Community Forums

Ostomy Awareness Da...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Ostomy Awareness Day

27 Posts
8 Users
49 Likes
1,145 Views
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Hi there ostobuddies,

I got an email from Hollister about Ostomy Awareness Day on October 5th.  It looks like there are 10 different "Run for Resilience Ostomy 5k" events in various cities US cities between Sept 28-Oct 12.

I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I have signed up for 2 of them.  And I don't even know if I can make it 5k.  ? But I'm gonna give it a shot!!

I don't know where everyone lives, but the events I am doing are in Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA on October 5th and in Boise, ID on October 12th.  If anyone lives in either of those areas, and would like to join my team, or form your own, I would be happy to forward you the information.

Also, in case any of you live in the following areas, these are the others mentioned on the website as having events:  Durham, NC, Birmingham, AL, Mesa, AZ, Nashville, TN, Harrison TWP, MI, E Stroudsburg, PA, and Delanco, NJ.  There is also a virtual Run/Walk if you don't live in these areas.

I am happy to forward the email or any information I have to anyone interested.  Just send me a PM.  

Cheers,

Liza

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
john68, LK and VeganOstomy reacted
Quote
VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 4188
 

We have a "stoma stroll" on Oct 5th. I've only ever done the walks for Crohn's and Colitis, but I'd love to do one for ostomy awareness.

Have fun!

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
SqueakyandLiza, john68 and LK reacted
ReplyQuote
 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1450
 

Liza,  congrats!  You have GUTS!!!  Lol. Good for you!  One right now, would be too ambitious for me by far, but do me a favour and count the port-a-potties on your way!  Okay, I'm curious!!! Lol.  Bring your own TP along in your backpack. You can buy small packs of toilet seat covers in the drug store by Charmin TP company, 5 per pack where sample sizes are sold. I am so proud of you doing this,  it should be  fun time and a good chance to meet new people.  Do people pledge money  for this kind of an event?  Is it a fund raiser for research?  I am sure with your determination you will manage just fine.  You have come a long way!   This month is our Terry Fox run for the Cure, all over Canada.

Eric are those for fund raising also in Canada? Who have all tried to do one or two of these walks or runs?  How did you fair and how did you manage something like that with your pouch.  You would have to eat  and drink well before hand, and if I eat, I could be in the bathroom plenty afterwards. I do not see it as being a possible thing for me even tho I would love to participate. Make sure you let us know how you did please.

Linda


   
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

@dlkfiretruck

Thanks for the encouragement, Linda!!  I hope I can make it the whole 5k.  I haven't gotten up to my full strength yet.  I'm sure the open wound and hernia aren't doing me any favors, but I have confidence in myself that I can do this!!  And I will definitely count the port-a-potties and report back.  Also will do a comparison which city is better prepared.  

It is a fundraiser for United Ostomy Associations of America, so in addition to registering twice, I made 2 donations.  :)  When I get an idea in my mind, you never know where I am going to end up.  At least this is for good.  And the way things are going in my life right now, I could use some good karma, you know?

I am excited to report back!!

 

 

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
ReplyQuote
VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 4188
 
Posted by: @dlkfiretruck

Eric are those for fund raising also in Canada? Who have all tried to do one or two of these walks or runs?  How did you fair and how did you manage something like that with your pouch.  You would have to eat  and drink well before hand, and if I eat, I could be in the bathroom plenty afterwards. I do not see it as being a possible thing for me even tho I would love to participate. Make sure you let us know how you did please.

Ostomy Canada has their own walk: 

www.stomastroll.ca

And Crohn's and Colitis Canada has their own walk, too:

www.gutsywalk.ca

Those walks are generally pretty short (5km in about an hour), so I don't need to do anything extra to prep. Bathrooms are always available, especially considering the event! 

I did take a video of the 2016 Gusty Walk :

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Thanks for sharing your video, Eric. It makes me excited for my walks!!  And I have support for both of them. Some good friends of ours live in Boise and are going to join in. And most of my family will be at the Portland/Vancouver one. I’ll try to post a couple pictures. ?

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
Dona
 Dona
(@dona)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 832
 

Good luck Liz ( and squeaky). Have fun on the walk and also enjoy getting ready for it! 

And, always good to raise awareness. Pictures would be great.

Onset of severe Ulcerative Colitus Oct.2012. Subtotal colectomy with illiostomy July 2015; Peristomal hernia repair ( Sugarbaker, mesh, laparoscopic) May 2017.


   
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Thanks Dona!!

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
sjlovestosing
(@sjlovestosing)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 651
 

Hi Liza (and company!),

Good luck on your walk. I give you a great deal of credit, considering what you are up against. I'm rooting for you, kiddo!

Stella


   
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

@sjlovestosing

Thanks Stella!!

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Vancouver, WA

Team Squeaky!!  No bathrooms yet, Linda. ?

Dang, picture was too big. 

