Hi all,

I just received this from Hollister, Eric probably has it already, but thought I should put it on for those worried about supplies (from Hollister). 

A Message from Hollister Incorporated

To our valued consumers, the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has raised concerns about the continued availability of medical products including ostomy and continence care supplies. Here is what we are doing to support you during this time.

We want to share the facts and remove any product supply uncertainty you have going forward

• Hollister Incorporated has taken steps to ensure that all our customers experience no disruption to the supply of their products and to protect our Hollister Associates and their families.
• We do not anticipate any impact to our ability to supply our ostomy or intermittent catheter, or other continence care products to you and those in need in the community.
• Sample volumes have been increased to ensure we can continue to support your ongoing product options should they need to be addressed. If you need to place an order, we will connect you to a supplier that is in-network with your insurance.

Know that we are here to serve you and support your needs

• Our Secure Start Services are dedicated to ensuring that you feel supported, confident and have access to your products. Our team can be reached by calling 1.888.808.7456 or through our website.
• We encourage you to create a profile, using the email address that we sent this communication to, if you have not already done so. This will enable Hollister to keep in communication with you through email with any important or needed updates. You can create this profile by visiting: www.hollister.com/consumerservices

We will continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and will share new developments as they occur. For the latest information, please visit our website https://go.hollister.com/e/455792/isterNovelCoronavirusMar202020/8sf63s/819885193?h=_p4WYFQRt1V88h2GrrmipFhscJmIUI73-Cv4kPTgTpk  
https://go.hollister.com/e/455792/en-newslanding/8sf638/819885193?h=_p4WYFQRt1V88h2GrrmipFhscJmIUI73-Cv4kPTgTpk
 or follow us on Facebook  https://go.hollister.com/e/455792/HollisterIncorporated/8sf63v/819885193?h=_p4WYFQRt1V88h2GrrmipFhscJmIUI73-Cv4kPTgTpk .
 
Abinash Nayak
Vice President, Americas
Hollister Incorporated

Hi Folks, How many of us have an up coming Medical appointment that has now been cancelled. I had one next week and I got a call from the hospital to say that they now can offer an online/phone appointment. I jumped at the chance and was told I would receive a letter to give details and a time. So if you have an up coming appointment it may be worth asking if a remote appointment can be done 👍

@john68

I would imagine that many appointments will turn to telehealth appointments, which I see as a good thing - we should be moving many patients over to a telehealth system for many reasons, but if this is what it takes for this to happen, then we should embrace it! 

I have been sewing masks - will try to attach a photo. These are made from two  layers of tightly woven fabric, with a middle layer of t-shirt or old dish cloth fabric, a very simple design from Wintergreen, which makes outdoor clothing for extreme conditions (it is owned by Will Steger, who is well known for his polar expeditions). I have a fabric stash that will go a long way ....

Those look wonderful! As we all figure out what to do, you are making a difference.

I was diagnosed in December 2019 with sleep Apnea and had an appointment to fit me a mask, on April 6. Gor a call at the end of March, that appointment which was in the hospital, was cancelled, and a new one could not be set up as of yet. In the mean time I live tired all day , every day.

Dan

@llnorth,

Nice masks, do you sell these? I can not get masks anywhere here in town?

Dan

@llholiday...my goodness you do have great patterns for the material. Is that  pattern posted on the company  web site? 

I have a feeling we may all need to have  one very soon . This is a nasty time for all with plenty of concerns for everyone. Thank you for posting and showing your talented work. I find it very encouraging.

@danbh That is terrible. My mother has sleep apnea, so I can understand how disruptive it must be for you. Do they have any tentative dates for a new appointment? I have to imagine if they cancel everything for months they'll have a huge backlog when they finally do accept patients again. 

@llholiday Beautiful masks!! 

@llholiday

Great job with your masks!!  I was just looking into making some myself. 😀 

Posted by: @veganostomy

I would imagine that many appointments will turn to telehealth appointments

I started working on a referral for a second opinion back in September. They scheduled me for March and then rescheduled me for April 2nd because that was the first availability they had to see both the surgeon and GI on the same day. Then on Monday last week, they called to say they were converting all appts to phone appts. So, we had phone appts with both drs Thursday. They both seem very knowledgeable, but they have said they cannot give an opinion without seeing me and doing tests/scopes. They are saying it will likely be at least July, before I can get in. 

In June it will be two years that I have been dealing with an open belly wound. I am really struggling with getting discouraged by everything.

I hope you are all well, and especially staying healthy!!

@veganostomy

Yes Eric, it's not easy to do anything while falling asleep all the time. I find myself falling a sleep watching TV, or reading the news on my PC. I also fell a sleep one time at work.

As for my next appointment, who knows, NY will stay under shutdown till April 29 for now, and who knows what is after that.

Stay healthy, and well, you and yours.

Dan

@dlkfiretruck linda, here is a link to a demonstration of mask-making. I have been putting a layer of very thin, lightweight cotton in between.

@llholiday

Thanks for sharing this video!! I’ve watched a couple different videos on making masks and might try to make some. I don’t have anything to do the ties or elastic to go over the ears, so that is what I need to try to find. I found some elastic online about 3 weeks ago for a friend who is making masks to donate to medical workers, so I might order that if it is still available. I have lots of fabric from all the quilts I have made. 😀

Oh, and I am coveting the sewing machine in the video. It is so much nicer than mine!!

Hi All 

John i have had the same thing happen with me on appointments had 2 of them canceled . But yesterday i did the online appointment face to face with the doctor worked great ! Only took a few minutes and didn't have to leave the house . 

@squeakyandliza yes, I would love to have that sewing machine, too! She is a professional at Wintergreen, so I expect that is an expensive industrial machine. Ties - I have been using up my bias tape, and she does mention shoelaces. I bet string would work. There is no elastic to be had anywhere around here. I like this pattern because it fits a variety of people. Found a pattern on Johns Hopkins site for a pleated one that looksvery simple, also, and you could make your own bias tape fir the Johns Hopkins;  even the 1/2” width is a little harder to work wiyh for the Wintergreen one (anything wider than the 1/4”gets a little challenging for the Wintergreen style, though last night I did manage one).  

I'm thinking those narrow  drawstrings with some elasticity  that are in some pants, ( like sweats or joggers) might work also. 

So, I modified the Wintergreen design with a way to use less bias tape. It covers and fits the face just as well and is more comfortable - and requires just one tying at the back of the head (near the top). I will attach a photo.

Hello Ladies and Gents...

LLNORTH...thank you so very much for the videos and all the information you provided. No doubt this is helpful for many.  I think the ones you  make is a mask even   a beginner could  successfully make. I had been trying to find my way around YouTube finding a good but simple mask to make as well, so again, TQ! . Aa-hmmm...If that's your pretty  hair in the picture, my hair wants your hair to know you made my  thin ragged victim of anemia hair hopeful but a wee tad  envious!😬 lol. 🙃 Lucky lady! 👩‍🦳I miss my hair.🦚... and an ample supply of 🚽🧻. 😖 deep sigh.

@squeakyandliza...if you like unpicking and the masks 😷 are for yourselves, you could use elastic off a pair of underwear & if there cotton, there's your lining, while locating what you need. Also like *LLNorth suggested, string would work too if you ever use it in the garden, you may have a spool tucked away.  I would recommend a tight braid of it first depending on width. To add to *Donas helpful suggestion, You could also maybe use the Ties or elastic drawstring from  jacket hoods or  a waste band. If Tie material  is too wide for the pattern, add extra material to make the difference. One video the instructor used a 1 piece strip of Tie, verses  2, using less and being able to get more masks made because of it.                              Yup! A lovely sewing machine!

Danbh and *Liza...I have had 2 medical phone apts. &  I rather appreciated not having to leave the house, but when  your health issues hang in the wind, it is a tad unnerving. I have good  reason to believe COVID19 is the reason I was out of my extended hospital stay so quickly. Once the powers  that  be  figure out how to safely examine patients without risk, I'm sure you will get a call to rebook asap. It does not hurt to keep in touch once a month till then, even leaving a message &  always report any changes.  Breathing issues are scarey to deal with but in your sleep is a whole other fright, and top of  Asthma,  I feel for you Dan! 😖.

I understand the stress of waiting and being bumped for for any apt. , @ age 20 something, I was badly bumped for a very necessary  ❤ surgery.  When I asked how  they based  who is bumped even 20 feet from the surgical suite. I was grateful and relieved when my very kind surgeon told me that I was not as life and death as the patients who bumped me. After that I vowed  to always be patient in a whole other way.

As hard as this is right now for anyone "waiting", one of my survival techniques is to read something I can get lost in, pick up a set aside hobby or  craft, take advantage of free on line courses and learn something you may have wanted to learn.  Anything to help  pass the time. 

LLNORTH...and anyone, can I pick your brains...but, what do you think... felt is made from wool, would this be better to line a mask as a sort of filter verses the cotton suggested and do you by chance know why cotton is suggested??

Thank you and all the best everyone! 

Hi Linda and everyone,

First, my daughter tells me she ties her mask on each side, in a circle around each ear. I don’t know  why it doesn’t fall off but she says it works.

Yes, that is my hair, Linda - it used to be stick straight but after chemo it grew back with some wave. I hear that there are people who pay good money to get their hair to do this!

i have heard of someone who is using wool felt on the inside of the mask she made. The only thing is, can it be sanitized, is what I am thinking. About sanitizing - i have heard that ironing the mask will sanitize (not sterilize) it some.

I have thought of chain-crocheting the string for ties, like the mitten strings we wore as kids - remember them?

At this moment my husband is on his laptop having a face to face doctor appointment. Setting up fir this first time was a little harrowing (😊!) but it is working out fine.

God bless everyone; take care and be well.

LL