a pelican brief

Fundraising for the

Stomawise Caravan Appeal Our fundraising activities for the Stomawise

Caravan Appeal, Pelican Healthcare’s charity of the year for 2013, are underway! In the office, we have marked both St David’s and St Patrick’s Days by dressing down and holding a cake sale. We also held a raffle at Easter. In April our Product Manager, Owen, ran the Great Welsh Marathon in aid of the appeal. Despite the wind and rain, Owen completed the course in just under four hours, raising a fantastic £725 in the process! So far this year, we have raised over £1000 for this worthy cause and we have plenty more activities for the rest of the year, including a car wash! For further information on the Stomawise Caravan Appeal, please visit; www.stomawise.co.uk

A Pelican BriefSummer 2013Welcome to your new look Pelican Brief! You will still find the regular features that you know and

love, but with a fresh new feel.

Thank you all for your entries for the competitions featured in the last issue. Congratulations to Kathleen Pigott who won the Cadbury Easter bundle, after her completed wordsearch was drawn at random from correct entries.

We were completely overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of poems sent in for the Vanilla Blush competition. Choosing a winner and runner up proved so difficult, that we added a second runner up prize! Congratulations to Sue Barnes and Denis Hutson, our runners up, who both received a £25 voucher for Vanilla Blush and to our winner, Barbara Lidster, who received a £50 voucher. You will find Barbara’s winning poem on page 4.

In this issue;• Travel advice• Summer giveaway• The New Hope

Foundation• Letters to Jane• Support groups• Recipe• Competition• SLIM for summer• Plus much more!

Something to share?There are now more ways then ever to get in touch with Pelican Healthcare! If you have a story to tell, a recipe to share, a letter for Jane Cadogan, or would just like to tell us how you feel about the new

look of the newsletter, you can;email us: [email protected], call us: 0800 052 7471

write to us: A Pelican Brief, Pelican Healthcare Ltd, Freepost Licence No. CF1933, Cardiff, CF14 5GXinteract with us: facebook.com/pelicanhealthcareltd and twitter.com/PelicanHealth

QUALITY • INTEGRITY • SERVICE • TRUST • INNOVATION • VALUE

New Hope FoundationThe People’s Republic of China is vast. While you read stories of the new millionaires there, per capita it is still a developing country. There are 700 million people living in rural areas who have no effective health care.In close co-operation with the Chinese authorities and other charities working in China, babies in the Children’s Welfare Institutions who have congenital defects (that the local institutions cannot provide care for) are identified and sent to the New Hope Foundation, who have six specialist units in northern China. Their medical and surgical care is sourced and funded for the operable correctable defects, with loving palliative care given to those children whose time with us will be shorter.

The babies received by Dr Joyce Hill and her husband Robin at New Hope, have a variety of congenital defects but mainly fall into 3 catagories; those with cleft lip and palate, those with heart defects and those with bowel and urinary tract defects.

During 2012, the New Hope Foundation admitted 293 new children. 193 of them were admitted to a hospital for

medical care or surgery and 79 of the children were adopted to loving homes, that will provide for all their future needs.

Children with bowel and urinary defects usually arrive having had emergency surgery locally, with a variety of stoma surgeries. While they wait for further correctable surgery at New Hope, their nurses ensure their stomas are

correctly cared for. The charity’s funding relies on donations from all over the world and it recently went

through a cash flow crisis.

Pelican Healthcare’s regular donation of paediatric stoma pouches is essential for the quality care of these babies, using a specialist product that is hard to source in China. There have been times in the past when the pouches have run out and the nurses have had to improvise – not an ideal state of affairs. Not having to worry about where to get supplies of paediatric stoma bags is a relief for Dr Joyce Hill who, as you can imagine, has a plenty to worry about. This donation really makes a difference and the need is ongoing and on a large scale. When we were there last year, we saw the difference it made. When you put a new soft stoma pouch from Pelican Healthcare on a baby, you get a little smile.

Thank you to Matthew King and Madelaine Leech-King for this update. You can find out more about the New Hope Foundation at www.hopefosterhome.com

Summer giveaway!It’s time for our annual summer giveaway. These great cool bags are perfect for keeping your pouches cool when travelling (see our travel tips on page 5), or for simply keeping your lunch fresh in the summer months. Made from recycled polypropylene, the cool bags are eco-friendly too!

