President - Willie Graham Phone: 575-2077

Vice President - Gary Merriman Phone: 878-0988

Secretary -Missy Candric Phone: 562-2023

Treasurer - George Manning Phone: 877-3378

Newsletter - Wilson Enfinger Phone: 576-6864

Web Master - Jesse Taintor Phone: 224-6888

http://garnet. acns. fsu. edu/~ jtaintor/uoax.html

PURPOSE

The Tallahassee chapter is a volunteer organization composed primarily of ostomates with the purpose of supplementing the work of medical professionals by offering mutual aid and moral support through people who have learned to live with an ostomy. Trained members visit ostomy patients in hospitals and at their homes upon request and with consent of the patient’s physician. We publish a newsletter and hold monthly meetings. We hope you will attend our monthly program to support our speakers and to become acquainted with our other members and to share experiences.

MEETINGS

The Tallahassee chapter of the U.O.A. meetings are scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings will be held at Tallahassee Memorial Education Center; located at 1215 Hodges Drive, Tallahassee, FL in Classroom #3. The contact person is Wilson Enfinger; he may be reached at 681-5402.

FEBRUARY MEETING

DATE: February 2, 1999

TIME: 7:00 p.m.

LOCATION: TMH EDUCATION CENTER

1215 Hodges Drive

SPEAKER: Linda Enfinger, RN, MSW

With the new year set in place, our first speakers were Patty Lnyenbach and her sister-in-law from Medical Care Products, Jacksonville. Patty discussed the history of Medical Care Products, showed new products, brought many samples and answered many questions. After the discussion, a drawing for a new heating pad, courtesy of Medical Care Products, was held. The lucky winner was Tom Kinnebrew.

Our treasury balance as of January 1 was 605.45 as given by our treasurer, George Manning. The months of December/January gave us 4 colostomies and 1 ileostomy at TMH.

There were no more birthdays for the month of January. We wish Bob Lilly a happy birthday on January 10th.

We are all convinced that Tom Kinnebrew needs to try his luck in Vegas, as he also won the 50/50 drawing.

Have a great month. See Every- one in February.

Taking it a day at a time,

Missy

Are You Drinking Enough Water

Donald S. Robertson, M.D., M.Sc., Providence Medical PRISM, The Ostomist, via Metro Maryland

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

This happens because the kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When they don’t work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it can’t operate at full throttle. As a result it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands.

Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give the body what it needs: plenty of water. Only then will the stored water be released.

If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be the problem. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy. Just drink more water. As it’s forced through the kidneys, the water takes away excess sodium.

An overweight person needs more water than one who is thin. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that overweight people need more water.

Water helps maintain proper tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract, and by preventing dehydration. It also helps prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of. All the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source, and the result is constipation. But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.

Can a Stoma Be Cut?

Did You Know

Ostomy surgery is increasing about 2½% per year. There are more temporary Ostomy surgeries being done today than permanent ones.

The 1¾" flange size is the most common.

Skin barriers should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place and have an expiration date of 4 to 5 years.

Pouches have no expiration date.

A glass of hot water or fruit juice, or a cup of hot coffee before a morning irrigation may initiate gut action. Also, a glass or two of water after the water return starts is usually helpful. If you irrigate before going to bed, a glass of ice water or a cup of hot coffee should get you started. If you have not been drinking much water during the day, it would be wise to drink an extra glass or two to make sure your tissues will not absorb so much; you may be left with little or no return.

HINTS

You can spray the inside of your appliance with Pam and help the contents to keep sliding down instead of sticking on the sides and top of pouch.

If you don’t remove cement from appliance each time you change, it is easier to remove after there is a slight build-up.

Denture powder should not be used as a substitute for Karaya powder, because it may contain chemicals that could harm excoriated skin.

A small amount of Kaopectate in the pouch will help to harden feces in the pouch.

If you ever spilled Karaya powder, ammonia seems to be the easiest cleaning substance.

If a colostomate just uses a pad instead of an appliance, try a little K-Y jelly over the stoma to keep things soft and lubricated.

Caladryl lotion, Gelusil or Maalox, wiped over micropore adhesive which is causing an irritation quickly relieves the itching.

Following a low sodium diet doesn’t mean you have to cook and eat bland food. There are many seasonings and spice blends, as well as fresh herbs and spices that will add some zing without adding sodium.

For instance, beef is especially flavor- ful coated with salt-free lemon pepper or a mixture of onion powder and freshly ground black pepper. Also the flavor of French cooking may be created using spices such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, and even lavender. These are excellent with beef, chicken and lamb.

Pre-prepared spice mixes, such as French, Cajun, or Italian, are available at many grocery stores and at specialty cooking stores, and impart a characteristic flavor to foods. (Be sure to check the ingredient labels for salt.)

Most grocers also carry fresh herbs and spices such as dill, basil, mint and oregano, which add a burst of flavor to foods, and are easy to cook with. For the freshest flavor, chop fresh herbs just before cooking, and add to foods near the end of the cooking time.

You may also wish to try seasoning foods with fresh onion, garlic, or mushrooms, which complement the flavor of eggs and most meats.

Finally, try steaming fresh vegetables and enjoying their unique flavors without any added seasonings. Vege- tables are also delicious cooked with basil, rosemary, or parsley, or tossed with vinegar and fresh black pepper. Other spices to try include curry, a spice frequently used in Indian cooking, tarragon, mace, and nutmeg. In baking, salt may be reduced up to half in most products, and eliminated in others, without much loss of flavor. Other alternative include salt sub- stitutes, which are made of potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. These substitutes taste similar to regular salt, but do not add sodium to the diet. (Check with your physician before using salt substitutes made of potassium chloride, as it may interfere with some medications.)

It can be challenging to decrease sodium in your diet, but by rediscovering the delicious taste of fresh, sodium-free foods, it is possible. It is also important to try many different seasonings, and to create some of your own favorite spice blends. Learn to experiment with your cooking and have fun!

This newsletter is provided courtesy of: