Sacramento, Placerville and Carmichael

Ostomy Associations Newsletter

Start by doing what’s necessary; THEN DO WHAT’S

POSSIBLE; AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE DOING THE

IMPOSSIBLE.- Francis of Assisi

Three Individual Groups With One Mission…

To provide

Encouragement, Education

And support for our members and their Families

Support Group Newsletters from… Sacramento Ostomy Association

Sutter General Hospital

The 2nd Sunday of each month.

Dave Lund 916-996-9680

Placerville Ostomy Association

Marshall Cancer Resource Center

The 3rd Thursday of each month.

Jeff Nelson and Leana Garner

916-687-4800

Carmichael Ostomy Association

Mercy San Juan Hospital

The 1st Saturday of each month.

Linda Fleig 916-435-3038

Placerville Ostomy Association

Meets at

Marshall Cancer Resource Center,

Cameron Park

The 3rd Thursday of each

month. From 1 to 3 pm.

P.O.A. MOTO: Encouraging each other to become more than survivors

The Placerville group has reached out to many ostomates over the years,

and their loving and caring support never wavers. I saw this today at our

meeting. The interactions of the members with each other, the empathy

and love they so freely give are truly the meaning of a support group. We

shared personal stories that brought tears to the eyes of many. No one, but

another ostomate, could even begin to relate to these strong and positive

men and women. The ordeals they have gone through and the many trials

they continue to face seem so overwhelming, but here they are sharing,

coping and helping each other. They are truly ANGELS, and I must say

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Norma announced the nominations for the 2016 officers. All members at

the meeting were encouraged to run for an office, but unfortunately no one

was inclined to do so. The New Board: President-David Tavernetti, V.P.-

Barbara Hoffman, Treasurer-Joe Carlin, Secretary-Donna Sauber,

Membership caller-Irene Mazzoni and Sunshine Lady-Norma Russi.

Sherron West has been a paid member since she moved to Idaho and she

will be Assistant to the President. It does “Take a Village” to maintain a

strong group. We encourage all members to assist and help plan meetings.

Their input is so valuable and appreciated.

I would like to thank Jeff and Leana for taking on the huge responsibility of

co-presidents when Sherron moved last October. They did a wonderful job

of keeping our group together. It is no easy task and you are both to be

commented, and thanked for an awesome job!

November 19th is our annual pot luck/social. We look forward to seeing

everyone. It will be a time to Eat, Drink and be Merry! This will be our last

meeting of 2015 since we do not have a December meeting. In January we

will meet in the Cancer Resource Center, suite 400.

Love and friendship, Barbara

The true measure of success in life isn’t money, fame or power.

It’s laugh lines.

Placerville Ostomy Association Ostomy …More than Survivors! Nov. 2015

The Sacramento Ostomy Association is a support group for people who have had or will have intestinal or urinary diversions. Family

members are also welcome. Meetings are typically held on the 2nd

Sunday of each month at 2:00 pm unless otherwise stated. Meetings are held in Room 220 at the Buhler Building at Sutter General Hospital located at 2800 L Street, Sacramento.

Meeting Notes from the October 2015 meeting

We had a good meeting in October, with our guest presenter, Pauline Gould, from Coloplast.

Pauline talked about the Coloplast product line. Pauline answered questions and provided

samples of products for those interested. Coloplast is one of the largest ostomy product suppliers

and a leader in support and education.

We were very glad to have Susan Weir with us at the meeting. It was great to hear that her

reversal operation went well, and that her hernia was repaired. We hope you continue to feel

better and fully recover from surgery soon. We also thank Susan for all she has done for the

support group over the past few years.

We also had two new ostomates attend the meeting. Welcome Kelli and Mike. We hope we were

of help and can be a source of information and support going forward.

Kristina talked about the role of the visiting group that she, Joe and I are part of. We are available

for home and hospital visits for anyone interested in meeting with us. If you know anyone who

would like to talk to someone, and who may not want to attend one of the support group

meetings, please let us know and we will visit him or her.

