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

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Allyn Mellits
Joan Gardner
Ginny Gross
Stan Baker
OSTOMY ADVISERS:
Irene Repka, RN, BS, CWOCN
Michelle Perkins, RN, BS.

Were on the Web! www.annearundelostomy.com

Volume 41

Number 6

March 2015

A big thank you to Anne Arundel Medical Center for printing our newsletter. We greatly
appreciate it.

Next meeting is March 5th 2015 which will be a group discussion.

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.
Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with
what happens to you.
Aldous Huxley

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 March 16th 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

In the cold winter season when freezing temperatures and snow storms flourish, the
media portrays the weather as a virtual enemy. Staying home bound seems like a
safe alternative. Yet, static inactivity and cold days can lead to the winter blues and
other physical health problems. Life challenges, as small as they may be, appear
like mountains. Pushing through is a requirement, but help is around you.
I encourage you during this winter season to reach out to one another, your local
support groups, your local health professionals and to lean on those who have
resources for your physical and emotional well being.

Colleen Simpson
BSN, RN, CWON

At Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies, we are there for you! With a phone call
or a visit, caring health professionals and educated specialists will help you branch
into wellness with local resource referrals and products to get you back into your
active lifestyle.
So, gain independence and merge back into a happier and healthier life, regardless of cold weather, media craze, or whatever youre faced with in the end of the
day. Most importantly, remember those around you can help, and we care.
Best regards,

Colleen Simpson, BSN RN CWON

Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurse Consultant
Austin Pharmacy & Medical Supplies

TOWSON
6729 York Road
Baltimore, MD 21212
Phone: 410-377-5300
Fax: 410-377-5302

Toll Free:

1-855-AUSTMED

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

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

HUNT VALLEY
10757 York Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
Phone: 410-773-0300
Fax: 410-773-0301

March 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
I hope you are all keeping warm despite these frigid temperatures. Remember that if AA County
Schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no meeting. In some cases, the AA
county schools will be open during the day, but cancel afternoon and evening events in that
case our meeting will be cancelled. Please take care in these icy conditions and stay warm.
Paul

I used to eat a lot of natural foods

until I learned that most people die of
natural causes.
What To Do In Case Of A Food Blockage
Via Sharon Williams, RNET Metro MD

It may happen around midnight, that severe

cramping sensation coupled with cessation of
ostomy flow or watery projectile flow. When the
cramps strike, that memory of having consumed
some problem food, follows soon afterward.
What is the appropriate course of action for the
ostomate. Food blockage is an experience that
many ostomates will have at one time or another.
The enzymes in the digestive tract cannot digest
cellulose or foods with high fiber content. Nuts,
corn, popcorn, coconut, celery, Chinese
vegetables, fruit pits, and tough cuts of meat are
a few foods that may cause blockage problems.
Ileostomates who chew their food poorly, eat
rapidly, do not drink sufficient liquids or have
dental problems will be more prone to have food
blockage. When food blockage occurs, a post-op
pouch should be applied. The size of the
opening should be a little larger than normal
because the stoma may swell and with a clear
post op pouch, the action of the stoma may be
observed. The next step, if no nausea or
vomiting is present, is to start forcing
liquidscoke, tea, or whatever liquid produces a
rapid peristaltic movement is best. A few
crackers may be eaten as a pusher. Sometimes a
change in body position, such as assuming a knee
chest position, may encourage movement of the
bolus of food. Massaging of the abdomen may
also produce the same effect.
Diarrhea may follow the blockage and it is
necessary to replace fluids. Gatorade may be
used for replacement of both fluids and essential

electrolytes. Cheese, bananas and peanut butter

help slow the diarrhea. It is normal to have a sore
spot in the abdomen following an episode of
blockage. A low residue diet should be followed
for 1 to 2 days to allow the intestine to rest. If
nausea and vomiting occurs with the food
blockage it is necessary to go to the emergency
room immediately.

If you're going through hell, keep going .

Winston Churchill

You Have Adjusted to Your Ostomy When...

via Hemet-San Jacinto (CA) Stoma-Life

You stop spending all of your spare time in the

bathroom waiting for your stoma to work so you
can empty the pouch right away.
You can move about freely, without holding your
appliance as though it might fall off any minute.
You make that first trip to the mailbox without
taking along your ostomy supplies.
You stop grabbing your abdomen when the
grocery clerk asks if you need help to the car
with your bag.
You go out for the evening and realize too late
that you left your emergency kit at home.
You begin to think how lucky you are to be alive
instead of how unlucky you are to have an
ostomy.
You attend the monthly support group meetings
with an expectation of learning more about your
ostomy rather than staying at home worrying
about it all.

Life is sexually transmitted.

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:
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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

March 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

Skin Care Basics

By Barb Barrickman, RN, WOCN

Via Green Bay Area Ostomy Support Group.

Caring for the skin around the stoma is an important

part of basic ostomy care. Good skin care around the
stoma is not very different from caring for the rest of
your skin. Healthy skin protects us from the
environment; produes vitamin D, provides a tough,
flexible foundation to hold the rest of your body,
regulates body temperature, insulates the body from
cold and trauma, and provides an avenue for
sensation and grip.
Normally the skin is acidic in pH, approximately 5.5.
This natural acidity discourages bacterial growth,
helps to absorb moisture, and keeps the cells closer
together to prevent cracks in our protective layer. As
we age, the skin changes. It becomes thinner, making
it more susceptible to injury and changing the way our
body reacts to temperature, pain, pressure and
chemicals. It becomes less flexible and often sags. It
heals half as quickly as before and becomes drier with
visible cracks, which harbor bacterial growth. Good
skin care can delay many of these natural aging
processes and aid in keeping the skin healthy. The
basics of good skin care include:
Clean the skin with a good cleanser with a pH
between 4.5 & 5.0. Normal skin can handle this well,
with skin regaining its normal acidic pH within 20-30
minutes Most people with ostomies should never use
anything except water to wash their peristomal skin. It
does not become very dirty under the barrier.
Frequent washing irritates skin. Soap and a
washcloth are the worst enemies of fragile and/or
damaged skin. Washing with just plain water and
gentle friction is all that is needed.
Air drying is beneficial if time permits. However,
drying skin with a hair dryer set to cool should work
just fine.
Apply moisturizer to skin except under the
barrier - after bathing to take advantage of open
pores. Look for moisturizers that contain one or more
of the following ingredients: liquid paraffin, lanolin,
caster oil, cetostearyl, alcohols, glycereal stearate.

Check the ingredients in your skin care products

and know what they are to provide. Active
ingredients should be listed in descending order of
percentages contained in the product. The purposes
of ingredients and examples:
Emollients sooth and soften the sin. Examples:
almond oil, aloe vera, lanolin, dimethicone copolyl,
mineral oil.
Antimicrobials eliminate microbes and reduce skin
infections, kill normal skin flora as well as unwanted
bacteria. The normal skin flora recolonizes one to two
hours after the use of antimicrobial. Examples:
hexylresorcinol, tricolsan, benzethonium chloride
emulsifyin surfactants, sislve human excreta,
polyaxamar 188, potassium palmitate, polysorbate.
Humectants prevent dring, soften and moisturize
damaged skin by binding moisture to the skin.
Examples: d-panthenol, propylene glycol, sodium
PCA, glycerin.
The peristomal skin may need special protection from
the adhesives on the pouching equipment from the
adhesives on the pouching equipment and/or the
output from the stoma. Barrier products are designed
to protect the skin from contact with moisture and
prevent friction. Skin films actually plasticize the skin
by placing a co-polymer film on the skin. Product
examples that provide this barrier film include:
Bard Protective Barrier Film
Convatec AllKare Barrier Wipe
Hollister Skin Protectant Barrier
Smith & Nephew /United Skin Prep
3 M No Sting Skin Protectant
These products may be helpful in preventing and/or
treating skin breakdown problems in the peristomal
skin area. They should be used only as directed and
after consulting with a WOCN or ostomy supplier.
Some ostomy barriers, such as the new extended
wear barriers like ConvaTecs Durahesive or Hollister
Flextend, are not recommended to be used in
conjunction with these film protectants. These barriers
actually melt into the skin and a protectant would
frustrate this effort.

March 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

THE FLUAND WHAT TO DO

From the Beacon & Chatauqua Co. Jamestown NY, via
Springield (MA) OAGS Newsnotes, Stillwater Ponca City
OK Ostomy Outlook & The Ostomist Greater Seattle

The flu brings with it headaches, upset stomach,

diarrhea, muscle aches and pains! Plenty of
liquids and rest in bed, remains sound medical
advice for your general attack of the virus. But if
your case of the flu includes that bug-a-boo
diarrhea, you may find the following hints
helpful.
For those with a colostomy it is usually wise not
to irrigate during this time. Your intestine is
really washing itself out! After diarrhea, you
have a sluggish colon for a few days, so again,
leave it alone. Start irrigating again after a few
days.
In colostomy patients drugs or certain foods can
cause constipation, prevented by drinking plenty
of fluids. Increased intake in the ileostomate
results in increase urine output rather than
through the appliance.
For the ileostomate diarrhea is a greater hazard.
Along with the excess water discharge, there is a
loss of electrolytes and vitamins that are
necessary in maintaining good health. This loss
is usually referred to as a loss of fluid which in
turn brings a state of dehydration, therefore you
must restore the electrolyte balance. First,
eliminate all solid food.
Second, obtain
potassium safely and effectively from tea,
bouillon, or ginger ale. Third, obtain sodium
from saltines or salted pretzels. Fourth drink a
lot of water. Cranberry and orange juice also
contain potassium, while bouillon and tomato
juice contain sodium. Vomiting also brings the
threat of dehydration. If it is severe and
continuing your doctor should be notified. You
should also know that diarrhea may be
symptomatic of a partial obstruction or acute
gastroenteritis. Since the treatment for these two
entities is entirely different, a proper diagnosis
should be made as rapidly as possible if
obstruction is suspected because of localized
cramping.
A physician should be sought
immediately. So you can see why it is important

to determine whether the diarrhea is caused one,

by obstruction, or two, by gastroenteritis. If you
do not know, check with your doctor. Do not
play games.
Remember, always call your
physician unless you are 100% certain of what
you are doing.
For the urostomate be sure to keep electrolytes
in balance; follow the general instructions for
colostomies and ileostomies.
No ostomate should take medication for pain or a
laxative without a physicians order. Do not use
antibiotics for cold or flu unless a doctor orders
it.
OSTOADE
Solano Ostomy News
If you dislike Gatorade and you want to restore
your electrolytes, you may find this brew more to
your liking:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP White Karo Syrup
6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
Mix ingredients together and add enough water
to make up to 1 quart. Sip throughout the day.
*************
Please Doctor, you must help me, I think Im
losing my memory.
Is that so? How long have you been
experiencing this problem?
What problem?
***************
FOW-USA is currently receiving requests for more
items than they have available to ship. FLANGES &
POUCHES IN ALL SIZES ARE NEEDED, except
for 1 and 3/4 inch flange. And, they are particularly
short of 2 and 1/4 inch flange. Donations can be sent
to
FOW-USA
4018 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY 40218-4539.
For questions, call 1-502-909-6669 and leave
message, or e-mail info@fowusa.org

A.A.C.O.A.
P.O. BOX 847
GAMBRILLS, MD 21054