Tag Archive for: ostomy education

You’re invited to attend Coloplast Care’s “Guide to recovery through activity – a slow approach for new ostomates” webinar to be held on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 6pm Central Time. In this webinar a personal trainer and an occupational therapist will share with the audience how they became active again after their ostomy surgery. They will answer questions and even walk the audience through a good exercise routine for beginners. CLICK HERE to learn more and register today!

The University of Miami has invited you to an Ostomy Support Group Virtual Event “Ask the Experts” on Tuesday, October 4th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Join via Zoom to hear from the following panel of experts who are available to answer your questions related to ostomies.

Dr. Pearlman, Nutrition; Dr. Gonzalgo, Urology; Dr. Hui, Colorectal; Dr. Crowley, Psychologist; Dr. Thichava, Physical Therapy; Floribeth Arrautt, Social Worker; Ana Restrepo, CWON; Nicole Goldschmidt, Ostomate Advocate; Lynn Wolfson, Ostomate Advocate; Lee-Ann Watanabe, Personal Trainer.

Below are the details to attend via Zoom or by Phone:
ZOOM LINK / Meeting ID: 914 2231 9401 / Password: 994587
Phone: (646) 558-8656

 

You’re invited to join the WOCN® Society live on Saturday, October 1, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time for WOCN® Ostomy Education Day. This event is a free online experience aimed at celebrating ostomy awareness, dispelling myths, and increasing ostomy education to improve patient outcomes. The full day of engagement and education will feature nine (9) sessions brought to you by experienced wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nursing professionals and subject matter experts and will award a total of 6.25 Contact Hours. CLICK HERE to learn more and Register Today!

By Robin Glover

Ostomy surgery is a life-changing event. As ostomates, we go through things other people will never have to experience. Everybody’s story is different, but we have all shared in many similar aspects of our journeys. We are a unique community of strong and courageous people of all ages and backgrounds.

To celebrate that, United Ostomy Associations of America is hosting the UOAA 2022 Virtual Ostomy Symposium on Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pacific) including breaks.

This symposium will feature a mix of ostomates, j-pouchers, and medical professionals delivering a fun, engaging, and informative day of learning, laughing, and community-building.

Questions you were too afraid to ask will be answered. Questions you didn’t even know you had will be answered.

In all, 22 speakers will be bringing their expertise on a variety of ostomy-related subjects. (And don’t worry, each session will be recorded so if you can’t make it live that day or can’t see all of the ones you want, you’ll be able to watch them later.)

You can find the full list of speakers and the agenda here.

What to Expect

The virtual lobby will be open at 10:30 AM EDT before the speaker sessions begin to chat, troubleshoot any tech issues and explore the agenda. Ticket holders get an email with a unique link to the event. Attendees are encouraged to enter “lounges” organized by ostomy or continent diversion type (and one for caregivers) to chat or meet with others like you. These will be open for the entirety of the event for those who want to pop in and out during breaks.

Sponsor Booths will also be open throughout the event to give ticket holders the opportunity to talk with representatives of ostomy product manufacturers and suppliers ­– and learn about the latest product advancements. Thanks to all our symposium sponsors including Platinum Sponsor Convatec for helping to make this event possible.

The most important participant for this year’s UOAA Virtual Ostomy Symposium is you.

After opening remarks from UOAA leadership, the symposium will kick off on the Main Stage with Louie Green, a standup comic and recent ostomate. He’s going to share his poignant ostomy journey with a bit of welcoming wit.

Next on the Main Stage at 12:40 AM EDT, Joy Hooper’s Ostomy BUZZables presentation will present the newest innovations and ostomy products available on the market. If there’s something new in the ostomy world, you’ll hear about it here.

Educational Sessions 

Throughout the day, Educational Sessions will run concurrently between the Main Stage where you’ll get to hear from wonderful WOC nurses, experienced ostomates, amazing doctors and dedicated advocates.

