saturday morning. From 9am to 11am the exhibition was open for attendees and delegates to get their first look of this years exhibitors. Following this at 11am was the official welcome and opening speech, given by Mr Nigel A. Scott BSc MD FRCS, President of the North West Lancashire & Cumbria IA & President of the Association of Coloproctology of GB and Ireland (ACPGBI).
After this, and throughout the weekend, a number of guest speakers and delegates were lined up to give speeches and presentations on a number of important issues based around ostomies , bowel diseases and their healthcare. Mr Scott also gave this years Bryan Brooke Lecture, titled Roadblocks and Assumptions as part of his role as President of the ACPGBI.
On the Sunday two more presentations were given. Sarah Hannam, Community Care Nurse, gave a 25 minute presentation on behalf of Salts Healthcare about Parastomal Hernias: A Survey of Experiences at 9.30am, followed at 9.55am by the Coloplast presentation, The Ostomy Skin Survey presented by companies ostomy care marketing manager, Natalie Lispcombe.
Also held throughout the weekend were a series of business meetings for IA representatives and various workshops. Catering and entertainment was also provided through the weekend, and the meetings appeared to have been a huge success. Photos of the event can be found below.
For more information on the Ileostomy Association, their events or their services please contact them via their website, or email: info@iasupport.org or over the phone on their freephone helpline 0800 0184 724
External Links:
Ileostomy Association Website: http://www.iasupport.org
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
UOAA: Phoenix Magazine | Spring 2012 Vol 7 #2 available now!
Phoenix Cover Spring 2012 Edition
The March 2012 edition of the United Ostomy Association of America’s very own official ostomy magazine The Phoenix was mailed out to their subscribers on February 28th. However, copies are still available for those who have not yet acquired it.
At a whopping 72 pages, this is by far the largest of the ostomy groups & companies magazines that I’ve seen over the year. Being a British ostomate myself, and The Phoenix itself being a subscription-based magazine, it isn’t very often I get to see a copy of the magazine but when I do I am always very impressed by the quality of the presentation and the amount of useful information contained within it’s many articles.
The March 2012 (Vol 7 #2) edition of The Phoenix magazine has lots of interesting features crammed into it, including the following:
- Back in the Rink
- Returning to the sport of Ice Hockey after colostomy surgery - Peristomal Skin Lesions
- Objectively classifying common skin problems - Erectile Dysfunction
- The physical and emotional causes following surgery - Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence
- Solid advice and concrete steps to keep cancer at bay - Ostomates in Uniform
- The history, policy and reality of ostomies and the military - … and lots, lots more!
Annual subscriptions are $29.95 and include a free New Patient Guide as well as a free sample of Ostofresh deodorant. You can get your copy via the UOAA’s Phoenix website at: http://www.phoenixuoaa.org/
Digital back issues are also available from the same website at $4.95 – a 50% reduction on the cover price! Digital back editions are available for International download too, you don’t have to be located in America. Payments are taken via credit card, but please be aware that there’s no paypal option during the checkout procedure.
External Links & References:
The United Ostomy Association of America:
http://www.uoaa.org or http://www.ostomy.org
The Phoenix Magazine Website:
http://www.phoenixuoaa.org/
The Phoenix Spring 2012 Cover Photo
© Liam Richards photography
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
Calling all Merseyside Ostomates! (Ostomistics St Helens FB Group)
Ostomistics, the UK-based multi-area ostomy support group is tentatively dipping it’s toe into the Merseyside area. If you are in the St. Helens area, or in Merseyside, then you might like to check out the Ostomistics St Helens Facebook group. If enough interest can be generated then regular face to face support meetings will follow, just like the other Ostomistic groups.
The group is being co-ordinated by Alison Louise Hamilton aka Allyxx and she can be contacted via her Facebook page for further information.
As far as Ostomyland is aware you do not have to be a Merseysider to join the group so why not check it out regardless! We’ll see you there too as we’re members!
And, why you’re at it, why not visit the Ostomyland Facebook Group too where recent conversations have included the possibility of doing sit-ups post-op, and a fantasy conversation on what you would have tattoo’d around your stoma if it were possible (we dont advise you do do that though! lol).
External Links:
Ostomistics St Helens Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/439124346102864/
Ostomyland Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3834289395/
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
Vote for Oland’s Sarah Squire in the Ostomy Lifestyle 2012 Awards!
Congratulations to Ostomyland admin, and Colostomy Association Facebook Group Admin Sarah Squire (aka Sarah73) on her nomination towards the “Volunteer of the Year” category in this year’s Ostomy Lifestyle Awards.
Ostomy Lifestyle is a UK based ostomy charity which offers support for all ostomates regardless of whichever stoma type you may have.