In our meeting next month, we will talk about blockages and how to prevent them, and how to

deal with them when they occur. We will have our annual potluck during the December meeting

on, Sunday December 13th at 2:00pm.

I’ll leave you with a thought for the month… After eating Chinese food, my wife and I opened our

fortune cookies. I really liked the one I got… It said “Your love of life will carry you through any

circumstance”. I hope you all feel that way when things aren’t going exactly the way you want.

With friends and professional care, things will almost always get better for each of us.

Sacramento Ostomy Association

Nov, 2015

A Season to be thankful!

Our November 7th meeting will begin with

our normal greeting and taking care of

important group business.

We will then be breaking up into five groups.

These groups will be colostomy, ileostomy,

urostomy, and reversals. There will also be an

informal group for caregivers. Each group

will have a WOCN to answer any medical

concerns. This will be a special time for

questions, answers, and to share together.

Your leaders of the individual groups will be

Lenore Jensen for ileostomy, Joan Bories for

colostomy, David Tavernetti for urostomy,

JerryFleig for caregivers and Kristine Sanai for

reversals.

We hope this will be an informative, fun

meeting and allow us get to know each

other a little better.

A Thank You to all the suppliers that

participated in our Mini Trade Expo.

“Even if something is left undone,

everyone must take time to sit still

and watch the leaves turn.”

Carmichael Ostomy Association

Newsletter for Nov.2015 Our mission is reaching out to others…touching lives…

Hopefully making a difference.

Founded in Jan. 2013 by Kelly Sparks CWOCN Nov. 2015

A middle of the night inspirational thought became a reality on Saturday. Trying to invite several different product distributors for a one time small trade show was a difficult challenge that we began months ago. Attending the UOAA conference really helped because Jerry and I were able to talk to many of the distributors in person, asking them to contribute to our Carmichael Mini Trade Expo. Early on Saturday morning we arranged the rooms with the help of our incredible board members, some spouses and the hospital staff. The presenter’s room was set-up with individual tables for each representative. Three presenters, at the last minute, were unable to attend due to unfortunate life circumstances. We still managed to have a great mini trade expo. They were all dynamic representatives and did an exceptional job. I want to thank the members who sat at the empty supplier’s tables and offered samples of many different products. They all did an outstanding job! The meeting room provided a sitting area for everyone to enjoy the hospital provided refreshments, visit in small groups and share personal experiences. Something we never seem to have enough time to do. Comments from the suppliers keep flowing in. They have sent notes of appreciation for inviting them, and many have said what an energetic and inspiring group of people we are. We would like to thank all of the venders who were able to join us for this special show. Also to the companies that shipped their product information and samples to us. We really appreciate all the time and effort that was put in… making this a successful and fun day for all of us. I hope that each if you enjoyed the day as much as we did! With Love, Linda and Jerry

Thank you to all who were able to walk!

Yesterday, World Ostomy Day, our

Carmichael Ostomy Association hosted a

wonderful Products Fair with many

different tables and representatives with

their products. Great turnout!! Thanks to

our wonderful President Linda Fleig and

her husband Jerry and their great "helpers"

that are too many to mention...for all their

hard work to make this a very successful

event. Thanks to Mercy San Juan for their

support! Our United Ostomy Associations

of America Carmichael, Sacramento, and

Placerville groups are very blessed to have

the leadership groups that keep this

important organization strong for all of

the ostomates in the entire Sacramento

Valley. I am so proud and blessed to be a

part of this wonderful society. From Kelly

Sparks Facebook comment.

A few words to share with the group. This week I had the take down surgery following last March's colostomy surgery due to Diverticulitis. I attended one meeting in April which changed my life. I was terrified of the colostomy and afraid to touch it. At the meeting I heard about reclaiming my life and immediately came home from the meeting and changed my colostomy by myself and felt a burden lifted. I am so grateful to the members for being there when I needed help and kindness. Sincerely, Robin Hayes 212-5105

Thank you Robin…it pleases us so much

that our wonderful support group could

make a difference.