Presentations will cover everything from sex and intimacy and traveling the world with an ostomy to nutrition and staying hydrated and dealing with hernias. Other session topics will focus on peristomal skin issues, aging in place with an ostomy, affiliated support groups, and secrets of the big four stoma types.

There will also be a special workshop for young adults. Inspiring ostomates Molly Atwater-Pulisic and Collin Jarvis will be co-hosting the conversation about physical activity, relationships, and mental health for ostomates ages 18-35.

Attendees will be able to submit questions for the speakers during the presentations and the speakers presentation materials will be available to access at you leisure.

After these educational sessions be sure not to miss Dr. Janice Beitz back on the Main Stage at 3:55 PM EDT for a presentation titled If You See a Toilet in Your Dreams, do NOT use it! Emotional Support, Quality of Life and Humor. It will look at the power of humor in dealing with emotional challenges while dispelling some myths and misconceptions about ostomies.

The event will come to a close with a special presentation from Magen Cherry, a j-poucher and winner of the 2007 Miss Texas USA competition. She uses her platform to share encouragement and bring hope to fellow ostomates and j-pouchers coming to terms with their new reality. Fun fact: Magen had a colonoscopy three days after being crowned Miss Texas USA!

Connecting with a Caring Community

Of course, there are going to be plenty of great speakers but the most important participant for this year’s UOAA Virtual Symposium is you. By taking part in this event, you’ll be able to connect with a thriving ostomy community (or j-pouchers or any other type of continent diversion) and help us grow even stronger.

As we all know, living with an ostomy or other continent diversion isn’t always easy. It can be isolating. Sometimes even close friends and family don’t want to hear anything about it. There’s fear of the future and worry about existing relationships.

Many new ostomates want to hide it forever and hope no one ever finds out. But, through organizations like UOAA, they’ll find out they’re not alone and that life with an ostomy shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of, but rather that ostomies are life-savers and that you can join others in a celebration of being alive.

This year’s event is going to be awesome. Questions you were too afraid to ask will be answered. Questions you didn’t even know you had will be answered. You’ll get to connect with wonderful people while gaining inspiration and knowledge that could impact the rest of your life – and the lives of others.

As you can see this is not your typical webinar or Zoom call and the $35 ticket (plus $3.88 processing fee) and sponsor support of UOAA (a 501(c)(3) charity) help to offset the costs of hosting this special event.

All of this is leading to UOAA’s in-person National Conference in Houston in August of 2023. The connections you build during this year’s virtual event can open the door to even deeper friendships when we all get to meet each other face-to-face next year in Houston!

The UOAA 2022 Virtual Ostomy Symposium on Saturday, August 13th is going to be a great time and a great experience. And we need you there to make it even better.

To get all the information, learn more about the speakers, or find out how to get tickets, head to the event website.

Inspiring and Educating Healthcare Professionals in Skin, Wound, and Ostomy Management

This year’s Wild on Wounds (WOW) national conference will take place from September 7-10, 2022 in Hollywood, Florida. WOW brings clinicians together to learn and share ideas on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s new in wound care. Join your colleagues as you fully immerse yourself in a four-day, all-out learning experience. Get ready to see, touch, and learn as you participate in simulation labs, interactive mock trials, hands-on debridement and lymphedema labs, as well as interacting with the exhibitors. CLICK HERE to learn more and register today!

ROCKIN’ SKIN CARE!

The Northern Illinois Affiliate (NIA) of the WOCN Society is holding their 28th Annual Community Education Day on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The event will take place at Bobak’s Signature Events and Conference Center located in Woodridge, Illinois. CLICK HERE to learn more and register today!

Mark your calendar! UOAA invites you to join us on Saturday, August 13, 2022 for a virtual interactive day of education and community building. It will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pacific) including breaks. This event is for the ostomy community, their caregivers, and health care professionals. The Symposium will include a keynote address by a comic living with an ostomy, inspirational speakers, concurrent educational sessions, general sessions, as well as opportunities to connect with fellow attendees and our sponsors. Session topics will include sex and intimacy, peristomal skin issues, what’s new in the ostomy world, advocacy, travel, nutrition and more!

