PRESIDENTS MESSAGE JAN/FEB 2021 Howdy everyone, Hope you and your families are doing well. I am excited to announce that we are back to having our support group meetings the 4th Tuesday of the month VIRTUALLY from 7PM-9PM. We had our first support group of 2021on Jan.26th, and it was a great meeting. It was so great to see several new faces and of course our returning members as well. I have missed you all so much! We had a wonderful speaker, Kerri Holman, a CWOCN who has her own business helping ostomates with their individual issues. Should you be needing her services, she accepts several insurance coverages, so please see her information following this letter. Kerri is planning on coming to our support group meetings, and will be available to answer questions. We are definitely looking forward to having her attend and welcome her to our organization. HOW TO ATTEND A VIRTUAL MEETING: Please download ZOOM on whatever device you will be participating in the meeting on. I will send an invite in the form of a link to your email on the morning of the meetings, but please do not try signing in before 6:45 pm. To sign in, tap on the link and it will bring you to a screen that says you are in the waiting room, and please stay there until I bring everyone into the meeting. To begin the meeting, I will bring in everyone with the mute off, but should it get too loud or too much chatter over each other, I will turn on the mute, so then if you have something you wish to say, tap your picture and then raise the hand that appears. We plan to have several exciting speakers in upcoming meetings. On February 23rd, I am looking forward to having George Owino present his journey. George will speaking to us from Kenya and he has a most interesting and complicated history. He lives in a village in which he has to boil all of his water before bathing, drinking or using it for any reasons. He works for a medical group similar to “Doctors without Borders” who specialize in HIV treatment, and as such, didn’t know anything about ostomies, so they contacted our support group. The nearest hospital is 2 ½ hours away and he was discharged after his original surgery without supplies or any instructions on how to deal with his ileostomy. I was able to Skype with him and teach him how to take care of his ostomy, and we were then able to provide him supplies thru a local doctor who volunteers for the group. Dr. Abuagi gives to the next doctor flying to Kenya, which is an interesting story by itself, as on occasion some supplies are stolen at customs and sold on the black market. It will be around 2 am his time, but he really wants to attend our meetings. His daughter tells me when I talk to her that will never wake up, but he insists he and his wife Judy will be there. I hope you can join us and hear how life is for George as an ostomate in Kenya. I am working on getting speakers for our next meetings. I have several lined up, and these will be announced in the near future. REMINDER: Please pay your $30 yearly dues if you want to continue receiving the newsletter, become a certified visitor, and participate in other speaking engagement events. We are a FREE NON-PROFIT organization so support group meetings are free of charge, but as we are a self-funded UOAA support group we depend on dues and donations to stay in existence. Thank you so much. Please mail dues by check to “The Ostomy Association of Metro Denver, Inc” at PO Box 480344 Denver, CO 80248. We can be taken as a tax deduction on your income taxes as a donation. It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear friend Steve Johnson, on December 20, 2020 from COVID-19. Steve was the President of the Ostomy Association of Metro Denver, Inc. for many years and was a light in this world. Steve influenced so many of our lives as we found our “new norms” living with an ostomy. Now we need to continue shining Steve’s light by carrying it with us in our own lives. Cindy Johnson, Steve’s wife, has asked that donations be made in Steve’s name to “The Ostomy Association of Metro Denver, Inc. PO Box 480344 Denver, CO 80248. Cindy also stated that she welcomes any messages or memories that you would like to share about Steve. Her email is: cbruno54@gmail.com. I will always remember Steve as one of my heroes. In addition, I will remember his amazing tan, great head of hair and having the best smile that could always make you feel better. May we continue to carry on his legacy as we support ostomates and their care givers as Steve did for us. R.I.P. Steve… I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our February 23rd meeting. Please stay well and WEAR YOUR MASKS AS ADVISED BY THE CDC AND ENDORSED BY THE UOAA (the United Ostomy Association of America otherwise known as the “mother ship”). With best wishes, Eileen Goldberg RN President Ostomy Association of Metro Denver Inc 303-489-0636. ejgoldberg@comcast.net CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CWOCN KERRI HOLMAN: Kerri Holman BSN, RN, CWOCN OstomyRN, LLC www.ostomyrn.com (720) 443-2128
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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