Habits to Curb Eating on the Go

Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier. No more shoving a snack bar in your mouth as your run out the door. Breakfast doesn’t have to be time consuming, and waking up just a few minutes earlier will give you the chance to sit down and eat a nutritious breakfast before heading out the door. A Greek yogurt with berries, avocado toast, and oatmeal are all satisfying meals that can be whipped up in no time.

Put a lunch break on your calendar. You wouldn’t skip a meeting on your calendar, so treat lunch the same way. Find an open 20- to 30-minute time slot in your schedule, and pencil in a lunch break away from your desk. “Making time for lunch and sitting down at the table is actually good for our waistline,” says Ogden. “When you’re at a table, away from your desk and distractions, you actually think, ‘this is food, this is a meal,’ and you remember it and you count it.”

Meal prep on Sunday. Take time on Sunday to plan your meals for the week, and prepare lunches that are ready to grab and go in the morning. Since you won’t be spending time traveling and standing in line to order food, you’ve freed up time in your schedule to sit and enjoy your lunch. “My latest research found that those who ate on the go and were distracted ended up consuming five times more calories than those who had a sit-down meal away from the office.” So take your homemade lunch to a nearby park, the cafeteria in your building, or a coffee shop — anywhere that allows you to get away from your desk and focus on your meal.

Turn off the TV. As tempting as it may be to switch on the TV or power up your laptop while you eat dinner, resist the urge. Instead, sit down at the table and focus on your meal without any electronics. Previous studies have shown that eating while watching TV reduces our ability to monitor our sense of fullness, leading to over-consumption. “If we eat on the go or in front of a computer, we will feel less full as our attention is diverted away from the meal, and we don’t learn the association between food and mealtimes,” says Ogden. Published Aug 21, 2015 by Brianna Steinhilber Everyday Health Staff

JOURNALING By Barbara Tako, Special to Everyday Health

I am just over five years out from my breast cancer diagnosis, and a little over a year out from a melanoma diagnosis. I can and do celebrate; because I am here.One of the ways I cope and celebrate my way through cancer survivorship is by journaling and list-making.

How Writing Helps Journaling helps me process and cope. I have written about my thoughts and feelings from the shock and tears of initial diagnosis; through active treatment, which included surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation; and beyond, into cancer survivorship as I try to get my life back, or create a “new normal.”

Even to this day, when I read my journal entries about my fears, anxieties, and the other feelings I had about my initial cancer diagnosis, the cancer has less power over me!

In addition, I made lists about what was helpful to me through each part of the process. List-making was a great way to get ideas and thoughts from spinning around in my head and down on paper instead. Some of these lists became helpful tools:

An ongoing list of worries to discuss with my doctor at the next appointment

A list of ways to help calm myself down

A list of ways to get through chemotherapy

A list of ways to deal with my weariness during radiation I incorporated good ideas that I’d researched on help for cancer patients into my journal and lists. My research, experiences, journaling, and lists eventually became a book, Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools, to help other cancer survivors through the process.

Dalai Lama…He said, “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be

done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the

right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.”

Life is an opportunity, Benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it. Life is life, fight for it."~ Mother Teresa

At the end of the day…BeThankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Late night snacking isn't ideal, especially if

you're watching your waistline. However, it's still a good idea not to

go to bed hungry. According to the Sleep in Pittsburgh, low blood

sugar before bed can prevent you from getting to sleep quickly and

make it difficult to wake feeling your best. The foods below are easy to digest, can be eaten in small portions and can be kept under 200 calories.

Plus, they'll help curb your hunger craving until breakfast.

Fat-free yogurt has dietary protein, probiotics and beneficial nutrients. Avoid brands that are too

sugary.

