ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

MARYLAND
OSTOMY ASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 847
GAMBRILLS, MD 21054

OFFICERS
President:

Paul Rossi
410-647-6171
268 Shakespeare Drive
Severna Park, MD 21146

Vice President Stan Novack

Secretary
Jamie Darr
Treasurer
Lyn Rowell
Webmaster: Janice Winters

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dennis Fila
Joan Gardner
Ginny Gross
Stan Baker
Allyn Mellits

410-255-6802
410-987-0094
410-672-6983

OSTOMY ADVISERS:
Irene Repka, RN, BS, CWOCN
Michelle Perkins, RN, BS.

Were on the Web! www.annearundelostomy.com

Volume 41

Number 4

January 2015

NO MEETING IN JANUARY
February 6th 2015

Ann Marie Tetkowski, Pharmicist

Note: Meetings are held at 7:30pm, the first Thursday of each month at the
Belcher Pavilion at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. From the
2nd floor of the parking garage take the entrance into the Belcher Pavilion and
once inside take the elevator to the 7th floor and check with the 7th floor desk
for the room number.
If AA County Schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no
meeting.

The Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Ostomy Association, Inc. (AACOA) is a non-profit, volunteer-based
organization dedicated to providing reassurance and emotional support for people who have had or will have some
kind of ostomy surgery, such as a colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy (urinary diversion) or a continent procedure. The
goal of the AACOA is to provide moral support, information, and education to people with ostomies and their families
and friends. Members receive The Rambling Rosebud newsletter monthly. DUES are $15 please make check out to
AACOA and mail to Stan Baker, 958 Fall Ridge Way, Gambrills MD 21054-1454

2014-2015

Membership Application Please Print

Full Name
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Last




First M.I.
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address





Apartment/Unit #
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City







State Zip Code
Phone: ( ) Date of Birth: Gender:


Email Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reason for surgery: ____ Crohns ____Ulcerative Colitis _____ Cancer _____ Other__________________________
Emergency contact if we are unable to reach you: ______________________________________________________________________
What type of surgery have you had?
Colostomy
Ileostomy

Urostomy
Parent of child with

Spouse/Family Member
Other (please specify)

I would like to help with the following committee(s) or activities:

Finance
Program

Membership
Sunshine

Newsletter
Visiting

How did you hear about us?

Internet Search
Hospital

Other

Hospitality
Refreshments
ET/WOCN Nurse
Physician

OSTOMY ADVISORS FOR STOMA HELP
To consult with one of the ETs below, a physicians
referral is necessary and a fee will be charged. Call for
an appointment.

BALTIMORE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL

Carol Canada RN, BSN, CWOCN

410-787-4578

ANNE ARUNDEL MEDICAL CENTER

Michelle Perkins, RN, BS, CWON

Email: mperkins@aahs.org

Laura Alberico-Klug, RN, BSN, CWON
Email: lalbericok@aahs.org

443-481-5508
/ 442-481-5187

A WORD OF THANKS for their constant support of our

Chapter to: Anne Arundel Medical Center for providing
rooms for our regular meetings and special events. We
appreciate their support and assistance.

Items from this newsletter may be reprinted in

other ostomy newsletters, provided proper credit
is given as to source of material
REMEMBER!!! The entrance to the Belcher Pavilion is
FROM THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE PARKING
GARAGE. Once inside the building you will be on its
second floor take the elevators inside up to the 7th floor.
When leaving, take the elevator the second floor and go
through the doors onto the 2nd floor of the parking garage.

For those serving on the board, the next

board meeting is January 19th at 7:30pm

Fax: 443-481-5198

Private Consultants
Joan M. Sullivan, MAS, RN, CNA, CWOCN
410-932-7312

Live Well Live Independent Live Active

Happy New Year!

As we celebrate a new year ahead, why not begin with a fresh start?
Many of us are determined to tidy up the clutter as we clear out the
old and ring in the new!

You can help others by dropping off any unused or unwanted ostomy
and wound supplies to our Donate Center at the Hunt Valley location
of Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies.

Colleen Simpson
BSN, RN, CWON

We help patients who do not have insurance coverage and are in need
of supply, use more product than is allotted by their insurance
carriers or lack accessibility while under home care or while they are
in a facility.

We work hand in hand with local wound and ostomy nurses and care
teams to match patients with much needed supplies. We can even
provide samples of items to try.

If you have items for the Donation Center or are in needs of supplies.
Please give us a call. Cheers to happy and healthy 2015!

