Great Comebacks Announces the 2010 Regional Awards...

Great Comebacks, sponsored by ostomy supplier Convatec, announced their regional award recipients in mid-October.

If you don’t know already, Great Comebacks is a recognition for the achievements of individuals overcoming serious intestinal diseases, cancer, and other health conditions leading to ostomy surgery. The chairman of Great Comebacks is former San Diego place-kicker and Ulcerative Colitis patient Rolf Benirschke.

Great comebacks also participates and partners with many related groups including the United Ostomy Associations of America, Crohns & Colitis Foundation (CCFA), Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society (IDEAS) and several others.

Here are links to the regional winners, for each of their biographies on the Great Comebacks site:

• South: David Barger
• Central: Yvonne Austin
• East: Linda Pasto
• West: Charles (Chuck) Wielgus

This recognition, announced in October 2010, will also honor these four folks on June 4th, 2011 as one is chosen for the National Award at the 43rd WOCN (Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses) Annual Conference in New Orleans.

Let’s hope their stories may help serve as awareness, inspiration and encouragement for those who are facing Ostomy surgery!

ConvaTec is an ostomy supplier providing numerous lines of pouches, wafers, and appliances to improve the quality of life of ostomy patients. See the Ostomy Guide ConvaTec Product Catalog for a list of products and associated codes, including the popular Convatec Stomahesive paste.

Ostomy Awareness Day Follow-Up

Sunday, July 25th was Ostomy awareness Day and the Internet was active with osto-activities!

The Hollister supported C3Life.com pledge to donate $1 dollar per tweet went extremely well - in fact, the maximum donation of $2500 was reached! I even noticed an ostomyday tweet by Alyssa Milano, who has, like, a gazillion Twitter followers.

Daniel from the Talkin’ Bout Guts (along with a few others!) endured a full day of broadcasting with live chat, streamed from the Talkin’ Bout Guts Website.

C&S Ostomy Pouch Covers pledged a donation of 10% of sales on Ostomy Day and 2 free covers for any purchase of 6 covers or more.

STLMedical.com pledged a donation of 5% of all Ostomy Supply sales for a total donation of $1066.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Ostomy Day! Let’s look forward to next year.

July 25th is Ostomy Awareness Day - Spread t...

UOAA Announced the 1st National Ostomy Awareness Day for July 25th, 2010!

Ostomy Awareness Day is to spread awareness on the Ostomy surgery that has benefited and saved the lives of so many people. Here’s the UOAA “Official” page on their good-looking new Website: http://www.ostomy.org/ostomy_awareness_day.shtml

This is largely an online, social-networking awareness event for Ostomy. Show your support by:

• Changing your profile picture to the UOAA logo.
• Changing your Facebook status to the day’s slogan.
• Tweeting and Blogging about Ostomy Awareness.
• Encourage your Friends, Family, and Local Support Groups to participate!

“Ostomates Unite and Help Place The Ostomy In A Positive Light! Celebrate UOAA’s Ostomy Awareness Day!”

Some other things going on for Ostomy Awareness Day:

1) TalkinBoutGuts.com has an online Podcast about ostomy. They want to go 24 hours LIVE all day on Ostomy Awareness Day and need some co-hosts and participants to help make this happen. Contact them through Twitter or the Talkin’ Bout Guts Website.

2) STLMedical.com, our site sponsor, is donating 5% of all ostomy supply sales to the UOAA from July 3rd - July 27th, 2010. (There’s a couple days after the Ostomy Day event to participate.)

3) The UOAA has opened an online store with an “I (heart) my Ostomy” shirts and UOAA merchandise: Find them here!

4) C&S Pouch Covers is donating 10% of all sales on July 25th to the UOAA. And, if you order 6 pouch covers, you will get 2 free. Visit C&S Pouch Covers here.

5) c3Life.com has pledged a donation of $1 for every Tweet with the tag #OstomyDay on July 25th, up to $2,500. Be sure to participate between the fundraiser time of 12:00am to 12:00pm, and ask your friends and family to as well!

We’ll add to this page as we know of more goings-on, so bookmark it through the event and feel free to comment or contact us with any more Ostomy Awareness Day activities!

UOAA Northwest Regional Conference Announced

United Ostomy Association of America announced the Northwest Regional Conference this year. Here are some details:

WHEN: August 13 - 15, 2010

WHERE: La Quinta Inn & Suites
1425 E. 27th Street
Tacoma, WA 98421
253-383-0146

Cost
$45 registration fee and $30 for dinner. Discount hotel rates for attendees at $89/room. (Mention UOAA for the price.)

Event Schedule
FRIDAY evening: Social mixer – 6 pm
SATURDAY: Sign-in 8 to 9 am, Program from 9am - 4pm, Dinner at 6pm.
SUNDAY: Leadership meeting 8 am to noon

The conference flier and registration sheet can be found here.

For more upcoming UOAA events, see their events page.