PRESIDENTS MESSAGE JULY/AUGUST 2018
Does anyone else feel like this summer is flying by? We will be taking July and August off from our support group meetings, reconvening September 25th at Porter Adventist Hospital from 7pm-9pm.
This has been a year filled with much growth and recognition. Let me start by saying that we have the absolute best Ostomy Support Group! Each person initially comes to our meetings at a different stage in their journey as they are adjusting to their “new norm”. We have been successful in developing a safe, non-judgmental environment, where a new ostomate can be themselves and get support. I have heard so many people say they don’t want to attend a support group because they have heard that it is just one big complaint session. Well, we definitely share our complaints, our anger and our emotions, but we don’t wallow in them. We find solutions to help members learn to accept and cope with their situation. We share our own stories to demonstrate that as veteran ostomates we weren’t always this “together”. Gradually our new ostomates become veteran ostomates, reaching out to others and helping them with their journeys. Creating this kind of environment isn’t easy, it takes cooperation and commitment from the entire membership. We are so lucky that we have such a special group of people and I thank each and every one of you for sharing your strengths and support.
It has been one of our major goals to get the word out there about our support group, and the number of people we are reaching is growing. We will be creating a committee to expand our efforts to connect with physicians, WOCN’s, and any care providers that can refer members to us. This year we had a booth at the WOCN Western Slope Conference in which we were able to meet many WOCN’s who were grateful to learn about us. Sam, Tracey and I also attended a monthly WOCN meeting in which we were able to introduce our group. We have helped Boulder Memorial Hospital form their own Support Group. We have also been helping CU Med Center WOCN’s develop a new support group. Recently St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction reached out for help to create a western slope support group, and I will be heading out there in July to get this started. Several of us will go to their first meeting to give them support, and their excitement around establishing their group is heartwarming. Paying it forward and seeing these groups develop reflects well on us as a support group!
We have continued our commitment to education by doing another presentation with the CU Nursing School students. Sam, Sue, Heidi, Jay, Patty and Maureen did another stellar job. We (Sam, Jay and I) will be meeting with some of the nurses and MA’s at Swedish Hospital at a staff meeting to discuss what it’s like to be an ostomate and making them feel comfortable treating ostomate patients.
As promised, we are revising our visitor program. Our committee (Jay Boscoe, James Kroner, John Vasu, Maureen Williams and I) had our first meeting last week so stand by for updates.
One of our proudest moments this year was when the UOAA (United Ostomy Association of America) honored our very own CWOCN Charlotte Popovich as the “UOAA WOCN of the Year for 2018”. She was presented this well-deserved award at the WOCN National Convention in June. We are so lucky to have Charlotte at our meetings (totally volunteer) and so proud that she is our Charlotte.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
Thank you so much for all your support.
Eileen Goldberg RN President
Why come to a meeting? Quotes from members- “From the first meeting I went to before my surgery I have been so blessed to meet such open, honest and caring people. People who I can share my worries, concerns & triumphs of my ostomy. I can't imagine going through this journey without all of them. One can't possibly go to a meeting and feel like you don't fit in. Not only does it feel good to go and get advice, but I think it feels even better to go and give to someone just starting out on the journey.” Tracey Sloan (member) "One of the most important things that helped me was the magazine for ostomates called The Phoenix, (I was sent home from the hospital with an issue, but too afraid to even open the folder that would tell me of ‘all’ the things that, at that time, were disgusting to me). I didn’t open that folder for over a month after my surgery. When I did open it and begin to read ‘everything’ that was in it, I couldn’t stop, I couldn’t believe all this information was written down, and much of it was exactly what I was feeling! I read that issue of The Phoenix from cover to cover, and then went online to the UOAA. So much information was available to me! I called the local support group, and talked to Steve Johnson, (the President) who took at least 45 minutes of his precious time to talk and share with me. He, too, had a colostomy. Hearing him talk openly of something I was so ashamed of was very comforting. He encouraged me to attend a meeting, and meet others who have also been there and who are currently there. The support group was invaluable to me! Debbie Conway (member) See her entire article Several years ago, during a visit with my physician, he asked me, “What kind of exercise are you getting?” I said, “I’m playing on a softball team for guys 45 and over.” To which he replied, “Softball! That’s not exercise….that’s’ a social event!” I couldn’t really argue with him and we both chuckled about it. Not long after this humorous exchange with my doctor, I came down with a very nasty case of Ulcerative Colitis. Jim Folsom article (member) See his entire article
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