We only have a limited number of the cool bags to give away, which we will be allocating on a first come, first served basis. To request yours, please complete the coupon on the back page, or ask your customer service advisor when placing your next order.

QUALITY • INTEGRITY • SERVICE • TRUST • INNOVATION • VALUEQUALITY • INTEGRITY • SERVICE • TRUST • INNOVATION • VALUE

Letters to JaneMy name is Jane Cadogan and I am a specialist stoma care nurse, working at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff. If you have any questions related to your stoma, I would be happy to answer them.Do you have a question for Jane? If so, send it in to us and you will receive a £10 Marks & Spencer voucher once it is published.

Dear Jane,

Please can you tell me what I can do when the edge of my stoma starts to bleed and becomes very sore? I have tried using a seal, but it does not seem to help.

Yours faithfully,Mr Garner

Thank you for your letter regarding the sore and bleeding area around your stoma. All stomas bleed from time to time, this is normal and nothing to worry about. However, the bleeding around your stoma seems to be linked to the sore skin. When skin is sore from the caustic effluent from your stoma, it becomes wet and difficult for any product to stick to it. It sounds to me that the effluent is getting under the seal you are using, because the skin is either too wet for the ring to stick to, or the seal is being placed too near to the wet stoma. If your skin is wet, try drying it with a cool hairdryer (protect the stoma with some gauze), or apply some calamine lotion to the skin and let it dry. If your skin is not wet, your stoma nurse will be able to advise you on the correct use of the cohesive seal.

Dear Jane,

I had a urostomy at the end of July 2012. During the night, on several occassions, the stoma bag has been filling up and not draining into the night bag. There does not appear to be any kinks in the pipe. How can I stop this from happening as it also causes the stoma bag to leak onto the bed?

Thank you for you help,Mr Prichard

Thank you for your letter. I presume from your letter that you have a urostomy for urinary problems – sometimes called an ileal conduit. A leaking bag especially at night is very miserable. This is a common problem and we don’t really know why.

However, we have found that if you lay the night bag in a washing up bowl (not the one from your kitchen!) on the floor at night the bag will drain more effectively and take the pressure off the stoma appliance. If this does not work for you please contact your local stoma nurse because there are other night bags on the market that might be more efficient.

Dear Jane,I have had a colostomy about 5 years, it is near my chest on my right side. It seems now that every time I change, my stoma comes out and I would like to know of any other ways of getting it back. I currently press a warm cloth on it.Yours faithfully,Mr Davies

Thank you for your letter. It sounds as if your stoma is in a difficult position and this might be why it is coming out – another term is prolapsing. This means that the stoma is coming out further than it used to. This is not dangerous as long as the stoma is healthy and functioning well but, it can be upsetting for you. Some people use a cool cloth (not cold) as this may help or you could try dusting it with icing sugar (this sounds really peculiar, but does work). A light support garment may also help to keep the stoma in. Your stoma nurse will be able to advise you.

Remember, most hospitals have a stoma care department and the stoma nurses will be happy to make an appointment for you to have a check up or chat if you have any concerns. Even if you haven’t seen your stoma nurse for years they will be happy to see you and you can usually self refer yourself. If you don’t have a contact number phone the main hospital number and ask to be directed.


On her majesty’s service Pelican Home Delivery Service user Elizabeth Wilkinson-Smith, recently got in touch with us about a very special day out. My husband Adrian was invited to the Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace this year, in recognition of his voluntary role as a case worker for the national armed forces charity SSAFA (www.ssafa.org.uk). I accompanied him as his spouse, along with two of our three children.

I have an ileostomy and short bowel syndrome after emergency surgery in 2006 for a perforated small bowel (due to Crohns). I am also a ‘retired’ NHS worker having been a biomedical scientist in a histology laboratory.

I very rarely wear dresses let alone white ones, it is always risky even at the best of times but all went well that day. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea at the Palace and walking round the beautiful gardens, despite the intermittent showers. We rounded off the day with a concert at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club in Soho.

