Educate yourself about ostomies
Educate yourself about ostomies
Oct. 1 is National Ostomy Awareness Day.
At least 750,000 Americans of all ages live with an ostomy, and many readers might not know what an ostomy is.
An ostomy is a type of surgery that creates an opening in the abdomen that allows for the removal of bodily waste into an ostomy bag outside the body. This surgery occurs when a person loses the normal function of digestive or urinary systems because of birth defects, cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, trauma (such as a military service injury) and other medical conditions.
Education is needed to fight stigmas and misinformation about ostomies. Many patients fear undergoing this surgery. This day serves as a reminder this is a lifesaving and life-restoring surgery. People living with an ostomy should be accepted as the active and healthy individuals they are.
This year’s theme is “Resilience: Bouncing Back into Life” and is all about finding your inner strength to bounce back from this surgery. People and families of those with ostomies are not alone and can find support through the Big Island Ostomy Group that meets at 11:30 a.m. the third Saturday of every month at the Hilo Medical Center cafeteria, 1190 Waianuenue Ave. in Hilo.
Sandy Wright
Big Island Ostomy Group
Send them back to Remedial Civics 101
Regarding Mayor Billy Kenoi’s lawyers’ claim that the “big thinking mayor had bigger things to do than think about monthly reimbursements,” my reaction is, in what alternate universe do attorneys Todd Eddins and Richard Sing live?
Gee, in the world of us 99-percenters, one of the most critical responsibilities for any elected official is to safeguard the careful spending of taxpayers’ hard-earned monies.
Besides, the Dec 15, 2008, memo from then-Finance Director (Nancy) Crawford clearly outlined guidelines that stated “No Liquor” should be paid for with the pCard.
And apparently, Kenoi didn’t even pay back much of his expenses until media exposure of his illegal and unethical spending came out in 2015.
Maybe the Hawaii State Bar Association ought to send attorneys Eddins and Sing back to Remedial Civics 101?
Peace and aloha.
Danny H.C. Li
Keaau