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Volume 25, Number 7 April, 1998
CANCER PREVENTION
Via: Deaconess Life Quest
The American Cancer Society estimates that 74 million Americans now living will
eventually have cancer. Although the numbers are daunting, there are steps you
can take to reduce your cancer risk. Primary and secondary prevention are the
two best ways to head off cancer, according to Dr. Anthony Stephens, Deaconess
oncologist. Primary prevention is avoiding the risk factors that may cause
cancer. Don't smoke. Limit exposure to the sun. Keep alcohol consumption at a
moderate amount. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and
fiber. These are all controllable things that may be done to avoid the risk of
cancer, Dr. Stephens says Secondary prevention helps control the uncontrollable.
"You can't do much about your genetics," Dr. Stephens says. However, you can try
to know your risk level and take steps to ensure you're prepared, he added. If
you have a family history of cancer, or have previously made lifestyle choices
that put you at risk, careful monitoring may be one of the best forms of
prevention. Get a yearly mammogram. Go in for prostate screening. Have regular
physicals. Applicable screenings or tests can catch cancer in the early stages
when treatment is most likely to be successful.
LOCAL OSTOMATE VISITS TAIWAN
Story by: Larry Trapp, Evansville, IN Chapter
Through my journeys on the Internet, I had the privilege to become friends with a
remarkable young lady, Jane Hsu, who lives and works in Taoyuan, Taiwan. After much anticipation, we finally met at the
annual UOA convention last year in Anaheim, CA. After the convention, we departed
Los Angeles International Airport for Jane's first visit to Evansville. After arriving, we took in all the sights, in and around Evansville. I can honestly say that she had a
delightful time meeting all of my family and friends during her visit. So, this year, alter receiving a special
invitation by telephone from Jane's mother, I went to visit Jane and her family in Taiwan. It was a pure delight to meet Jane and her family, but after flying 13 hours non-stop from Vancouver BC to Taipei, Taiwan , I was suffering from the proverbial "jet-lag'. So it took me a couple of days to get my days and nights back in order.
After three days in Taiwan, my friend Jane arranged for me to meet and visit Dr. Jeng Yi Wang at his office in Chang Clung Memorial Hospital, where he is a professor and Chief of Colo-Rectal Surgery, at the 3000 bed hospital just outside of Taipei, the Capital of Taiwan. Taipei and Taoyun Counties are about equal in size to the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Dr. Wang is on the International Ostomy Association's mailing list and my friend Linda
Aukett, past President of the UOA, felt it would be beneficial for me, on the behalf of
the IOA to visit Dr. Wang while in Taiwan. My goal in meeting Dr. Wang was to sell him on the idea of becoming the first International Ostomy Association member in Taiwan. Taiwan is an island nation of approximately 21 million people with a growing number of ostomates. Dr. Wang and his associates perform about 400 fecal ostomies per year. Most of these ostomy surgeries are performed on patients with colo-rectal cancer. While there, Dr. Wang informed me
that the hospital has a support group for ostomates that meets twice a year. Outside his office, I saw a neat little sign in Chinese, telling about the next scheduled ostomy support meeting.
After visiting with Dr. Wang for about 15 minutes, he introduced me to the Chief E. T. Nurse. Ms. Wu. After talking with her a few minutes, I found out she was educated in
Enterostimal Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. After traveling 8000 miles, I found an
Ostomy Nurse that graduated
from the same school of Ostomy Nursing as our own fellow UOA member, Jenny Robertson from
Welborn Hospital in Evansville. It's truly a "small world" after all. Ms. Wu served her internship in ET. Nursing at General Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Ms. Wu, took me on a tour of a 120 bed section of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital that was set aside for Gastrointestinal patients. Part of this section was set aside strictly for ostomy patients. I saw some of the male patients learning how to irrigate their colostomy. I saw other male patients learning basic ostomy management
Ms Wu also took me to another section where a male patient was having a
colon scope. Ms. Wu showed me a display of all the different brands of ostomy supplies that her patients use. I saw the familiar Hollister and ConvaTec brands, as well as brands that were manufactured in Taiwan. From my visit to this large Taiwanese hospital, I can truthfully say that their ostomy patients appeared to be getting as good of
care as ostomy patients in the U.S.
My 45 minute visit with Dr. Wang and Ostomy Nurse Wu might have been a brief segment of my 13 day stay in Taiwan, but it was significant enough for me to remember a long time. I made this visit to Dr. Wang's office as a favor to my friend Linda Aukett. In the process, I learned how ostomates are treated in another part of the world. I also learned that fellow ostomates might have different shaped eyes and different color skin, but we all have very similar needs. In the process of doing my
friend a favor, I did myself a favor, by learning to appreciate fellow ostomates a world away.