Best regards,
Colleen Simpson, BSN RN CWON
Wound Ostomy Nurse Consultant

TOWSON

HUNT VALLEY

6729 York Road

Baltimore, MD 21212

Toll Free: 1-855-AUSTMED

Phone: 410-377-5300
Fax: 410-377-5302

M-F 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sat 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

10757 York Road

Cockeysville, MD 21030
Phone: 410-773-0300
Fax: 410-773-0301

January 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Dont forget that there is no meeting this month. We have a speaker for February but after that the
schedule is open. While there will be some months when we will just have open discussions, we need
to find speakers for the rest of the year. Your help in getting speakers would be appreciated.
Happy new year!
Paul

FOOD ADVERTISING
Separating Fact From Fiction
Mayo Clinic Health Letter via Rosebud Review &
Green Bay Area Ostomy Group

The food industry is like any other businessits

main priority is to make a profit. To do so, it
will attempt to make products fit whatever the
market happens to demand at the moment. To
get the most nutrition in your grocery cart you
need to be an educated consumer. You need to
be able to figure out what is actually in a product
not just what it is advertised to contain.
Its important to realize that big, bold claims
made on the front of a package are designed to
get you to buy the item, not necessarily to be an
accurate representation of the items nutritional
content. For that, you need to look at the
Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient list. Here
are some common misconceptions that may arise
from food advertising:
* Reduced fat products reduced fat
doesnt necessarily mean a product is low in fat.
One ounce of reduced fat mild cheddar cheese,
for example, still has six grams of total fat and
four grams of saturated fat. This is less than the
ten grams total and six grams of saturated fat in
regular mild cheese, but it still provides a fair
amount of total and saturated fat.
* Whole grain products the packaging
on bread and pasta products often indicates that
the product is made with whole grain. This aims
to capitalize on advice from nutritionists to eat
more whole grains which are a good source of
fiber. But even though the product may contain
some whole grains, the total amount of the whole
grains may be very low. Meanwhile, other

ingredients may still provide plenty of fats and

sugars. Look for the words 100% whole grain
or 100% whole wheat. Or, look for products with
whole grains in the first listings on the ingredient
list. Primary ingredients are always listed first.
Also, look for products that contain at least three
grams of fiber per serving.
* Natural ingredients the word
natural may have a healthy ring to it, but
theres no standard definition for the term. And
natural doesnt always mean nutritious. An
orange is a natural product, but the same may be
said of butter.
Nutrition depends on the
ingredients. For example, the label on a juice
container may indicate its made with natural
ingredients. But if you look at the ingredient list,
the natural components may be near the bottom
of the list, while water and high fructose corn
syrup are at the top.
* Food additives and preservatives
food advertisers like to capitalize on the
perception that natural products are better. But
just because a product is advertised as having no
additives or preservatives, doesnt mean that the
item is healthy. An item advertised as having no
additives or preservatives may be if in sugar or
fat, as well as low in overall nutritional value.
* Light or low salt if you compare
regular soy sauce to light soy sauce, youll find
both have large amounts of salt. Light means, by
definition, 30% less than the standard product.
However, if the standard product is extremely
high in sodium content, the light version still
contains a very high amount.
SAVVY SHOPPING Discerning whats good
for you and whats not, can at times seem like a
monumental task. So keep it simple: disregard

THE MID-ATLANTICS LARGEST OSTOMY DEALER

We have a dedicated group of Ostomy Supply Service Professionals that
are committed to keeping you in your active lifestyle. Northern Pharmacy
and Medical Equipment has an attentive staff that cares about your quality
of life. Make us your first step in getting back to life as it was meant to be.
After all

Weve been here for over 75 years, there must be a reason!

Our Ostomy Department provides a full range of comprehensive

services and quality products from trusted brands you can rely on.
WE OFFER:
Delivery anywhere in the United States
Free delivery available
Next day delivery is available
Large inventory of ostomy & wound care
supplies in stock (we stock an inventory of
over 5,000 boxes of supplies)
Customized hospital and clinic service
plans available
Northern Pharmacy and Medical Equipment
6701 Harford Rd, Baltimore, MD 21234
Harford Rd & Northern Parkway
www.NorthernPharmacy.com

In-house Medicare and insurance billing

specialists
Personalized pharmacy/medical supply
specialist available
Easy ordering by fax, phone, online, or
in-person.
Toll Free 24 hour hotline
Acceptance of all major credit cards

SPEAK DIRECTLY TO OUR OSTOMY SUPPLY

MANAGER: KEITH CAPPS
Phone: (410) 254 2055 x249 Fax: (443) 740 9297
kcapps@northernpharmacy.com

January 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

claims made on the front of packages and instead

pay attention to Nutrition Facts labels and
ingredient lists. These will carry the real
information.
At first it may take some time to evaluate food
products but once you find your nutritional
favorites, your shopping will be a breeze.

