Ostomyland is pleased to announce that Active Support Belts has joined us on our manufacturer – accessory pages.

Founded by a cancer survivor and Crohn’s patient not satisfied with the support garments available for his stoma appliance, he created an ostomy support belt that better fit an active lifestyle and realized that the design would benefit many other ostomates. And so the company was born.

For more information on Active Support Belts please visit their new page on Ostomyland which can be found in our sidebar menu under Manufacturers – Accessory, or by clicking here. You can also visit their website directly at http://www.activesupportbelts.com

Useful Links:
Ostomyland’s page for Active Support Belts:
http://ostomyland.com/mainsite/manufacturers-accessories-active-support-belts/
Active Support Belts Website:
http://www.activesupportbelts.com

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I’m very pleased to announce that our certification has been once again confirmed and renewed for a TWO year period – which I’m taking a sign that were doing something right. This will be our fourth and fifth year on the HON code register. Time does fly quickly these days.

Whilst the HONcode does not really bring us any readers/members of any noticeable numbers, I do nevertheless feel it is important to keep the certification as its a stamp of approval from an independent medically-based body that our information, advice and interactive services are professional, accurately presented and meeting a high level of medical and personal responsibility (i.e. we’re not in this to show off at what we think we know but that we genuinely *want* to help, and in a caring and medically sound way.

Our HON Code certificate can be viewed here, and the HON Code badge is displayed in the footer of every page on Ostomyland.com.

So my thanks goes out to the whole community, to Sarah and especially Kathy for all your combined hard work and commitment to Ostomyland as a whole – this achievement is as much yours and the community’s as it is mine.

Thanks folks. Have a good weekend. I hope you’re all keeping well or as well as can be.

External Links
The Health On the Net Foundation website: http://www.healthonnet.org
The HON Code Principles:  http://www.healthonnet.org/HONcode/Patients/Conduct.html
Ostomyland’s HON Code Certificate Page: https://www.healthonnet.org/HONcode/Conduct.html?HONConduct533886

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Ostomy Lifestyle - the UK-based charity that supports all Ostomy types

The results of the Ostomy Lifestyle 2012 Awards have been released and you can find out who won what at this page.

Ostomyland offers it’s heartiest congratulations to all the winners and the runners-up, but especially to our Sarah Squire for winning 1st runner up in the Volunteer of the Year award. You may not have won the award Sarah, but you’re a winner in our eyes as Oland wouldnt be the same with you.

Ostomy Lifestyle is a UK charity that was established in 2007. They provide support, advice and information to anyone affected by stoma surgery on their bowel or urinary system. For further information please visit their website.

External Links:
Ostomy Lifestyle Awards 2012 Results Page: http://ostomylifestyle.org/content/awards

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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

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Breakaway is the UK charity for kids with ostomies and bowel & bladder problems which offers quarterly activity break weekends for the kids. Parents are welcome, and a Stoma Care Nurse is always in on hand in case of emergencies.

Ostomyland would like to wish all the Breakaway kids and admins a fantastic weekend and we hope that the weather is kind! It’s looking glorious outside the window here, but that means nothing!

For more information on Breakaway please visit their website.

External Links:
Breakaway Website: http://www.breakaway-visits.co.uk

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I’d be really appreciative you could take a minute out of your day today to complete the following survey on Ostomy-related community and social networking opinions. It’s 8 questions, all of which are point and click answers with no typing.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q3NHXFJ

One of the major ostomy companies has contacted us to ask our help. They would like the Ostomyland member’s opinions on social networking and online communities for ostomates.

It’s the first time we – as a whole community – have been asked our opinions on such things and I think it’s really very nice of them to ask us as it shows their commitment towards the ostomate in their communities creation and It also shows that they respect us, as a community. As we’ve been given a voice in this early research stage I sincerely hope that lots of you will be up for completing this short survey and showing the company that they were right to have that faith in us by looking for our collective opinion.

I’ve completed the survey, and I hope you will too!

Thank you very much everyone for your help with this!

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The newly re-launched and re-invigorated title features more pages, more articles and more fun. The 16 page edition features:

• Cover story: Dancing Queen – Isa explains the joy of attending her first disco
• News and Views
• Our Story – Isa and Susan
• Salts of the Earth – Key one step ahead of MRSA
• Charity Corner
• … and much more!

Also making her Linkline debut is the shy, but ever so cute Madibear, that latest in the Medibear family.  Joining the company mascot – MediBear – the cuddly duo visit children’s hospital wards around the country, and even recently joined in with the Breakaway adventure holiday weekends for kids with bowel and bladder problems. If you’ve ever visited the Salts Facebook page then you’ll know about the impact Medibear has had on Facebooking ostomates both old and young around the world!

To get your copy of Salts Linkline magazine, please phone 0800 626 388 or visit the Salts website where you can read the majority of this issue’s content in blog format, as well as read past issues too.

External Links & References:
Salts Company Website: http://www.salts.co.uk
Salts Linkline Website: http://www.saltslinkline.co.uk/

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/

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Ostomy Lifestyle - the UK-based charity that supports all Ostomy types

UK ostomy support charity, Ostomy Lifestyle has just released the latest edition of it’s newsletter which is available to read online, or for free delivery to UK ostomates.

In this edition you can read about Ostomy Lifestyle’s Information Standard accreditation, an update on their OstomyAid project, their latest corporate supporters and the personal story of one of Ostomy Lifestyle’s fundraisers. Voting in the Ostomy Lifestyle 2012 Awards is now open and you can vote for your winners here. And, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that our very own Sarah Squire is nominated in the Volunteer of the Year category!

You can download the current and past issues of Ostomy News on their newsletter download page.

To contact Ostomy Lifestyle you can either email their advice line, or telephone them on 0800 731 4264 or 0118 324 0089. The advice line is open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm. All Helpline calls are taken by trained operators who have had stoma surgery. And of course their website is open all day every day.

External Links: 
Ostomy Lifestyle Website: http://www.ostomylifestyle.org
Ostomy Lifestyle‘s Newsletter Download Page: http://ostomylifestyle.org/content/ostomy-news

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Regular readers of Ostomyland might remember that a few months ago we featured a product on here named the Tidy Pal, which is an innovative answer to the lack of hooks in public toilets. Well, I’m delighted to say that the Tidy Pal has been nominated for the Most Innovative Product of the Year category in the Ostomy Lifestyle annual awards.  You can vote for the Tidy Pal here.

We’d like to congratulate Tidy Pal creator Michael Wood on this well deserved news. And if you are interested in reading more on the Tidy Pal then not only can you read our original feature on it here, but Tidings readers (Colostomy Association UK quarterly magazine) will be able to read a two page article on the product and more on Michael’s story in the next issue of the magazine, which is the Spring 2012 issue, available in April.

Once again, congratulations Michael and Tidy Pal.

Useful Links:
Our original Tidy Pal feature posting: http://ostomyland.com/mainsite/2012/01/tidy-pal-the-answer-to-the-lack-of-hooks-in-public-toilets/

External Links:
Tidy Pal Website: http://www.tidy-pal.com/
Ostomy Lifestyle Awards Voting Page:  http://helenbracey.polldaddy.com/s/2012-ostomy-lifestyle-awards-voting
Ostomy Lifestyle Website: http://www.ostomylifestyle.org
Colostomy Associations (UK) Website: http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk

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