Local ostomy support group offers lifeline for members – The Killeen Daily Herald

Imagine feeling like a prisoner in your own body. Everything in life you once enjoyed is limited or gone all together.

That is a common feeling for many people surviving with an ostomy a bowel or urinary diversion.

Greta Powell, 70, of Killeen, is still in the recovery mode three months after her partial colectomy surgery at Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. She is learning the logistics of dealing with a colostomy and wearing a pouch beneath her clothes to collect her waste.

It overwhelms you in the beginning, Powell said. How and when to change the bag and take care of yourself in a new way.

Powell speaks in a soft, old-world accent from her native Netherlands, and looks a decade younger than her age. She and her military husband came to Fort Hood in 1985, but he died years ago. They had no children. In 2008, she had part of her colon removed due to cancer.

All seemed well until three years ago when she experienced bladder infections. She was diagnosed with diverticulitis, which eventually lead to the surgery in March. At first, she was angry and scared.

I couldnt move like I did and was afraid to go out in public in case my bag leaked, she said.

But she found a lifeline with the new Central Texas Ostomy Association Support Group.

The nonprofit organization was recently started by Debi Guenzel and the ostomy nurses at Scott & White.

This is a major life-changing event, Guenzel said. Were trying to have a place for ostomates to reach out to get information and support, so they dont feel alone.

According to the United Ostomy Associations of America, ostomy surgery is performed on 120,000 people in the U.S. annually.

About 60 percent of these surgeries are temporary, lasting less than six months.

Ostomy patients range in age from babies to people in their 90s. An ostomy refers to surgically creating an opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes.

A stoma is the end of the ureter or small or large bowel that protrudes through the abdominal wall. A small pouch is placed over the stoma to collect waste products that would normally pass through a persons rectum and anus in the bathroom.

The pouch is replaced as needed.

There are four types of surgery: colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy and continent diversion.

The main reasons for ostomy surgery include colon cancer, ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease, bladder cancer, trauma and birth abnormalities.

Guenzel, 60, suffered for 15-years with Crohns disease until her total colectomy surgery in 2015, resulting in an ileostomy.

The active mother, grandmother and world traveler was bed-ridden for several months receiving home health care.

The nurses were kind and helpful but had limited knowledge about ostomy products.

I didnt know what to do and how to find the best products for me, Guenzel said.

So, she took her operation as a chance to start the group, which meets every month for product demonstrations and guest speakers.

It is so important to communicate with people of the same experiences, said Powell.

Both women also share a sense of humor about their poop pouches by naming them. Jean Claude VonOstomy is the nickname for Guenzels bag while Powell calls her bag Roly Poly.

Yet the publics misconceptions about an ostomy will the bag leak or does it smell creates a stigma that is difficult for some ostomates to overcome.

Its like being in AA; there is a shame that society puts upon us, and we want to start to change that with our group, Guenzel said.

The self-confidence gained from knowing about ostomy products and the friendships from the group has made all the difference for Powell.

She is eager to return to her part-time job as an inventory specialist for a local company, when her doctor approves it. Just like anyone else, she has good and bad days but is dealing with her new life one day at a time.

Im getting better with the help from this support group, she said.

What: The Central Texas Ostomy Association Support Group.

When: A meeting is h from 6 to 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month.

Where: The Center for Diagnostic Medicine, room M1717, at 1605 S. 31st St. in Temple.

Who: People who have an ostomy, or who may need one, and their spouses, partners, caregivers, family and friends. The meetings are free.

Information: Call Debi Guenzel at 254-721-1172 or email CTXOstomy@gmail.com.

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Local ostomy support group offers lifeline for members - The Killeen Daily Herald