To vote for Sarah visit the Ostomy Lifestyle Awards Voting Page where you’ll have an opportunity to vote in the other categories too which include Support Group of the Year, Stoma Nurse of the Year, Industry Professional of the Year and more! (NB: You dont have to vote in each category, just skip to the next section if you dont want to place a vote in any area).
Sorry Fuzzbutt, but I’m afraid there’s no “cute fuzzy ostomy mascot of the year” category otherwise I’m sure you’d win!
External Links:
The Ostomy Lifestlye Awards Voting Page:
http://helenbracey.polldaddy.com/s/2012-ostomy-lifestyle-awards-voting
Ostomy Lifestyle Website:
http://www.ostomylifestyle.org
Colostomy Association Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/colostomyassociation2011/
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Canada
Although Ostomyland is a British website, we do have an International community behind us, of which Canada is our third largest number of members and visitors behind the UK and the USA, and so this news piece may be of interest to our Canadian friends.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Canada. This is an annual campaign launched by the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) whose mission is to educate the public about the disease whilst providing support for both patients and families and to advocate for better access to treatment and screening policies for all.
You can find out more about the CCAC via their website or the awareness campaign website(s), all are listed below. And dont forget, you dont have to be Canadian to be raising your awareness of Colorectal Cancer. Expand your knowledge of the disease, and it’s symptoms by checking out some of the many Cancer websites available online so you know what symptoms to look for. For example, watery stools, pain or discomfort in the abdomen or whilst passing stool, and blood in the stool itself could be signs of any number of conditions, but it could also be cancer. So, it’s best to get it checked out quickly if you are experiencing any of these symptoms or have concerns.
Ostomyland would like to wish the CCAC a very successful 2012 campaign. They are doing a fantastic job.
External Links:
Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) website: http://www.colorectal-cancer.ca/
CC Awareness Month Websites: http://www.getyourbuttseen.ca/ & http://www.savebutts.ca/
Colorectal Cancer on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorectal_cancer
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
Help fund new, exciting medical projects with your ostomy product prescription!
Neil Basil, founder of the UK charity Ostomy Lifestyle recently stepped down as Chief Executive of the charity to start a new project; Patient Choice. Whilst the new project has not launched yet, there is now a website online announcing Neil’s new business.
Taken from the Patient Choice website:
- Patient Choice Business is a new type of healthcare company; profits go to charity, and it only provides products and services that enhance [the] quality of life for patients.
- Patient Choice earns its income from the NHS through its appliance prescription service, Patient Choice Delivery. In addition we also supply natural rubber ostomy bags through Ward Surgical.
- The pharmaceutical industry has always attracted controversy, and with the supply of critical treatments and essential medical products providing unprecedented margins, it is often difficult to know who to trust. All trading profits of Patient Choice Delivery go to funding projects to support patients in the UK and abroad. To see some of our work please see the Patient Choice Foundation.
It certainly sounds a novel idea to us. There are so many medical services which have great ideas but end up sinking because of lack of money. And there are many Ostomates out there who are keen to give back to the medical community but maybe do not have the finances to allow a monetary donation, especially in this current era of austerity. Patient Choice brings those two areas together to the benefit of both.
It works by the Ostomate sending their NHS prescription to Patient Choice Delivery, who will dispatch them their prescription to the ostomates specific specifications, but with one crucial difference – profits from the prescription are funnelled into the Patient Choice Foundation award fund, which in turn is then invested in deserving medical projects.
Its a win-win situation for all involved and helps UK ostomates contribute to charity without having to dig out their cheque books.
More information on the Patient Choice Foundation will be made available very soon when the individual services officially launch, but in the meantime you can learn a lot more about Patient Choice and their services via their website, linked below, and Patient Choice Delivery is available right now. They would also like to hear from any Ostomates who have suggestions for which projects should benefit from an award.
External Links:
Patient Choice Foundation: http://www.patientchoiceuk.org/
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
The Bad Tummy Foundation
The Bad Tummy Foundation is a non-profit organization creating public awareness regarding all stomach diseases. They are advocating for research to find a cure and also provide positive support systems for all who live with these diseases.
The Bad Tummy Foundation has also recently partnered with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America!
The organization is honor of founder Marci Baron Flatt‘s Father as he fought Crohn’s Disease his whole life and died from the complications of the disease. Sadly, Marci too has the disease, and says:
[...] without this support system, I wouldn’t know how to deal with the everyday battles of the chronic pain. A support system is so important when dealing with these diseases.
If you suffer from any stomach or digestive disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis to name but just a few, why not pay a visit to the Bad Tummy Foundation‘s website or Facebook group.
External Links:
Bad Tummy Foundation Website: http://www.badtummy.org
Bad Tummy Foundation Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/BadTummyFoundation
This content has been Digiproved © 2012 Ostomyland
