We were warmly welcomed by Practical Instructor Sharon Demers RN BN who introduced us to her 24 students.
Each presenter spoke about 10 minutes, explaining the process they went through from diagnosis to present and encouraged questions as we went along. The students were extremely interested and asked a lot of questions which made our presentation very easy. We each had a chance to share our feelings; the difficulties or ease of dealing with our diagnosis, our differences and sameness; and the direction our lives have taken now. John as usual had them laughing which encouraged even more questions. We showed them the ostomy doll and its use. We talked about the Ostomy Youth Camp. We invited them to check out our informative website. The role our chapter plays in supporting ostomates and their families was discussed and we explained our support system of ETs and the Manitoba Ostomy Program. We handed out samples of appliances and described the different types of products and their usage. We discussed gas, amounts, leakage, itching, salt & water intake, placement of stoma, clothing, among many other things. We were very impressed with the students' desire to know how they could help the ostomates who they might encounter in the course of their work. A young woman was very emotional as she shared the experience of a family member who would not go out of the house following her surgery. She expressed regret that the family was not aware of our organization when they could have used our support.
Handouts included; newsletter, brochure, poster, FAQ and Fact sheets.
The whole presentation was a very positive experience. Their instructor indicated a possibility of further presentations which we look forward to with great anticipation.
Submitted by Lorrie Pismenny