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Hi guys, 

So, my first 5k was today. Team Squeaky has 13 people and was by far the largest team. I would guess the whole thing had about 60-70 participants. 

We got there a little after 9 to check in. There were reps from Coloplast, Convatec and Hollister there, as well as Byram, which happens to be the company my insurance requires me to use. I talked for quite a while with the Hollister rep, because that is the one I haven’t tried yet. They are going to send me some samples. They also had some photo props so we took some pictures, and might end up on Hollister’s Facebook page. ?

The walk started at 10. It was in a nice park along the Columbia River. We started sort of in a woodsy area and then moved out into the sun, right along the river. The path was walk out about a mile, turn and walk to the end of a pier right to the river and back to the main path where you continue to the turn around point and then walk back, skipping the pier part. Tom and I, and my mom and her boyfriend turned back after the pier, but everyone else kept going to the turnaround. The pier was at least a mile so I know I walked over 2 miles but didn’t do the entire 3.1

This way I got back to the finish and was able to take pictures of all my family finishing. They had a dj at the start/finish which was fun and they had snacks and water and electrolyte drinks at the end. They also had candy, which my nephews were pretty excited about. And they gave my youngest nephew a medal on a blue ribbon, which he was so excited about. It was so cute!

Linda, there was a bathroom at the start, and one at the turnaround, but that is it. ?

After the walk, my sister, brother-in-law and my niece all went home, but the other 10 of us all went out to lunch, which was super fun.

All-in-all, it was a fun event, and I loved the way my family all turned out to support me!!

I have the other walk next weekend in Boise and I’m going to see if I can make it the whole 5k this time!!

Since I can only add one picture, I had to do my little 7 yr old nephew with his medal. ❤️

1570345267-9E13D698-AE49-4BE5-9A26-CE7706FCA6D1.jpeg

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
VeganOstomy, LK, LLNorth and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
 

Well done Liza, sounds like a lovely day out. Hope the legs and feet ain’t hurting too much today ?

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

@john68

Thanks John!!  I am a little sore, but not as much as I expected. ?

Here is a picture from the park. This is in the woodsy area before we got out into the sun. It was such a lovely park for a walk. And very popular too.  We probably were passed by at least 10 Cross Country teams out practicing.

Edit: This picture was too big to upload too. I have no idea why some pictures I take use more memory than others. ? 

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
sjlovestosing
(@sjlovestosing)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 651
 

Good job, Liza! I am sure you will complete next week's walk! ? 

Stella


   
SqueakyandLiza and LK reacted
ReplyQuote
 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1450
 

LIza, I am so proud of you even signing up! Lol. I walk a lot, but am not sure I could go that long without eating first.  They would need far more bathrooms on site for me to take part.  I think it is great that they acknowledged your adorable little nephew like that and what kids does not like the bonus of candy! Lol.  It doesn't matter that you could not go all the way, at least you tried! I think that it is important that you  listened to your body and did not push yourself  too hard,  ranks over finishing the walk.  All the best to you for the next one! 

Linda


   
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Thanks, Linda and Stella!!

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 10 years ago
Posts: 4188
 

@squeakyandliza

Thanks for sharing, Liza! Sounds like you had fun!

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 992
Topic starter  

Hi ostopals!!

Today was my second 5k. This one was in Boise, ID and it was fabulously organized and very well attended. We are visiting good friends of ours who signed up to walk with us. 

We got there about 9:00 and there were breakfast type snacks and drinks. I just had half a banana because I didn’t want any problems with my bag. Before the race, they had a gym owner lead a group warmup. They also asked all the ostomates to gather for a group picture. There were about 12-15 of us, including a girl about 12 years old. ?

The run/walk started at 9:30. There were over 100 people running and walking. It was a nice path, mostly along the Boise river. They had signs at the 1, 2, and 3 mile marks, which was nice. And I made it the whole 3.1 miles (5k)!!!  I was so proud of myself!!

Linda, there were 2 bathrooms along the path, in addition to the one at the start/finish. I did have to stop about 2.5 miles in at the bathroom to empty my bag. Not sure how it got so full. Without that stop, I would have been close to an hour. As it was, we finished in about 1:07. 

It was clear that there is a very active and supportive ostomy community here in Boise. A lot of people seemed to know each other and there were a couple doctors and several ostomy nurses walking. It was very nice. They also had prizes that had been donated, so they did drawings after the race. I actually won 2 tickets to a local water park. My friend has a friend I have met a couple times who has teenagers, so I told her to pass them along to her to use next summer. 

It took me a little while to get this picture, with the glare on the clock. 

1570949818-22D3341C-6C80-4129-9300-9994DBAD269A.jpeg

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
LK, john68 and Tony reacted
ReplyQuote
(@john68)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2021
 

Well done Liza, how did your bag get so full? Well exercise is great for getting the system moving. ?

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
LK and SqueakyandLiza reacted
ReplyQuote
Page 1 / 2