Testimonies of some of our current and past board members.
Cristine
At the young age of 13 she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. She was able to get in remission during high school and finish school happy and healthy. In 2010, after her first year of college she had her son, Michael, which sent her into a flare-up worse than she had ever had before. After several failed medication plans, shortly before her 20th birthday, with a 4 month old son, she had her entire colon removed and a temporary ileostomy put in with a J-Pouch creation. A few months later, a second surgery removed the ileostomy and connected the internal J-Pouch. The first few years were a struggle for her not knowing with whom to talk. She knew about the ostomy group, but was too scared to go. 4 years after her surgeries she finally joined the group! Since then she has found her passion in helping others who have gone through similar struggles to those she experienced. She strives to not let anyone know the feeling of being lost and alone after surgery.
Rob
Rob had his first ulcerative colitis flare-up when he was 28. After sixteen years of alternating remissions and flare-ups, Rob had ileostomy surgery in 1989 when he was 44. He decided on a permanent ileostomy with an external pouching system, trading the ulcerative colitis for management of the pouching system. He went back to work in his office job and spent weekends and vacations doing active things outside the city limits every chance he got, including motorcycle trips to New Mexico, Wyoming, Mississippi, and Missouri. He sailed on Canyon Lake for several years. After he retired, he volunteered as a pilot for the Civil Air Patrol. He made several trips to Yellowstone National Park. Since the first year of Covid in 2020, he has made two camping trips to Big Bend National Park, a camping trip to northern Idaho with a stop at Rocky Mountain National Park, another trip to Glacier National Park in Montana via Yellowstone National Park with hiking at all of them. Rob is very grateful for his surgery and for helpful information provided by a visitor from the local ostomy group back in 1989. His desire is that the South Texas Osto-Mate Association will continue supporting those undergoing intestinal or urinary surgery for many more years.
Some people involved in the medical profession who support our medical needs.
Vickie
- Vickie joined the group after her daughter found the Ostomy group. She saw how much it helped her and wanted to try and find a way to help! She spent many days helping her daughter with her ileostomy, changing, cleaning, the shoulder to cry on, and doing things many parents wouldn't think they would be doing again with their adult daughter. She has always said "The support needs support" and found her way to not just be emotional support but put her Accounting degree to good use with S.T.O.M.A.