Poetry competition winnerCongratulations once more to Barbara Lidster from Swansea, who fought off stiff competition to come first in our Vanilla Blush poetry competition. Here is Barbara’s winning entry;

Vibrant spring flowers are peeping

After the cold winter’s throw!

Night owls still silently sleeping

Imagine, their secretive store?

Long-legged toads are a leaping!

Little lost lambs remain bleating!

Another magical season, a reason, to get out and explore!

Thank you to Mrs Diane Brooks for sending in this great recipe. Please send us your recipes, you will find our contact details on the front cover. If your recipe is published, we will send you a £10 Tesco voucher!

Ingredients;2 cups of crushed digestive biscuits1 packet of dream topping1/2 lb cream cheese2tblsp sugar1 cup of icing sugar1/2 cup of melted butter1 tin of cherry pie filling

Directions;Mix the digestive biscuit crumbs, melted butter and sugar together. Press into the base of a flan tin and place in the fridge to cool. In the meantime, mix the cream cheese and icing sugar. Prepare the dream topping as directed, before combining with the cream cheese mixture. Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and pour the cherry pie filling over the top. Refrigerate for four hours before serving.

Cherry cheese pie


Aerosols, such as the Pelican Release spray, often cause confusion as air-

lines have strict rules on flammable liq-uids. They are however, perfectly safe as long as you stick to some basic safety rules.

All aerosols (and any other liquids) that are to be taken in hand luggage, are restricted to containers of 100ml or less and must be placed in a single, re-sealable bag no larger than 20cm x 20cm (e.g. a freezer bag). Each traveller can use only one of these so you can only take as much as will fit into one bag.

travel adviceHaving a stoma should not prevent you from

travelling abroad, the key is to make sure you plan ahead and take enough supplies.

Pack the following in your wash bag – it is recommended that you take this in your hand

luggage;• Pouches (pop a few extra in, just in case

anything happens to your suitcase)• Dry wipes• Cleansing wipes or gel for your hands (not to

be used on the stoma itself)• Disposal bags• Travel certificate • Any accessory items you use, including

deodorants and adhesive removers (see below for advice on aerosols)

If you are going to be travelling within Europe, it is advisable to obtain a European Health Insurance

Card (EHIC), which entitles you to reduced or free medical care, if you need it. For further information on the EHIC, please visit www.ehic.org.uk, or telephone 0845 606 2030. The EHIC is not a substitute or replacement for private travel insurance.

When purchasing your travel insurance, it is important that you disclose your stoma, as you

will need a policy that covers a pre-existing medical condition. Remember, if you do not have this covered, your insurance will be invalid. There are some insurance companies that are very knowledgable on stomas and have travel insurance packages designed specifically for ostomates. As with all insurance, it is worth shopping around.

Some recommended insurance companies include;• Leisure & Lifestyle Insurance

0845 839 5731www.leisureandlifestyle.co.uk

• Bournemouth Insurance GroupContact Peter on 01202 512161

• Insurance Choice0845 557 7950www.insurancechoice.co.uk

• AllClear Insurance Services Ltd0845 250 5350www.allcleartravel.co.uk

• Free Spirit Travel Insurance0845 520 1075www.freespirittravelinsurance.com

• MIA Online01268 782745www.miatravelinsurance.co.uk

• World First Travel Insurance0845 90 80 161


Take a Travel Certificate A travel certificate explains to

travel authorities, their staff and security, that you have a medical condition and need to wear an ostomy appliance. The certificate contains this information in a variety of languages and are available free of charge from Pelican.

If the worst happens and your supplies go missing, don’t panic. We can deliver supplies worldwide if

you have an emergency. You will need to check if any local customs and excise tax is applied in the country you are in, as there may be a fee to pay.

Meetings and support groupsIf you organise a support group or meeting and would like us to share the details in A Pelican Brief and on our social media pages, please email; [email protected]

NEW - The Cwmbran Ostomy Support Group (COSG) will be holding their inaugural meeting on Tuesday 16th July at the Threepennybit Community Centre, Deerbrook, Greenmeadow, Cwmbran between 1.30pm - 3pm. For further details, contact Philippa Lewis by email; [email protected], or telephone 01633 791339/07504 713069.

fortnightlyOstomistics Support Group - PeterboroughA support group for anyone living with a stoma, their families and carers. Ostomistics meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month, between 2pm-4pm, at the Stanground Community Centre, Whittlesey Road, Peterborough. Email [email protected] for further information.

monthlyDiverted Stoma Support Group - DerbyshireHeld on the second Saturday of each month, between 10am-12noon at The Old Post Centre, High Street, Newhall, Derbyshire, DE11 OHX. For more information, contact Diana on 01283 541311.

