Programs

UOAA VISITOR PROGRAM
Seattle Chapter
Visitor Coordinator
Carey Douglas- 206-748-1410

Our program offers trained, certified volunteers that are in service to those with ostomies or continent procedures.
We try to provide visitors with the same gender, age and ostomy type when available to those with a new surgery or one that is pending. Our Hotline number 206-748-1410 is checked daily and messages responded to in 24 to 48 hours. I try to follow up calls the evening they are received or the next day whenever possible.

Once I’m able to establish contact with someone seeking ostomy support, I can then provide info and resources. This is accomplished either by phone, a trained volunteer visit or by mail, based on patient request and availability. Provision can be made for packets of info specific to the ostomy surgery, our newsletter and how to experience our support group that meets monthly.

It is our MISSION to offer anyone with a new ostomy or continent procedure the understanding and knowledge provided by the many others that have recovered, who live well with their ostomies or continent procedures and wish to pay forward their success to you, as you move through the process of healing.

MEETINGS

Our Greater Seattle Ostomy ASG is now meeting only once a year basically due to the complaints of the horrible Seattle traffic.  We hold our meetings at Swedish Medical Cherry Hill Campus, Casey Conference Room.  We not only have ostomates who attend these meetings but spouses, family, friends and significant others. We share experiences and discuss various products and help solve problems. We also have various speakers who are invited. Surgeons and ostomy nurses are great sources of information but it is so great to talk to men and women of all ages who have “been there and done that” just like you. An ostomy is a life changing experience not only physically but emotionally and mentally.

NEWSLETTER

Our newsletter “The Ostomist” is published quarterly. We send out 3 complimentary newsletters to new ostomates whose names are received by snail mail as our newsletter is not available online.  It contains information on continuing to receive the newsletter and joining our group on page 2.
Please click on the “Sign up for our Newsletter” on the home page to start receiving your newsletters or call Janet at 425-338-5675.

SUPPLY CLOSET

Unused ostomy supplies that are donated to our group are available free of charge to those in need. To use this service, please contact Laura Vadman at 425-503-0436 to discuss with her if the supplies you need are available in the Supply Closet.
We love getting donations for our Supply Closet. Your donations help many ostomates in need of supplies who either do not have insurance or just need help between receiving supplies from the healthcare company they use. We do, however, ask you to please follow the guidelines listed below:
1. We can only accept ostomy barriers/wafers and one piece and 2 piece pouches.  We are not accepting urostomy supplies at this time.
2. Please check to make sure they are not outdated. Shelf life is 5 years. Check the date on the boxes for the expiration date. ConvaTec has their date in code and listed as a “Lot” number. Explanation of how to determine the expiration is as follows: The first number is the year it was manufactured. The first letter is the month of the year. For example: A is January, B is February, C is March and so on so that L would be December. The product has a 5 year shelf life so just add 5 years to the first number and that gives you the expiration year of that particular product.
3. Items need to be in their original boxes.