Welcome!

COVID-19 Update: The status of meetings of the seven ostomy support groups in the Inland Northwest varies for each group due to continued concerns with Coronavirus. Most hospitals that normally host OSG meetings remain closed to meetings for the foreseeable future.  To acquire current status of your local support group, please contact your group coordinator and/or local WOCN clinic.  You can also check the latest support group status in the most recent “InSider” Newsletter located in the Newsletter Archive (http://inlandnwostomy.org/newsletters.html).

Take Care and Good Health to All, , , Phil
Phillip R. Moyle, Spokane Ostomy Support Group
Website Coordinator, Inland Northwest Ostomy Support Groups

If you have an ostomy, or are considering surgery for one, you have come to the right place. The goal of the Inland Northwest Ostomy Support website is to strengthen the quality of life for ostomates and their loved ones who are living in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

We know that living with an ostomy can be challenging. Whether you have a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy that is temporary or permanent, you can find support in a variety of ways.

Explore this website to discover links to national, regional and local resources from peers as well as professionals. UOAA logo
 We are affiliated with the United Ostomy Associations of America to provide you with accurate and practical information.  Local Ostomy Support Groups (OSGs) in our region are located in the following communities:  Coeur d’Alene, ID; Lewiston/Clarkston, ID/WA; Moscow, ID; Spokane, WA; Tri-Cities (Richland/Pasco/Kennewick), WA; Wenatchee, WA; and Yakima, WA.  Meet others in your community by attending a local OSG meeting.  Information is provided about meetings, contacts and important ostomy-support links for each of the OSGs.

Click on the “LINKS” button or the “Ostomy Support Groups” button above for specific information about the OSG closest to where you live.  

You can also download current and past issues of the INW Ostomy Support newsletter, the “InSider,” and its predecessor the Spokane OSG newsletter.  Learn useful tips to cope with your “new normal”—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  

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  • Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust Survivor, wrote:  “Human behavior is not dictated by conditions, but by the decisions one makes.”  
  • Confucius, a great philosopher, wrote:  “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail."

Your daily choices will make the difference between surviving and thriving with your ostomy.

 

 

Search the newsletters to help answer your questions (a newsletter index is in progress).  Typical themes include:  How many ostomates are there? Traveling with an ostomy; Nutrition guidelines; New products and supplies; Medical insurance; and Partnering with your healthcare provider; as well as some inspiring success stories.

We want to hear from YOU!  Our hope is that this website will become an interactive platform that increases communication, service and support for the ostomate community living in the Inland Northwest Region.  Please contact INW Ostomy Support at sosg.input@gmail.com with any questions and/or suggestions.

Acknowledgment of Appreciation:  Ostomy Support Groups, medical professionals, and the ostomy community & their families at large are indebted to the continuing support and assistance of Rich Judd with Byram Healthcare in Spokane, WA.  Rich travels throughout our region to inform ostomy professionals, attends meetings of OSGs to offer refreshments & sound advice to ostomates, and provides a valuable communication pathway amongst our OSGs and medical professionals. 

Byram Healthcare

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL SUPPORT CONTACTS & LINKS

International Ostomy Association (IOA)

United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA)

Phoenix Magazine

Primary Producers of Ostomy Products: