Four nurses at Comanche County Memorial Hospital have started a support group after seeing an increase in ostomy surgeries. Rebecca Lusher, a registered nurse with the enterostomal therapy group at CCMH, said over the past 10 years, there’s been an increase in ostomy surgeries. She says data shows it’s from inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
“It’s been a real need to haave these life saving surgeries for people, but it has changed their life because now they have a bag that they carry around,” Lusher.
Not everyone knows what an ostomy is or why it’s needed. Co-founder Erika Goss said it can be permanent or temporary.
“An ostomy is an opening in the skin that a surgeon creates and brings the bowel up for elimination,” Goss said. “If you have colorectal cancer and they have to take part of your bowel out, or if you have bladder cancer and they have to bypass your bladder, they use part of the bowel to create an ostomy so you can still do that.”
Kristina Kriz said patients are taught how to live with an ostomy while they’re in the hospital, and once they’re discharged, they have home health for a short period.
“And then they get rid of home health, and then they have their support group at home,” Kriz said. “If they don’t have family or friends that are very supportive they may feel alone.”
Cristal Culbreth said the support group at CCMH will help them connect with people who are also feeling alone and have questions.
“They get body dysphoria,” Culbreth said. “It’s very physically challenging for people and also mentally challenging for people that have ostomies.”
Culbreth said that sense of community is important…especially when people as young as 22 get ostomies done.
“And I think that it’s important to have a community that they can go to to ask questions and also to be able to come and ask other people,” Culbreth said. “Say that this person has had an ostomy for 20 years, they can talk to somebody that is just getting an ostomy.”
Kriz said the support group teamed up with the United Ostomy Association of America, which is a national network that helps people who have ostomies. She said there used to be a local support group, but it disbanded several years ago, so someone wanting that experience would have to travel to Oklahoma City.
“Our group has worked to come together as a voluntary basis and put one together so the people of Lawton and surrounding areas can come here instead of go all the way to Oklahoma City,” Kriz said.
The support group isn’t just for those who have ostomies. It’s also for their family, friends, and those who are curious about ostomies or may need to get one. The Support Group is going to meet the third Tuesday of the month at six in the evening. They’ll be inside the Rehab Conference Room inside the Tomlinson Medical Complex. If you’d like more information, you can go to CCMH’s website.Four nurses at Comanche County Memorial Hospital have started a support group after seeing an increase in ostomy surgeries. Rebecca Lusher, a registered nurse with the enterostomal therapy group at CCMH, said over the past 10 years, there’s been an increase in ostomy surgeries. She says data shows it’s from inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.
“It’s been a real need to haave these life saving surgeries for people, but it has changed their life because now they have a bag that they carry around,” Lusher.
Not everyone knows what an ostomy is or why it’s needed. Co-founder Erika Goss said it can be permanent or temporary.
“An ostomy is an opening in the skin that a surgeon creates and brings the bowel up for elimination,” Goss said. “If you have colorectal cancer and they have to take part of your bowel out, or if you have bladder cancer and they have to bypass your bladder, they use part of the bowel to create an ostomy so you can still do that.”
Kristina Kriz said patients are taught how to live with an ostomy while they’re in the hospital, and once they’re discharged, they have home health for a short period.
“And then they get rid of home health, and then they have their support group at home,” Kriz said. “If they don’t have family or friends that are very supportive they may feel alone.”
Cristal Culbreth said the support group at CCMH will help them connect with people who are also feeling alone and have questions.
“They get body dysphoria,” Culbreth said. “It’s very physically challenging for people and also mentally challenging for people that have ostomies.”
Culbreth said that sense of community is important…especially when people as young as 22 get ostomies done.
“And I think that it’s important to have a community that they can go to to ask questions and also to be able to come and ask other people,” Culbreth said. “Say that this person has had an ostomy for 20 years, they can talk to somebody that is just getting an ostomy.”
Kriz said the support group teamed up with the United Ostomy Association of America, which is a national network that helps people who have ostomies. She said there used to be a local support group, but it disbanded several years ago, so someone wanting that experience would have to travel to Oklahoma City.
“Our group has worked to come together as a voluntary basis and put one together so the people of Lawton and surrounding areas can come here instead of go all the way to Oklahoma City,” Kriz said.
The support group isn’t just for those who have ostomies. It’s also for their family, friends, and those who are curious about ostomies or may need to get one. The Support Group is going to meet the third Tuesday of the month at six in the evening. They’ll be inside the Rehab Conference Room inside the Tomlinson Medical Complex. If you’d like more information, you can go to CCMH’s website.
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