ANTIBIOTIC SIDE EFFECTS

Via Waterloo Chapter & GB News Review

Many times ostomates who must take powerful

antibiotics suddenly find they have itching and
burning under their pouches and have poor pouch
adhesion. A side effect of antibiotic therapy can
be a yeast infection on the skin around the stoma.
You may hear health professionals call this
monilia.
At first it may appear as tiny white pimples, but
in a few days it is a red rash. This is caused by
the antibiotic killing some normal bacteria in the
body as well as the bacteria causing infection or
illness. At the same time you may also notice
sores in your mouth, diarrhea and a similar rash
on the perineal area.
Contact your doctor for a prescription of
mycostatin or mystatin powder. Put the powder
directly on the irritated area. Apply a coat of
silicone skin barrier, such as Skin Prep or Bard
Protective Skin Barrier etc. Let this dry!!!
Apply pouch as usual.
Eating foods such as yogurt or drinking
buttermilk helps to replace some of the normal
bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
KEEP IN SHAPE
CJ Ray, MD via the Ostomist

Some of you have a bulge around your ostomy,

and maybe some have a defect through which a
loop of small intestine protrudes. This is a true
hernia, and placement of the ostomy to another
site is always an unpleasant procedure.
On the other hand, bulging of the abdomen
around the ostomy is nothing but a weakness and
requires only some form of elastic support.
Because the muscles of the abdomen have been
pierced, it behoves each and every one of you to
do exercises which strengthen the abdominal
muscles. And, by all means, keep as little fat on
the abdominal wall as possible. A weight
increase always make it difficult for an ostomy to
be cared for. My parting thought keep the
tummy flat and the muscles tight! [not sure about
the flat tummy but we can all strengthen the
abdominal muscles! Editor]
UROSOMY QUESTION
Via The Ostomist

Question: I have a urostomy and my urine

always looks cloudy. Is this anything to be
concerned about?
Answer: If you have an ileal conduit or a colon
conduit, remember, urine will have mucus from
the piece of intestine used to create the stoma.
Sometimes this causes the urine to look cloudy.
This is perfectly normal.
As an aside, if your adhesive is breaking down
faster than usual, or your urine has a strong odor
not caused from any food which create their own
special odors, you may have an infection. If you
suspect an infection, you need to see your regular
doctor who may refer you to a urologist. A urine
culture sample will then be taken to verify if an
infection is present.

Ostomates should pay particular attention to their

physical fitness. As you know, an ostomy is a
piece of intestine that comes through the
abdominal wall. It pierces the lining of the
abdominal cavity, two or three muscle layers and
also the fascia which is the separation between
the layers of the muscles.
6

January 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

IT WILL KILL ME SOMEDAY!

(Author unknown)
I thought Id let the doctor check me,
Because I didnt feel quite right.
All those aches and pains annoyed me,
And I couldnt sleep at night.
He couldnt find a disorder,
But he wouldnt let it rest.
What with Medicare and Blue Cross
It wouldnt hurt to do some tests.
To the hospital he sent me,
Though I didnt feel that bad.
He arranged for them to give me
Every test that could be had.
I was fluoroscoped, cystoscoped,
The aging frame displayed.
Stripped upon an ice cold table,
While my gizzards were Xrayed.
I was checked for worms and parasites,
For fungus and the crud,
While they pierced me with long needles,
Taking samples of my blood.
Doctors came to check me over,
Probed, pushed and poked around.
To make sure that I was living,
They wired me for sound.
They have finally concluded,
The results have filled a page.
What I have will some day kill me,
My affliction is old age.
HELPFUL HINTS FROM HERE AND
THERE

NEVER wait until you have used your last

appliance before ordering new ones.
Keep a list of your equipment, complete with
order numbers, sizes and manufacturers. Let a
member of your family know where you keep the
list so that they can get the necessary supplies in
the event of an emergency.
Carry an extra tail closure or rubber band with
you in case yours goes down the drain. It
could prove critical to your entire program as
well as your morale.
Why not empty your pouch each time you
urinate? No need to wait until it is full. While in
the neighborhood just do it.
Two or three tablespoons of plain baking soda in
water when washing around the stoma will not
only help heal the skin, but relieve itching too.
Watch your appliance if you are beginning any
new medications. Contact your doctor
immediately if you suspect the medicine is going
straight in and straight out.
Wash plastic pouches in cold water. Hot water
does not get them cleaner, but it does weaken the
pouch and destroy the odor-proofing. Hot water
locks color and odor into the pores of the plastic.
To lessen rustling sounds with disposable plastic
pouches, put a piece of tape down the entire
length of the bag, in the center and on the
outside.

Beverages with bubbles (such as soda) can cause

some gas problems for ostomates.
Urostomates who do not use a night drain run the
risk of puddling and backing up of urine into the
conduit up to the kidneys. This may cause not
only irritation, but also a serious infection.