What is
an ostomy? For many of our clients living with digestive and urinary cancers
it’s a word they know all too well. An ostomy is an opening of the intestine
into the wall of the abdomen, required for some patients after the surgical
removal or the healing of part of their colons, rectums or intestines. Many are
sent home after surgery with little long-term training or resources to help
them adjust. This is where Cancer Services comes in to help support their new
way of life. Thanks to a new partnership with Get Your Rear in Gear, our
clients have access to Cindy Schneider, a Certified Wound, Ostomy and
Continence Nurse. In addition to attending support group meetings, Cindy is
available for phone consultations and home visits to coach patients on how to
make their ostomys work with their lives, as well as offer emotional support.
Cindy says, “The best advice I can give to ostomy patients is that you can
still do everything you did before your ostomy. If something isn’t working for
you, I can help fix it.”
David J. Smith can personally testify to the turmoil
many ostomy patients encounter. Sent home from the hospital with only a short
lesson on how his new bladder worked, David came to our Digestive System
Cancers Support Group meeting with plenty of questions for Cindy and fellow
cancer survivors. He not only got his questions answered but found more of what
he desperately needed. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without Cancer
Services. I don’t have insurance to cover the expense of all the supplies I
need and without them, I’m not able to go to work or live my life normally.”
From Cancer Services’ ostomy closet, David was able to find the best fits for
his lifestyle, which helped to ease the expense as well as the anxiety. But
worth even more than the tangible items, he received the emotional support he
needed to get back to his life. “Cancer Services helped me see that things were
not as bad as they seemed and that I did not have to face this alone. They know
my name when I come by. Now I not only accept my ostomy, but also see it as
proof of my inner strength.”
The Digestive and Urinary Cancers
Support Group meets the third Monday of each month at noon at Cancer Services.
Call 225-927-2273 to learn more about any of our support groups or our ostomy
support services.
