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
Sandi Burnett
Bob Keller
OSTOMY ADVISERS:
Irene Repka, RN, BS, CWOCN
Michelle Perkins, RN, BS.

Were on the Web! www.annearundelostomy.com

Volume 41
The way to get
started is to quit
talking and begin
doing.

Walt Disney

Number 12

September 2015

Thank you Anne Arundel Medical Center for printing our newsletter.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
September 3rd 2015 Group Discussion Ostomy Travels
October 1st, 2105 Dr. Carol Tweed, Oncologist

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.

NEW MEMBERSHIP/RENEWAL
2015-2016
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD OSTOMY ASSOCIATION, INC.
Annual dues are just $15.00
Please make $15.00 check payable to AACOA and mail to:
AACOA Membership P.O. Box 847 Gambrills, MD 21054

Full Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
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 ____Urostomy ___Ileostomy ___Parent of child
with ___Spouse/Family Member _______Other Please
specify__________________________________
I would like to help with the following committee(s) or activities:

___Finance ___Hospitality ___Membership

___Newsletter ___Program
___Refreshments ___Sunshine ___Visiting
How Did You Hear About US? ___Internet ___ET/WOCN Nurse ___Hospital
___Physician
___Other Please specify___________________________________________________________________

_________ I PREFER NOT TO RECEIVE A PAPER COPY OF THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

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.

Live Well Live Independent Live Active

Greetings!
With the influx of new products recently on the
market, the ostomy world has increasingly
become a new excitement of opportunity.

Colleen Simpson
BSN, RN, CWON

When sampling a new product, make a check

list. Then when ready to order, you will have
answers at hand. Consider questioning if the
product is an adjunct or replacement to your
current system, whether it is a potential solution
to a problem, if it is covered by insurance and if
so, how many are allowed each month.
Ask questions of your WOCN, the manufacturer
and the ostomy and wound specialists at Austin
Pharmacy & Medical Supplies.
Looking forward to hearing from you!

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

September 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
September is the month that we send out membership renewals and I really appreciate those who have
already renewed and given their forms and payment to us at our last meeting. If you can, please complete
the form on page 2 and bring it with your check to the September meeting. This saves us postage and
saves you a stamp too. Postage is the main expense we face in the group, but we also pay for mailbox
rental, web hosting and domain name fees, occasional banking expenses (such as checks) and
miscellaneous expenses such as the sandwich tray at our annual holiday party. We also try to sponsor
someone to attend the annual youth rally each year. So when you hand over your check, remember it does
a lot of good and thank you.

Paul
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. (Arnold Glasgow)
The grand essentials of happiness are:

Something to do

Something to love and

Something to hope for

Patrick Chalmers

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 September 21st at 7:30pm

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
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 / 443-481-5177
Fax: 443-481-5198

Private Consultants
Joan M. Sullivan, MAS, RN, CNA, CWOCN

410-932-7312

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

September 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

Adhesions & Other Pains that Cramp

Your Style
Edited by B. Brewer, UOAA Update May 2012

Adhesions are tough, string-like fibrous bands,

often in the small intestine. They may form
spontaneously but are more common after
surgery, where disturbances caused by tissue
manipulation may lead to healing in the form of
fibrous tissue, hence adhesions. Some people
form them more easily than others.
Adhesions may grow to interfere with the normal
motion of the intestine, causing a blockage or
obstruction, with food, liquid or even air unable
to pass the blocked area. Severe bloating,
abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation are
symptoms of blockage and present a serious
situation requiring medical attention and possible
immediate surgery to cut the obstructive
adhesive bands.
Abdominal pain, though, doesnt always mean
adhesions are blocking the intestines. A frequent
cause for such pain is a spasm of muscles
responsible for peristalsis, the rhythmic muscular
contractions that propel the bolus through the
intestines. Muscle spasms in the calf are referred
to as a charley horse; spasms in the intestines are
essentially the same thing but assume the name
irritable intestine or irritable bowel.
Even ostomates who function without colons are
not immune from painful spasms in the small intestine. An ileostomate may sometimes suffer
from pain that cant be traced to blockage and
may be told that adhesions are responsible; the
actual cause may instead be a spasm.
************

Most of us hope for a long

life, but hate to grow old to
achieve it.

Wear a smile and have friends; wear a

scowl and have wrinkles. What do we
live for if not to make the world less
difficult for each other. George Eliot


TRUST YOURSELF

By Robert Eisman, RN/ET via Metro Maryland

Regardless of the type of ostomy you have, your
prime concern must be placed on getting to
know yourself. Any advice you are given should
coincide with you as an individual. Life-style,
activities, weight all play an important part in
determining which product will work best for
you. Jumping from product to product without
being truly aware of the differences, the
advantages, or the disadvantages of each can be
a costly and dangerous practice.

Assuming that you have been taught how to are
for your ostomy, how to use your appliance, and
where to purchase your supplies, you should
become thoroughly familiar with the
recommended procedure and equipment before
experimenting with a new product. After youve
gained the confidence that comes with
experience, thought can be given to exploring
other products and procedures. Learning new
and better ways to care for yourself can be fun
and very rewarding, but guidelines should be set
and observed with safety being the paramount
concern.

Remember, the ostomy has not changed you as
an individual. You still have the same strengths
and weaknesses, the same needs and desires as
before. So walk slowly at first, but increase the
steps and strides as you gain more confidence in
your own ability and get back into the
mainstream of life as quickly as possible.

September 2015

The Rambling Rosebud

I WANT TO KNOW!
Via: The Indianapolis, IN Chapter
Where does the water go when it doesnt
return with my colostomy evacuation? It is
absorbed into your body and then eliminated via
urination some time afterwards.
When will the stoma heal so that it isnt red
anymore? The red color will not go away. Its
actually a good indication that the stoma is
healthy with a good blood supply.
What is a simple way to control stoma noise?
Two to three tablespoons of applesauce with
breakfast seems to control stoma noise and to
have a thickening effect on liquid discharge.
What foods besides bananas are high in
potassium? Bananas are frequently mentioned as
a food high in potassium, but potatoes actually
contain nearly twice as much. One large banana
has 450 milligrams of potassium while a large
baked potato with its skin contains 850
milligrams (the skin alone has 235 mg).
How may I slow activity before changing my
appliance? Some ostomates eat peanut butter or
marshmallows before changing the appliance to
slow activity before showering or taking a bath.
Many urostomates change their appliance early
in the morning of the change day at a time
when urine discharge is less frequent.

We would never learn to be brave and patient if

there was only joy in the world. Helen Keller
*************
IF YOU ARE A NEW OSTOMATE
Here are five suggestions on making life easier:
SMILE you will find this costs nothing. It is
perhaps the first pain-free motion youve made
recently. It not only improves your face, it is
contagious!
THANK GOD you are alive! Count your
blessings. Youre bound to resent your surgery
we all do but we cannot be grateful and
resentful at the same time. We cannot change
past experience but we can make the future
what we want it to be.
OVERCOME YOUR FEAR of being different.
It doesnt show and everything else is normal.
In no time at all, you will be back in the swing.
If you dont think so, come to a meeting and
look around the room to try the guessing game which ones have stomas!
MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY your show is
over, the curtain has come down on your
starring role. Consider those who have been
waiting breathlessly in the wings they need
loving care too.
ACCEPT YOUR NEW WAY OF LIFE it is
not really a change; it is just in a different place
and it takes a little time to orient yourself.
Dont give up! There will come a day when
you will have to agree that it is far more
comfortable than the way it was right after
surgery.

Fifty years from now, it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in,
how much you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little
better because you were important in the life of another.
7

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