INCONTINENCE
Via: South Brevard, FL Newsletter
Incontinence can be annoying and embarrassing, and an individual's response to it could be dangerous if it is not understood. Varying symptoms of wine leakage or even uncontrollable wetting are defined as "Incontinence' according to the following four categories:
Stress Incontinence- -leakage of small amounts of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing,
lifting or jogging.
Urge Incontinence- - Compelling desire to urinate and the inability to reach the toilet.
Overflow Incontinence- leakage of small mounts of urine without the urge to void, or inability to urinate normal volumes.
Total Incontinace- - complete absence of control, either continuous leakage or periodic uncontrolled expulsion of the bladder's contents.
Many forms of treatment are available, once the type and cause have been determined. Most cases can be handled successfully with medication or simple exercises.
Physiotherapy (practiced control of the bladder muscles) or psychological methods may be employed.
The key is to consult a physician and not to try to tough it out alone.
Trying to ignore the problem can bring embarrassing situations and, in some cases, even social isolation. Dehydrating oneself (decreasing fluid intake) to prevent incontinence can be outright dangerous and can lead to serious complications. Incontinence, experienced by an estimated 13 million Americans, may result from injury,
stress, pregnancy, disease, infection, birth defect, damage to pelvic muscles (which may occur in Surgery) or the natural physical changes that accompany the
process.
Incontinence can sometimes be cured, often be managed, and always improved. Dealing with it as one would with any other medical ailment will bring relief and may even bring complete recovery. Keeping the problem hidden even from the sufferer's physician cannot improve matters.
The only shame in incontinence is letting it go untreated.
LIQUIDS AND THE UROSTOMATE
Via: Ostoline, Sherman Area Ostomy Association
People with urinary diversions no longer have a storage area (bladder) for
urine. Hence, urine should flow from the stoma as fast as the kidneys make it In fact, if the urinary stoma has no drainage for even an hour during the day, it is time for concern.
The distance from stoma to kidneys is markedly reduced after urinary diversion surgery, and external bacteria have a short route to the kidneys. Since kidney infections can occur very rapidly and can be devastating, prevention is essential.
It's vital to use clean appliances and empty the bag frequently. Equally important is adequate intake of liquids, particularly those which make the urine acid and decrease odor problems.
During warm weather, with increased activity or with a fever, fluids should be increased even more to make up for their loss from the body due to increased metabolism and perspiration.
It is important for urostomates to learn about the symptoms of kidney infection. These are low back pain, chills, elevated temperatures, lower urine output, cloudy and bloody urine. (Normal mucous in the urine gives a cloudy appearance, but bloody urine is the danger sign.)
Thirst is a great index of liquid needs. If you are thirsty, drink up! Also, develop the habit of sampling every time you see a water
fountain.
PSYLLIUM FIGHTS CHOLESTEROL
Via: Metro Maryland
If you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor about the benefits of adding psyllium to your low-fat diet suggests the Mayo Clinic Newsletter.
The newsletter reports that a recent study of 100 adults with high blood cholesterol found that LDL cholesterol dropped by as much as 6 percent as the result of using psyllium. (LDL is the "bad" cholesterol which has been implicated in thousands of heart disease deaths each year.)
The newsletter reports that researchers compared the effects of consuming 1-1/2 packets of psyllium (Metamucil) twice a day to doing nothing. The resulting drop in cholesterol
"could delay or prevent the need for cholesterol-lowering drugs."
WHAT OSTOMATES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DRUGS
Via: St. Paul Pacesetter
Liquids are faster acting than pills or gel caps.
The degree of compression of a tablet determines the rate that medicine is dissolved in one's system.
Vitamins should be taken on a full stomach or else they will irritate the lining of the stomach and produce the sensation of feeling hungry.
The amount of absorption is based on the amount of intestines still intact; therefore, the type of drugs taken must be in accordance with how much absorption
"power' you have.
Time-release capsules are NOT for the ileostomate. Time release medicine will completely dissolve at once if alcohol is consumed with it or shortly
afterwards.
Most medication is available in a variety of forms. Be sure to tell your pharmacist that you have an ostomy so he or she can provide the right form of prescribed medication.
The following precautions are offered to avoid food and drug interactions that can reduce the effectiveness of prescription drugs.
Don't mix medicine into hot beverages. Heat can destroy or alter drug ingredients.
Don't stir medications into food. which can destroy the time release mechanism of certain drugs.
Read all directions, warnings and precautions about your medication.
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