Whether you're enjoying the Canadian winter, or the warmth of the sun in Florida or some other destination, I hope you've stayed well. While I'm not fond of winter, I am looking forward to February and not just because it brings my birthday! February's support meeting brings a topic near and dear to my heart, social media. I am passionate about using social media to expand our reach within the ostomy community. Whether you use social media or not, I hope you'll come out for this month's meeting to hear how social media is making a difference in the lives of persons with an ostomy and hear some of the success stories we've had. Of course, this means I have a presentation to write, and I have not just one, but two that I need to finish in the next couple of weeks!

On January 17, I will be speaking about my involvement in the IBM Employee Charitable Fund and my work with Ostomy Toronto and the UOAC. I spent a lot of hours on New Year's Eve/Day, preparing for this presentation - my first to a completely non-ostomy community audience! It's a struggle to balance using these opportunities to promote ostomy awareness with people's discomfort of discussing what goes on behind the bathroom door. A year ago, I thought it was very brave to agree to have a profile of my volunteer work go up on a wall outside our cafeteria that told everyone that I had an ostomy. Little did I know that a year later, I would be much more open than I ever imagined. Even though I am comfortable talking about ostomy surgery, speaking to my coworkers about this subject is intimidating, especially when it will be on a teleconference where I cannot see audience reaction.

While I have chosen to be open about my ostomy, I know many are not. How open you choose to be about your ostomy is a matter of your own comfort level and preference. I met one man online who had an ostomy at age 20 and went on to get married, raise a family and have a successful professional life. This man went to his grave after over 50 years with an ostomy having never told a single person outside his immediate family. While this goes to show that no one knows unless you tell them, it also speaks volumes about people's fears and the negative stigmas surrounding ostomy surgery. While I consider this man a wonderful example of someone who embraced life with an ostomy, it saddens me that he felt it necessary to hide the surgery that had enabled him to lead this very successful life. It's for this reason that I identify strongly with the theme for 2012's World Ostomy Day of "Let's Be Heard."

It is time that persons with an ostomy are heard and that we do as the UOAA's conference theme said "defeat the stigma." While I recognize that each of you have varying comfort levels surrounding what you tell people, there are many ways you can be heard. One way that everyone can help is simply by showing up at our monthly meetings and being there for those who are new or may be struggling. We need people to come out to meetings and be positive examples of embracing life with an ostomy. Another way you can be heard is by becoming a trained visitor - we will be holding visitor training on August 14. While you don't need to speak in front of groups or shout it from the roof top that you have an ostomy, you can help shatter negative stigmas by talking positively with others about your experiences with ostomy surgery and what it has meant in your life. You can also participate in the online community which has the benefit of being as anonymous as you wish. Whether your ostomy has allowed you to continue to be there for your family, has given you back your life after years of chronic illness or has allowed you to accomplish things you never dreamed possible, each time you tell your story in a positive manner, you are not only heard; you help to defeat the stigma. So in 2012, let's all be heard! If you're interested in helping plan our World Ostomy Day Celebrations, please contact me.

Mary