January 2022 Newsletter

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Charlotte County Ostomy Support Group

A 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization, (tax-deductible donations) Website www.ccosg.org

Officers:

President: Jerry Downs 941-629-7568 fldowns@embarqmail.com

Vice President: Ken Aukett 609-315-8115
Secretary: Lovelle Meester 612-240-2175
Treasurer: Lorelie Godbout 603-474-9063
Directors: Janice Creutzmann 910-382-2509
David Sandora 941-828-1076

Committees:

Newsletter: Lorelie Godbout
Programs & Education: Jerry Downs,
Gloria Patmore, RNET (retired) 941-627-3077
Nancy Frank, RN, BSN, CWOCN 941-629-5118
Marie Michel, RN, CWCA, CHRN, OMS 941-626-2607
Visitation: Nancy Frank, RN, BSN, CWOCN
Library: Lorelie Godbout, RN (retired)

Professional Advisors:

John P. Rioux, MD, F.A.C.S.

Nancy Frank, RN, BSN, CWOCN

Marie Michel, RN, CWCA, CHRN, OMS

 

Happy New Year!

 

A New Year is upon us with a COVID cloud over us, but with the vaccinations and boosters, it should be better than the past year. I hope everyone had a Very Happy Holiday Season with family, friends and was filled with love. I hope this finds everyone safe and healthy.

Our Christmas party at the Golden Corral was attended by 16 people. A few people who were planning on coming couldn’t make it. Jerry greeted everyone as they came in the door. The tables were festive with centerpieces set up by Linda. Jerry opened with a nice prayer and then we went for our food. The food was good and everyone enjoyed each other’s company and the gift exchange hosted by Joan Huber. I think everyone enjoyed their gifts, even when someone took their gift away, they were still able to get another gift from the table or from anyone else.

Jerry closed with a poem about a little girl who lists her version of the Seven Wonders of the World.

A class of students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the world.  Though there was some disagreement, Egypt’s Great Pyramids, The Taj Mahal,  The Grand Canyon, The Panama Canal, The Empire State Building, St. Peter’s Basilica, and China’s Great Wall received the most votes from the students. While gathering the votes, the teacher noticed that one student, a quiet girl HADN’T turned in her paper yet.  So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.  The quiet girl replied, “Yes, a little.  I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there are so many.”  “Well tell us what you have and maybe we can help.”  She hesitated a little and then said, “I think the seven wonders of the world are…1. To Touch; 2. To Taste; 3. To See; 4. To Hear; 5. To Feel; 6. To Laugh; and 7. To Love.”  The teacher was startled, and the room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.   The quiet girl challenged them to think a little differently, and reminded us…That the things we overlook as simple and ordinary, are often the MOST wonderful, and we don’t have to travel far and wide just to experience them.  Slow down….to Touch, to Taste, to See, to Hear, to Feel, to Laugh and to Love.   Enjoy Your Gift!

 

I found two stories promoting Na’Scent about eliminating ostomy odor.

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Laura’s Story

 

Laura Lang

 

October 27, 2021
Hi, my name is Laura Lang. I am a Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse and an ostomate. I’ve had an ileostomy since 2008 due to Crohn’s disease. It’s amazing how much better my life has become. Crohn’s no longer controls me or prevents me from living life. My ostomy also lead me to my current career because I wanted to help others who are going through similar experiences. I believe it gives hope for new ostomates to see that they can still work and lead a normal life. I try to push myself to show my patients and others that you can do anything with an ostomy. I run, hike, participate in Burn Boot Camp and work a full-time job. I completed the Rugged Maniac Race so I can say that I’ve crawled through the mud under barbed wire and jumped over fire with an ostomy.

Even though I have not allowed the ostomy to slow me down, one of the toughest things for me was controlling the odor. I would dread going to other people’s houses, planning short visits so I could leave before having to empty my bag. I worried about using public bathrooms, especially in restaurants. I would go to the furthest, least used restroom I could find at work and run down there between patients. About 5 or 6 years ago I went to a vendor fair given by a local ostomy support group and discovered Na’scent. It is the only product I have found that truly works to eliminate the odor. I have used it ever since and recommend it to all my ostomy patients. I can now empty my bag in any restroom without embarrassment.

My next big experience will be hiking the Camino de Santiago in April of 2022. This is a 500 mile hike across Spain carrying everything I need on my back. I’m looking forward to pushing myself further than I ever have and enjoying all the new sights and experiences.

 

Linda’s Story

Linda

Hi, my name is Linda. It’s tough to try and briefly say how Na’Scent has affected and contributed to my 50 years living with my ostomy.

Back in the 90’s Na’Scent was just a seed planted in hopes of helping ostomates live and deal with the daily struggles that come with their new lifestyle. After much effort and trial and error, Na’Scent became a reality.

Odor was my worst nemesis living with my ostomy. Causing me to be terribly fearful every day in public, at work, during intimacy with my husband, and of course, using bathrooms when visiting friends and relatives.
My life changed dramatically with Na’Scent. The fear ended and my confidence returned.

Thank you Michelyn for your unending support and dedication with helping myself and so many ostomates have the quality lifestyle that Na’Scent provides

 

This story is from a UOAA Newsletter

 

Having the Guts to Get a Black Belt: Cassandra Kottman’s Story

cassandraKottman earning her 2nd degree blackbelt after a recent all-day test.

 

I started Shaolin Kempo Karate back in 2012. I had trained in Shotokan Karate in high school and really wanted to get back into martial arts. I’ve struggled with ulcerative colitis since I was 12 and staying active always seemed to help. My UC was still severe and I was in and out of the hospital quite often, so training was still a struggle. Eventually, my colon ruptured in 2016, and I was rushed to the ER and had to have an emergency colectomy. I was in pretty bad shape, and almost didn’t make it, even after the procedure. I was bedridden for about 9-months and on TPN for almost half of that dealing with the symptoms of pancreatitis.
I slowly got back on my feet. The whole time nurses were telling me that I wasn’t going to be able to live a normal life and that I couldn’t do martial arts or many other kinds of activities. It was a very depressing time. Fortunately, I thought to ask my surgeon what kind of limitations I was going to have. She was so positive and let me know of another one of her patients who was a professional water skier, and the precautions he took to get back into his sport. That same day I went and ordered an ostomy guard, foam to make a belly pad, and texted my karate instructor to let him know I was coming back in.
My first class was absolutely horrible. All my muscles had atrophied. I did 3 stationary “jumping jacks.” Basically, I lifted my arms over my head three times and that was all I could manage. I almost passed out and ended up laying on the floor watching everyone else for the rest of class. I kept going back and pushed myself a little more every week. It took a good year and a half to get back to “normal.”
Because of the trauma I had gone through and my passion to continue training, I was inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame as 2017’s Woman of the Year. Happy to say I am the first ostomate to ever be inducted. It’s a little weird to say, but I actually inspired myself, knowing everything I had gone through, and that I pushed myself to be my best. So, I continued to push my training to where I was able to train 3-4 hours 5 times a week. In 2018, I was invited to perform for the Abbot and test for my black belt at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China, which was a tremendous honor.
So, on November 6th, I took the test. Six intense hours of high-intensity drills, sparring, and defense maneuvers against fists, knives, and clubs. I could barely move the next day, but it was all worth it because I passed. It really is a good feeling, and I’ve impressed myself with how hard I can push myself.
I still deal with day-to-day issues like hydration, or general fatigue, but overall, everything is manageable. If I have learned anything it’s that you need to listen to your body, and if there is something you really want to do, you can find a way to make it happen. It might not be the way everyone else is doing it, but all that matters is that it works for you.

 

healthy-new-year

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