The North Notts Stoma Support GroupNew members, partners and friends are welcome to join the North Notts Stoma Support Group on the second Saturday of each month at the Kings Treatment Centre, Kings Mill Hospital, Clinic 3, between 10am-12noon. For further details, please contact Tore Norman by email; [email protected], or call 01773 715460.

Coventry Stoma SupportMeeting on the first Wednesday of the month, from 7pm-9pm, at All Saints Church Hall (Bree Room), Allesley Village, Coventry, CV5 9EQ. For further details, contact Martin Robbins by email; [email protected], or call 07947 385643.

Oswestry Stoma Support GroupMeeting every month, alternating between Tuesday afternoons (2.30pm) and Thursday evenings (7pm) at the Memorial Hall, Oswestry. There is a small admission fee of £3, which includes tea, coffee and biscuits. For more information, please contact Carole O’Ryan by email; [email protected], or call 01691 671624. Alternitavely, please call Irene Constable on 01691 258357.

COGS - FarehamInformal atmosphere with a cuppa and some cake to exchange ideas, share experiences and talk to people who really understand what life is like with a stoma. Meeting the last Thursday of each month from 8pm-9.30pm, at Fareham Methodist Church, Kings Road, Fareham. Email [email protected], or call 07733 627296 for more information.

To find a support group in your area, please call the appropriate helpline number;Colostomy Association - 0800 328 4257, ia (Ileostomy & Internal Pouch) - 0800 018 4724Urostomy Association - 08452 412 159, Ostomy Lifestyle (all stoma types) - 0800 731 4264



For those of us lucky enough to be heading for warmer climes this summer, consider packing some Eakin Cohesive® SLIMS for the trip.

We naturally tend to produce more perspiration in hotter climates, which can often lead to adhesion problems with your pouching system and more frequent pouch changes as a consequence. As Eakin Cohesive® Seals absorb at least 25% more moisture than any other stoma seal on the market*, they are the ideal solution for excessive sweat production.

Eakin Cohesive® SLIMS offer all the absorption benefits, without a bulky profile, allowing you to enjoy “normal” wear time in warmer weather. For high output stomas you may wish to consider the Eakin Small Cohesive® Seal.To request your complimentary sample, please complete the coupon on the back page.

* Clinical Paper by Dr Grace McGroggan, KTP Associate, Queens University, Belfast

SLIMfor summer

Please send me:

Eakin Cohesive Seal sample: SLIM Small (48mm)

Free Cool Bag:

summer crossword competition win a £25 M&S voucherCan you finish our crossword competition? Send us your completed crosswords to the freepost address below, by Wednesday 7th August and we will select one entry at random to win a £25 gift voucher for M&S. Good luck!

Down:1. Short form of sister2. Time piece3. Cool wind4. Musical symbol5. Summer month6. Go it alone7. Weather word10. Capture13. Leisure activities14. Follows a car15. June 21st18. Always do your 21. Pools are full of this22. Birds home23. Suntan24. Hot & 26. Summer month30. Better than never31. you sleeping?32. Take a seat

Across:1. Light rain3. String 8. One9. Jumping and hopping game11. Summer month12. Have lunch

13. Opposite of cold16. City home for wild animals17. Summer month19. Sandy spot20. Water sport25. Used to pave roads27. Relax

28. Step back29. Very humid weather32. Warm weather foot wear33. storm34. Thrilling

Send your completed entries to:A Pelican Brief, Pelican Healthcare Ltd, Freepost Licence No. CF1933, Cardiff, CF14 5GX by Wednesday 7th August 2013.

Name:

Address:

Post code:

QUALITY • INTEGRITY • SERVICE • TRUST • INNOVATION • VALUE

a pelican brief

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