United OstomyAssociationsof America, Inc.

LINCOLN OSTOMY ASSOCIATION

UOAAFEBRUARY 2020 • Lincoln Ostomy Association

Lincoln Ostomy Association exists to support those with ostomies with educa-tion, support and knowhow. This newslet-ter, for example, is provided to people who had an ostomy operation at Bryan LGH, CHI Health and other local hospitals. Another longtime goal was realized Feb. 2 when the group partnered with Southeast Community College to bring some aspiring nursing students to discuss everything from what is an ostomy to ways to approach those fresh from surgu-ry. Nursing students are required to attend eight professional meetings and the Lincoln Ostomy Association fit the bill. “I have heard great things from the

students,” said Jodi A. Nelson, MSN, RNADN Faculty at Southeast Community College. “One said she even has some do-nated supplies to give me to show students in my class. That is awesome!” Students introduced themselves to the group and then participated in a question/answer forum to help LOA understand their level of familiarity with ostomies and what is described in school. Students said that textbooks and teachers cover the subject briefly, but their visit to the Lincoln Ostomy Association was the first deep dive. As special teaching apron showing the placement of an ostomy was brought in to further the discussion. Students walked

away with issues of the Sparrow and extra supplies to bring back to school or hands-on demonstration. The need to connect the ostomy community with nurses is apparant as ev-idenced by a 2018 study cited by UOAA. The study asked, “Do ostomates receive adequate information and communication from providers while at the hospital?” The answer to this question was “no.” Forty-nine percent of ostomates felt that they received inadequate information and communication from their provider at the hospital. Educational outreach by the LOA should make that statistic much better for those new to an ostomy.

Aspiring nurses seek LOA knowhow

A 2018 study cited by UOAA asked, “Do ostomates receive adequate information and communication from providers while at the hospital?” 49% of the nearly 400 ostomates asked said “no.”

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Most people have at least some fine hair on their abdomen, and some may have longer or coarser hair. The hair may not only impede the wafer from sticking to your skin, but it may also get pulled when you remove your appliance. To avoid this problem, talk with your ET nurse about the best hair-removal methods. A common method to remove the hair is to use an electric shaver. This has the advantage of not using a blade. As a result, cutting the skin or damaging the stoma is less likely. If you remove your appliance before a shower, you may be able to gently shave the area using plain soap and with a razor that doesn’t have lubricants. Just once over the skin should suffice. Don’t irritate your skin with multiple passes. If your skin is broken or compromised in any way, or you have an open wound, don’t shave. Consult your WOCN instead.

Fine hairs on abdomen? Ask a WOCN

Hair is the fastest growing tissue in our body, second to

bone marrow.

A single hair has a lifespan of 2-7 years.

An eyelash has a lifespan of 150 days.

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Izard visits LOA in March University of Nebraska Food Science & Technology Department are planning to launch a study with the help of Lincoln Ostomy Association members. Jacques Izard, clinical research director, joined the group last year to discuss the plan and was scheduled for a follow up in March Izard’s laboratory focuses on the interaction of our microbiome with diet and how this interaction impacts wellness. He said volunteers with ostomies would receive a kit to provide samples for the study. UNL, he said, is key to developing methods to understand the impact of the digestive tract bacteria in health and dis-ease such as cancer.

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Learning how to sleep again after ostomy surgery may sound odd. But when you have a stoma, your old sleep positions may need a little adjustment. Put pillows around you to prevent you from rolling over on your pouch. Wear a shirt to bed that’s a couple of sizes too small; it will help keep your pouch snug against your body while you sleep.

If you have a urostomy, ask a ConvaTec product specialist about a night drainage system. It collects urine throughout the night so you don’t have to drain your pouch. ConvaTec has such a system. Be conscious of your pouch’s condition. Be ready to emp-ty or change your pouch at night, if necessary. Try sleeping on your back. It may take a little getting used to, but after a while it can become second nature.

Sleeping with an ostomy

To give you a most restful night con-sider these tips:

• Watch your eating habits to better control your nighttime output.• Empty your ostomy pouch before going to bed.• Use a waterproof mattress pad to make cleanup easier in case of leaks.• For those with a urostomy, consider using a Night Drainage Collection Sys-tem. • This setup includes a tube that attaches to your pouch and collects output in a bag hanging near your bed.

Scary news on virus outbreaks nowadays and those with an ostomy ought to be vigilent. The flu season is hard on everyone. But those with a colostomy or ileostomy are es-pecially in danger. Ostomates often have a lowered immune system, making them more susceptible to viruses. On top of

that, ostomates need to be very careful to stay as hydrated as possible, and the flu can dehydrate people quickly. Our co-lons do our “drinking” for us — that is, colons remove most of the water from the food we consume.

For you, the flu is a big deal

24JUN2019 IJST002-Flyer-REM-OstomyQuarterPage-V7

We are seeking ostomy volunteers to participate in a research study to help understand ostomy health as well as individuals with a typical bowel.

We are asking for:

• Answering a few questionnaires • Collection of saliva, oral swabs, breath,

blood, urine, and stool samples

You will be compensated for your participation.

If you are at least 19 years of age and interested in participating, please call us at 402-318-7755.

OSTOMY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The physicians and staff of Gastroenterology Specialties and Lincoln Endoscopy Center specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, gall-bladder, liver and pancreas; including colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, liver disease, Crohn’s Disease and more.