UOAA 2022 Virtual Ostomy Symposium Program Schedule

 

Virtual Symposium Program Schedule

“2022 Vision: Ostomates in Action”
The Ostomy Support Group of Northern Virginia, LLC (OSGNV, LLC) and its satellite, Mary Washington Healthcare Ostomy Connections Support Group, Fredericksburg, VA, invite you to attend a One-Day Virtual Conference on Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 9am to 2pm Eastern Time. The conference includes three general sessions, an exhibit hall and three breakout sessions by ostomy type. CLICK HERE for more information or email osgnvllc@cox.net.

Coloplast Care Live! is a new webinar series designed to bring together fellow ostomates and experts in the ostomy field to share their health journeys, hear inspiring stories from other ostomates, and share product and lifestyle advice. The third live webinar of this series, “Guide to Recovery Through Activity – A Gradual Approach for Ostomates” will be held on Tuesday, November 16th starting at 6pm Central, 7pm Eastern Time. Attend and learn from seasoned ostomates on what helped them during their own recovery, how they are now helping others, and core exercise tips you can incorporate in your own life. CLICK HERE for complete details and register today!

People often wonder what to say to others, especially to children or grandchildren, when they first learn about an ostomy. While what kids ask can sometimes be surprising, their sincerity can brighten your day. Hollister Incorporated brought kids and ostomates together to learn about stomas for the first time. Hear what they had to say by watching this video –

About the Ostomates:

LeeAnne Hayden @leeannehayden

LeeAnne Hayden stepped away from a successful corporate sales career to build an online social selling business at age 40, and then was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, which resulted in ostomy surgery. This would serve as her wake-up call to find ways to help herself and others overcome the stigma of living with an ostomy. Now, at age 50, LeeAnne has created a podcast called The Beautiful Bag. Read more about her story here.

Stephanie Bension @missbension

In 2004, when Stephanie was in high school, she was diagnosed with a combination of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. At 24 years old, she found herself in the emergency room faced with the reality of receiving an ileostomy. With time and support from her family, she started to share her story with others on social media. She is now a professional speaker who charms diverse audiences. She holds a degree in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin, which has allowed her to have unique experiences in several professional fields. You can learn more about her at www.stephaniebension.com.

Collin Jarvis @collinjarvis

Collin Jarvis was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when he was a junior at the University of California, Berkeley. His body rejected drug treatment to the point where he lost 30 pounds and was sleeping 15 hours a day. Due to this, he underwent emergency ostomy surgery with the removal of his colon. Barely five years after his ostomy surgery, however, the news headlines screamed: “Collin Jarvis Runs Sub-2:30 in One of the Fastest Marathons Ever With an Ostomy.” As evidenced by his marathon-running success, Collin now has the wind at his back and a whole new purpose in life, including being vice president of Stealth Belt, an ostomy support belt manufacturer.

Hollister Incorporated is a proud sponsor of United Ostomy Associations of America and dedicated to delivering the highest standard of quality in ostomy care products. To learn more, visit www.hollister.com/ostomycare or call 1.888.808.7456.

Tag Archive for: ostomy education

UOAA is pleased to announce our 8th National Conference will be held Thursday through Saturday, August 10-12, 2023 in Houston, Texas! The Conference will take place at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria, one of the few AAA Four Diamond rated hotels in Houston.

More info and registration coming soon at ostomy.org/2023conference

Here are just a few reasons why you should plan to attend:

  • Ask Questions of Top Ostomy Experts
  • Inspirational Speakers
  • Free Stoma Clinic
  • Product Exhibit Hall with 35+ Vendors
  • Surgery Specific Meet & Greets
  • Young Adult and Pediatric Workshops
  • Fun Social Events and Activities
  • Dedicated Sessions for Caregivers
  • IBD & Crohn’s Disease Program

Please visit our website for updates on the Conference as we continue our plans to help you “Discover Your People!” Registration coming soon.