Schedule of  Upcoming Meetings

• • • (In Person) Dec 7th, 2024 1-3 PM Pacific Time
      • Holiday Party in San Jose. For more information please contact us.
    • (Virtual) Jan 14th, 2024 7:00 PM Pacific Time
      • Monthly Zoom Meeting. For more information please contact us.

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What Happened at our November 12th Virtual Meeting

President Chloe Moody called the meeting to order at 7:05pm with 17 people attending.  The meeting started with general meeting notices and then moved to a very lively and helpful round robin where people shared concerns and possible solutions.  

We welcomed back Namita and her mother-in-law from Bombay, who had attended a meeting when she visited a few years ago.           

General Business:

Steve, Raji and Joanne represented SVOSG at SJSU’s ostomy nurse training program on Sunday, October 13.  We share our stories, what new ostomates need to know and give the nurses insight into how best to support us.   We also share all the websites and “accessories” that we’ve discovered to make life easier, such as traveling with medical supplies, going through airport security, etc.  I encourage all of you to participate in this training, which is held twice a year, as it is very rewarding to both presenters and participants!    

Joanne gave an update on our upcoming Holiday Party – our first in-person gathering since 2020!   Please mark this date on your calendar:

• When:    Saturday, December 7^th from 1-3pm
• Where:  Cancer CAREpoint, 2512 Samaritan Court, Suite 2, San Jose

 

• Assorted drinks will be provided, and we ask that you bring some holiday savory or sweet treats to share!  
• Please bring an unwrapped gift for our raffle, which has always been lots of fun – this is the only fundraiser SVOSG holds to help pay for things like our Zoom subscription, UOAA membership, printing, etc.  
• The way it works is tickets (3 for $5, 7 for $10) are sold for the raffle, and you place ticket/s in the bag next to the item you’re interested in.  If your ticket is drawn out of the bag, you win the prize!  CASH IS PREFERRED for ticket purchase.

It will be great to meet you in person vs. over Zoom!  An email invite will be sent out to regular participants this week.

This party takes the place of the December meeting.  If there is enough interest, we will consider having quarterly hybrid (Live and Zoom) meetings using Cancer CAREpoint’s facility in 2025.

Round Robin:

Unfortunately, we’ve had several members deal with health issues and hospitalizations.  Thank you to all who shared so openly.

Harriett shared her positive parastomal hernia repair experience.  So now it’s just Stewie the Stoma, and no more Huey, Dewey and Louie (names for her hernias!).  She may have inspired several of us to address this common issue! 

Namita was able to get some guidance from members regarding colostomy irrigation and pouch adhesion issues for her mother-in-law.  Dave looked up support groups in Bombay and found several for her to research, although it appears that ostomy care is quite limited there.  

Derek is getting better, no longer needs pain meds but is suffering from bedsores that developed during a 40-day hospitalization recovering from a perforated rectum because of a colonoscopy.  Sending you healing thoughts Derek! 

Chloe has had 3 consecutive stays in hospital over the last month starting with a straightforward gyn surgery being complicated by adhesions, and more recently having to be hospitalized for a blockage.  All while trying to keep up with grad studies, being our President and keeping a positive outlook.  

Dave is getting stabilized at an extended care facility following hospitalization for elevated blood sugars, exacerbated by pre-chemo medications.  In addition, he must deal with a torn rotator cuff on his dominant arm.  Let’s keep our fearless champion in our good thoughts!  

Nancy shared her success using Nasacort nasal spray on her parastomal rash – all clear now!  This was recommended by her ostomy nurse at Stanford.  (Raji has used Flonase successfully for minor skin irritations.)

WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON DECEMBER 7!

ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT JOANNE – joanne@svosg.org

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.  

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Harris, Secretary, SVOSG

What Happened at our October 8th Virtual Meeting

President Chloe Moody called the meeting to order at 7:05pm with 17 people attending.  The meeting started with a presentation from our guest speaker, Dan Ward, Convatec Territory Manager – Ostomy division.  His contact information is p: 925-276-3103 and email: Daniel.Ward@Convatec.com.

Dan gave us a brief history of the company, which stems from a hydrocolloid medical adhesive developed for dental use and led to the Convatec brand and the Stomahesive skin barrier created in 1978.   Dan discussed the different products and how important the barrier seal is to prevent parastomal skin breakdown from effluent.  Because every ostomy is different, Convatec offers multiple options in the level of convexity and adhesion.  Dan highlighted a new one-piece soft convex line Esteem Body, the 2-piece Esteem Synergy line and moldable (scissor-less) barriers.  He also discussed how Eakin seals/sheets can be used effectively for healing skin breakdowns.  If the affected area is larger than a seal, Eakin sheets come in many sizes and can be applied between the skin and barrier, allowing the skin to heal.  

Like all the major ostomy suppliers, Convatec has a help line called Me+.  Convatec has 20 Certified wound and ostomy nurses who respond to over 2,200 calls per day, and if a phone call can’t help then they offer free HIPPA- compliant video calls.  Regardless of what brand of products you use, they support all ostomates and can make recommendations for all product lines (but can only provide Convatec samples).  They also offer an exercise plan through Me+ Recovery, which covers safe body mechanics and exercise from post-surgery and on.   To enroll in Me+, call 877-585-0470 or go to Mepluscare.com.  

After the presentation we welcomed several new members:  Babette (and her daughters), Ann, and Annie, and had a good round table discussion.          

General Business:

Steve, Raji and Joanne will be representing SVOSG at SJSU’s ostomy nurse training program on Sunday, October 13.  SVOSG participates in this important educational program twice a year and SJSU is the only accredited ostomy certification program in the Western U.S.!   Our candid shared experience as ostomates gives the nurses insight into how best to support us.

Holiday Party – We have a date for our first in-person gathering since 2020!   Please mark this date on your calendar:

• When:    Saturday, December 7^th from 1-3pm
• Where:  Cancer CAREpoint, 2512 Samaritan Court, Suite 2, San Jose

Light refreshments will be provided, and you’re encouraged to bring some of your holiday treats to share!  Please bring an unwrapped gift for our raffle, which has always been lots of fun and is the only fund raiser for SVOSG.  The way it works is tickets ($1) are sold for the raffle, and you place ticket/s in the bag next to the item you’re interested in.  If your ticket is drawn out of the bag, you win the prize!  (Bring some address labels if you don’t want to write out your name on the ticket!).  Gifts in previous years have been nice bottles of wine, household goods, holiday decor, homemade gifts, etc.  It will be great to see you in person!

We will still have a zoom December meeting.  In 2025, we will begin having quarterly hybrid (Live and Zoom) meetings using Cancer CAREpoint’s facility.  The first hybrid meeting will be the March 2025 meeting. 

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.  

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Harris, Secretary, SVOSG