4545 R Street Lincoln, NE 68503Phone: 402-465-4545

INDIGESTIVE DISEASE

When output stays at the top of a pouch or collects around the stoma, ostomates can experience uncomfort-able situations that can be easily resolved. Thick output can cause the “traffic jam” at the top of the pouch. It causes leaks and even the dreadedblowout. To prevent this problem consider adding lubrication to the top of the inside of your pouch such as gel or even cooking oil. You want the output to easily slide to the bottom of the pouch. Those with ostomies always must remember to drink plenty of liquid. Thick output might be a sign that you’re not drinking enough water. Some liquids like ap-ple or grape juice might loosen output in some as well.

For those who have not heard the term ballooning before, it is used to refer to an ostomy bag that is puffed up (like a blown-up balloon) due to gas from the digestive tract exiting through the stoma into a person’s ostomy bag. This is inconvenient and it happens to all ostomates, and, as mentioned above, filters do not always prevent it.Diet: To reduce the occurrence of ballooning, one can take steps to reduce gas production. Paying atten-tion to your diet can help reduce your gas production and thus, ballooning. Foods that tend to cause more gas than others include beans, some fruits (apples and pears), some veggies (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower,

and carrots), dairy, grains, nuts, and carbonated beverages. While some foods are known to cause gas, people may be affected dif-ferently by different foods. Foods that make one person gassy may not cause gas in another. Eating Slow: In addition to what you eat, being mindful of how you eat is important. Eating slowly is very important if you have an ostomy. When we eat slower, two important things happen: we allow our bodies time to tell us we are full before we are overstuffed, and we swallow less air. It takes our bodies some time to communicate to the brain that we are full. If we eat too quickly, we risk overeating before we have had the chance to feel full.

Furthermore, when you eat quickly you swallow air. Air that is swallowed goes into your digestive tract and can cause bloating until is comes out your stoma as extra gas. Thus, eating slow-ly will reduce ballooning by reducing overeating, and reducing the swallow-ing of air.Habits: Other habits that cause air to enter out digestive tract and become gas are drinking through a straw, chewing gum, smoking, and drinking carbonat-ed beverages. All of these occurrences cause air to be swallowed and become gas. Using a bag with a filter will reduce ballooning in a major way.Protect your filter:

Ballooning: A common occurrenceCourtesy Shield Health Care (a supporter of LIncoln Ostomy Association, Kelsey Scarborough)

Eat fewer gassy foods. Everyone reacts di erently, but common gas-caus-ing culprits are fruits (apples, pears), vegetables (broc- coli, Brussels sprouts, onions), whole grains (bran), and dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream.) Some people also are bothered by carbonated so drinks and fruit drinks. If you discover that these foods are causing you excess gas, elimi-nate them from your diet or eat them in small portions.

Air-o-matic?

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Today at the bank an old lady asked me to check her balance. So I pushed her over.

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My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot. It got so bad, I fi-nally had to take his bike away.

My boss told me to have a good day...so I went home.

Lincoln Ostomy Association Sparrow1847 Atlas AveLincoln, NE 68521lincolnostomy@gmail.com

United OstomyAssociationsof America, Inc.

LINCOLN OSTOMY ASSOCIATION

UOAA

President Denise 402-464-7544Vice President Melinda 402-421-7636Secretary Beverly 402-525-9271Treasurer Val 402-489-7709Visitation Marie 402-750-5621Communications John 402-310-3496

Lincoln Ostomy Home VisitsLOA provide an ostomy visitors program which offers one-on-one support by a trained certified visitor. Visits can be made in person to the hospital, home or by telephone to answer initial concerns of the new patient. A visitor serves as a positive role model for a new ostomate. Visitation Coordinator is Marie 402-750-5621.

Meetings Bryan East Medical Plaza, Classroom C 1 p.m., November 3 Ann Heydt, Aging Partners

Locations will be announced at:http://ostomynebraska.com/lincoln/

Contact, Advertise Contact or visit LOA to learn more about support group meetings, ostomy products and educational opportunities. Sparrow is a quarterly publication for the Lincoln Ostomy Association. If you’d like to advertise or to submit an article, email lincolnostomy@gmail.com

Ostomy Nurse Contact Ann Lif MSN, RN, CWOCNBryan Medical Center 402-481-2018Amanda Paprocki RN, BSN, CWOCN Bryan Medical Center 402-481-2018Cindy Skinner RN, BSN, CWOCNBryan Medical Center 402-481-2018Lisa Jones RN, MSN, CWOCN, CFCNBryan Medical Center 402-481-2018Joan Junkin RN, MSN; wound/ostomy consultantThe Healing Touch, Inc.joanjunkin@gmail.comRhonda R. Souchek, RN CWOCN CFCNDeb Bussey, RN BSN CWOCN Inpatient Wound & Ostomy NursesCHI Health St. ElizabethRSouchek@stez.org

ostomynebraska.com/

Lincoln Ostomy Association, and its newsletter, Sparrow, is a link to latest supplies, treatments and a community of others who can provide support and experience. According to the Mayo Clinic, it takes time to be comfortable with an ostomy. Connecting with community can help. Due to challenges with medical coding, determining the number of people with ostomies can be tough, but a report by the United Ostomy Association estimates that 500- 800,000 people have a stoma in the U.S. and 120,000 new surgeries are performed each year. Many questions may run through the mind as a new ostomate plans their rst activities outside of home. Can you go back to work? Can you ride your bike? Will everyone gure out you’ve had a surgery just by looking at you? You can do many of the same activities you enjoyed before your colostomy or other ostomy surgery. UOAA suggests ostomates get in touch with other people with osto- mies. Whether it’s a support group, like the Lincoln Ostomy Associa- tion or on-line, getting advice from people who’ve been there is a great way to boost your con dence.

CONFIDENCE