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In 1995, Marty Postlethwait founded the Shadow Buddies Foundation to help her son Miles. Miles wanted a friend just like him, someone that had the same physical challenges that he was born with, he wanted a doll that could shadow him to his doctor's appointments and be a friend during treatments. Marty took action and she made Miles his Shadow Buddy. Shadow Buddies started with dolls that represented 4 different medical conditions and has now expanded to include 26 conditions.An amazing aspect o …

Nitrile, Latex, or Latex-Free Medical Gloves: Which Works for Me?There are many varieties of medical gloves.  How do you choose which type of gloves to use?  What should you look for in an exam glove?  What is a nitrile glove? How do you know if you are allergic to latex? It can be daunting to see a shelf or online medical supply store full of many varieties of the same item. They are made of different materials and they have different costs, so how do you know which one you need? Personal pre …

An online medical supply company may not be the first place you would look for cleaning supplies, but when we heard about the new Clorox Urine Remover spray, we had to get it and try it out. The product is specially designed to break down urine, not just mask it with a pretty scent. It really removes urine, even urine that has been present for long periods of time. It is great for those accidents that can happen on upholstery, bedding, clothing, or carpet. What amazed me was how well it worked …

Red and irritated skin is not a normal part of having an ostomy. Ideally, your ostomy appliance should fit well and you should have healthy happy skin under and around your ostomy. If your skin is damaged, it is a great idea to contact a professional. The best place to go when you have a problem with your ostomy is of course your WOC nurse and your medical team. They are familiar with your individual challenges and can tailor a treatment that is perfect for you. The most important thing is, don' …

When you first have your ostomy surgery, you are given medical supplies and a lot of instructions on how to use them. The colostomy bags and flanges and wafers are obvious, you knew you would need those. However, there are a lot of ostomy accessories that are so clever that once you try them out, you won't know how you lived without them. Bag-It-Away Ostaway X-Bags are specially made for disposing of colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy bags. This product was designed by people who understand wha …

 Coloplast Brava Lubricating Deodorant Drops Help Stop Pancaking:When you have an ostomy there are many challenges that you face on a daily basis. Luckily, there are a lot of products on the market to help combat some common problems had by people with ostomies. One problem that many people have is called, pancaking. Pancaking is when your output does not drop to the bottom of the bag and instead it sticks to the top of the ostomy bag by the wafer. An ostomy wafer is also called a flange or base …

Convatec SUR-FIT Natura 12" Drainable 2 Piece Ostomy pouchhas a two-sided comfort panel with a standard tail closure and opaque pouch. The wide tail openings make draining and cleaning the opening easier. Convatec is a trusted brand for ostomy pouches and wafers. They are a great choice for ostomates the only downside to Convatec can be the out of pocket price when you are buying supplies without insurance.Genairex Securi-T Ostomy PouchesThis is where Genairex Securi-T Ostomy Pouches comes into …

Generally speaking, you will have 3 to 5 days of wear time between pouch changes. If you find yourself going through a lot of pouches and are experiencing frequent leakage, you should contact your ostomy nurse. They are your greatest resource for information regarding your pouch system and ostomy supplies. Many people find it helpful to schedule their ostomy pouch changes early in the morning or late in the evening right before bed.  A lot of people say that their stomas are less active dur …

When the air gets chilly, a pumpkin spice latte sounds better than grabbing another water bottle.  Crisp air, campfires, and sweaters make it easy to forget to drink enough water.  Everyone needs to drink water; most doctors recommend at least 8 glasses of water every day, even when the weather is cold.  When you have a urostomy, it is even more important that you drink plenty of water.People with a urostomy no longer have a bladder for urine. Urine should flow from the stoma as fast as the kidn …

In our last article I talked about One-Piece vs Two-Piece ostomy bags and now I would like to talk about how those two styles of systems are available in Closed (Disposable) as well as in Drainable (Reusable) varieties.Closed ostomy bags are sealed all around the bottom and are meant to be used one time, and then discarded. They can not be cleaned out or reused. Closed ostomy bags are best used by people who have less discharge which makes them difficult for ileostomates or urostomates to use be …