I met so many old friends at the conference and made many new ones. I felt emotionally drained Sunday morning, after waking up to realize, "No more Conference, back to the real world!" Being at the conference is like being in a bubble of love for me. I hugged and kissed more people in those 4 days than I will do in the rest of the year. What with getting up early to catch the bus and staying up late chatting with Morley, I averaged about 4 hours sleep a night. A little less than I need! My suggestion for future conferences was to arrange to have 36 hour days during the conference. Then I could chat myself silly, go to all of the speakers and events, stay out late and still get my 8 hours sleep a night!
The speakers were excellent, the medical information first-rate, the dinner functions great fun and the whole experience left me feeling warm and fuzzy all over.
I would like to especially thank my friend Eric Floyd and the GLO gang for taking us under their wing and showing us how to have fun! The "GLO in the Dark" Dinner on Wednesday evening was a great way for us to kick things off after the long day's drive. Sadly, GLO stalwart and good friend, Larry Hartwig, was undergoing radiotherapy and was unable to attend. Get well soon, Larry!
A highlight for me was when Karen Tourdot was awarded the Sam Dubin Award at the banquet on Saturday. I had first met Karen at the Winnipeg Regional Conference in 1992. At this time, she was wasn't looking well and was very weak. I met her again in Green Bay in 1994 and we have stayed in touch over the years, meeting for lunch when I have visited Minneapolis. She looked great this year, healthy and vibrant, and was so surprised at receiving the award. She has been a regional coordinator for the UOA for a number of years now, as well as working at the chapter level. This award has always gone to a "nationally" involved person in the past and it was nice to see the UOA recognize the work that goes on at local levels. I was also very happy to be there to see Karen's shocked surprise at recieving this recognition and be able to congratulate her afterwards.
I would like to thank everyone at the UOA who made us so welcome! As the only two Canadians there, we were greatly outnumbered, but it really made no difference. We felt so at home, surrounded by the UOA family. Ostomates have a very special bond and attending conferences really emphasizes this connection. If ever you have the opportunity to attend an ostomy association conference, go for it. It is a very special experience! Next year, the UOA of Canada's conference is in Halifax. It should be great, so try and attend if you can. Finally, I would like to thank the Winnipeg Ostomy Association for assisting me financially. Without your help, I would not have been able to attend, and would have missed out on a truly memorable experience.
Yours truly,
Mike Leverick,Inside Out Editor,
W.O.A. Webmaster.
