The conference is 8 hours east of Calgary. I took my bike. It was a sunny but windy trip from every direction. I found I had gotten a little sun where my gloves and jacket did not meet. Friday was registration (about 100 attended, a few more on Saturday) and 3 speakers (Eric Polsinelli – Vegan Ostomy, Dr. Ryan Suri – General Surgeon, Sheryl Walker – Enterostomal Therapy Nurse) followed by wine and cheese. The speakers kept it lively along with a question and answer period.
Saturday started early at 8:30. Topics covered were chronic pain, peristomal skin complications, IBD, Angie Schickerowski – author of The Healing Compass, dietitian, and mental health. At the break, they brought out 8 muffins; the order was for 8 dozen. Someone ran out and brought a box of Timbits for each table to save the day. The conference was concluded with a nice buffet supper and entertainment by the Special Guest Zarqa Nawaz – creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, a hit Canadian TV show.
I spent the next few days with family before heading back to Calgary. It was cool Wednesday morning, and I was freezing for the first couple of hours until it warmed up. As luck would have it, it started to lightly rain for the last 2 hours of the trip. Glad to be home.
If ever there is a conference in your area, I recommend you go.
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Returning to work after ostomy surgery should not be rushed.
Check out our 4 necessities before getting back on the job, and our other workplace tips.
Check out our 4 necessities before getting back on the job, and our other workplace tips.