Chicken and turkey meat digest slowly, have very low insulin release and contain glucagon to aid

the body in breaking down stored carbohydrates and fat for energy. Avoid red meat.

Cottage cheese is digested slowly and also contains protein. Keep it plain and sugar-free, but feel free

to mix in a few berries or other fruit.

Whole wheat crackers with some cheese or apple slices may just be enough to satisfy you until

breakfast.

Vegetables like cucumber, carrots and broccoli are filling, low in calories and provide complex

carbohydrates that break down slowly so you feel full. Dip them in hummus, which contains B6 for

melatonin production.

Bananas are loaded with potassium and magnesium, natural muscle relaxants that can help you

sleep.

As always, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about finding the best dietary options that work for

you.

Another installment from the UOAA Conference from Linda Fleig

The most informative and completely captivating meeting for me was a class I attended the

first day of the conference. It was only an hour class and I did not want it to end. I stayed

to meet both the Colo /rectal surgeon Dr. Judith Trudel, MD, MSC, MHPE and Maria Jones,

NP, CWOCN. I will give you the description of the class from the UOAA program guide.

ASK THE DOCS “This session will enable you to ask medically related questions

that you have concerning living with an ostomy with answers from the sources

that provide you with the best insight. There are no questions that cannot be

asked, or answered in this session.”

As I sat in this session I thought how many times I have tried to reach out to surgeons in

our area and have them come and speak to our group. After the meeting ended I spoke to

Dr. Trudel and she gave me some ideas on how to achieve this. This will be one of my main

goals the next couple of months. I am determined that I will find someone to present this

format to our group.

As your president I hear many concerns

and complaints about getting supplies. I

would like to compliment Byram Heath

Care on how they go out of their way to

help their customers.

Upon returning home from our conference

I noticed I had not received my three

month supply from Byram Health Care. I

called Byram right away and I was told by

the agent, “Everyone is always trying to

find a new system that will perform

better." He told me that it had been a

while since my products had changed, and

they needed a new prescription from my

doctor. My surgeon was on vacation and

would not return for several days. He

asked me if I would like to have a partial

order sent right away. I said yes, and it was

here within a few days. I have been with

them for almost four years now and I have

been very satisfied with the service.

Yesterday, to my surprise, I received an

unexpected call from a Byram

representative. She was calling because

she was concerned for me, and asked if I

had enough supplies to get by until my

doctor returned. She seemed truly

concerned and just wanted to be sure I had

enough products. She said my doctor was

due back the next day and they would

process my order as soon as she signed the

prescription. She was so kind and

thoughtful. NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL

GREAT SERVICE. Linda

I was amazed at how both these professionals worked together taking the time to answer

each delicate question. I was so impressed, like I said; I did not want it to end.

I have already reached out to my surgeon at UCSF and she has given me the name of the

new Head of Surgery at a nearby hospital. I will be getting in touch with her soon.

Dr. Trudel and Maria Jones both give their time to attend local support groups in their

home area. I spoke to the President of the group Dr Trudel donates her time to. It was very

obvious how much they appreciate her.

Again the format of this program was amazing and informative. The people there had no

problem asking any of their very personal questions and discussing their own problems.

This is just an excerpt from Karin Miller’s second article about her conference

experience. Please visit her blog to see the rest of her well written story.

newbieostomy.com

It was hard to choose which sessions to attend when there were multiple

appealing options that conflicted, so in some instances, my friends and I split up

and took notes on different sessions to share with each other. I attended the

Pregnancy and GYN Considerations, Medicare and Private Insurance

Reimbursement, New “Sexpectations”, Peristomal Skin Challenges, Millennium

Parenting, Nutrition and the Ostomate, and the Youth Rally sessions. My favorite

sessions were the Pregnancy and GYN Considerations and the Medicare and

Private Insurance Reimbursement. I found them both to be full of information I

was unfamiliar with and the speakers were engaging and very knowledgeable.

There was a big expo hall open for a few hours on two of the days where we were

able to schmooze with many ostomy appliance and accessory vendors and get our

obligatory free samples and pens! In addition to the expo hall and educational

sessions, there were a couple events that were fun to attend including an ice cream

social, a great talk by an ostomate who is also a WOCN, a fun-run/walk, the

closing ceremony and the farewell dance party

The conference ended up being just as much, if not more, about building

friendships as it was about attending the sessions put on by the UOAA. There was

a fair amount of down time at the conference, depending on which sessions you

chose to attend, plus tons of down time in the evening. Prime bonding time. I

spent most of my time with my two new friends but we often got together with

other groups of people from the youngish generation. With all my new friends, I

ate a lot, went to the top of the Hilton to a rooftop restaurant/bar for drinks and

to take in the night time view, went to the zoo, went for walks around the city,

went to the top of the arch, went on a river cruise, ate dinner at a restaurant with

live music, and went to a hilarious improv show. What I loved about all of these

activities, was that I was with complete strangers that felt like they had been my

friends for years. There was an instant sense of belonging that I think we all felt.

When the event came to a close, it was like leaving summer camp – we were all so

sad to say bye. In fact, we’re already making plans for a reunion because the next

conference is just too far away.

UOAA Update July 2015 More than ever, the most recent government guidelines emphasize the health benefits of having a good HDL level. It's harder to raise levels of this "good" cholesterol than it is to lower the "bad" kind, but there are some things you can do.

Get Aerobic Exercise: The longer and harder you exercise, the greater the effects will be.

Watch Your Weight: Lose excess weight through daily exercise and sensible eating.

Stop Smoking: Smoking lowers HDL by an average of five points and increases your total cholesterol level.

Medication: Talk to your doctor about medication. Your doctor can prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs that can help to improve your cholesterol reading.

Saturated Fats vs. Non-Saturated Fats: Replace saturated fats with non-saturated fats. For example: use

olive oil for cooking.

ON THE SHORT SIDE By Kathy Ward, Admin Asst, UOAA July 2015

A lot of questions come in to me at National Office about leakage and how to apply a bag. For everyone it's different. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for others. However, by the responses I received from callers, I can give you a few tips that seemed to help a lot of people. Question: How do I stop my ostomy from leaking during the night? Answer: I can tell you how I solved this problem and hopefully, it will help you too. When I put my ostomy bag on, I usually have it at a diagonal. When I sleep, I sleep on my side in the direction I tilted my bag. Gravity will take it's course and pull anything coming out of your stoma down into the bag. If you are in the habit of sleeping on your back, gravity will bring everything down, which can be the cause of some seepage. Question: How do I get my bag to stick better? Answer: The first thing I do is to put the barring ring onto the wafer (or adhesive, whichever you use). Before placing it on my body, I use a hairdryer to warm up the barrier ring (or adhesive) for a few seconds to activate it. I find this works better than placing it on my body then trying to rub it with my hands to warm it up and activate it.

The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds. But researchers have discovered something

fantastic. When a hug lasts 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a

sincere hug produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many

benefits in our physical and mental health, helps us, among other things, to relax, to feel safe and calm our

fears and anxiety. This wonderful calming is offered free of charge every time we have a person in our arms,

who cradled a child, we cherish a dog or cat, we're dancing with our partner, the closer we get to someone or

just hold the shoulders of a friend. Taken from Empowered living /Eryka Stanton

I remember how our dear member Inez felt about a hug…when she came into our meeting she said Jerry would

give her a hug and she always felt appreciated and welcomed. Maybe someone needs a special hug today?

Disclaimer: Material contained within these pages is for informational purposes only. In no way are any of the materials presented

here meant to be a substitute for professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner, nor should they be construed as

such. ALWAYS check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your condition, or before starting a new program

of treatment. POA, SOA, COA are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for ANY information contained in or implied by this

document.