Just a Little Thing Called Progress!

It’s been a little over 10 days since we at Uncover Ostomy launched the “Where’s Your Ostomy” effort and I cannot be more thrilled with the progress we have all been able to make! It’s been huge guys.

Huge.

Here’s a little recap of what has happened since January 31st, 2013:

Over 2,400 NEW people visited Uncover Ostomy

In just 10 days, we were able to show, educate, and (hopefully) change the minds of over  2,400 unique visitors to the Uncover Ostomy website!

We have sold some tshirts!

In the past 10 days, we have been able to sell 56/75 “This is where my ostomy is” tshirts!

In 10 days- that’s pretty awesome!

Unfortunately – we’re not quite there.

Remember: the tshirts will not be produced and shipped unless ALL 75 shirts have been sold. The sale is only on until February 21st, 2013 so NOW is the time to buy. If you have not done so as of yet, please make sure to purchase your shirt now! Also please make sure to share the shirts with all of your friends so that we can hit that number!

We have also only sold 33/100 “This is where my ostomy would be” tshirts.

This sale is also only on until February 21st, 2013 and works through the same process. We don’t process and ship them unless all are sold before the deadline. Please share!

[Remember, all money goes towards future awareness, education, and Uncover Ostomy efforts!]

The last blog post got a record number of Facebook likes

The last blog post I wrote, in which I detail the new launch, saw a record number of Facebook likes for any blog post written!

We HIT 5,000+ YouTube views

In such a short time, we’ve also gotten over 5,200 views to the “Where’s Your Ostomy Video.” This is much in thanks to the over 120 shares of the video just from the Uncover Ostomy Facebook page, as well as my amazing friends and family. (Keep sharing!)

Uncover Ostomy reached over 19,500 people through the Facebook page!

Yeah. 19. Thousand. And 500. People. REACHED!

I couldn’t lie about this if I tried:

How unbelievable is that?

We also saw an insane increase of 186 new Facebook likes!

In just these past 10 days, 186 new people have liked the Uncover Ostomy Facebook page! That’s the biggest increase in such a short amount of time that we’ve seen in a very, very long time.

Uncover Ostomy was on Global News in Canada!

To top off all this exciting news, on Thursday, Feb 7th, Uncover Ostomy was the featured health story on Global News by health reporter Beatrice Politi!

Not only was the campaign and the video featured, but after the story was over, the news team continued to talk about ostomy surgery and it’s importance! You can’t BUY that type of PR!

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These past 10 days have been absolutely unreal.

We are doing it, guys. We’re changing minds.

Thank you.

10 Year’s Later, This is Where My Ostomy is. Where’s Yours?

10 years ago today, I was suffering. 10 years ago today, I almost died. 10 years ago today, I underwent surgery.

January 31, 2013 - 10 years ago today – I was given my ostomy.

1 decade ago I was given a second chance at life.

Un-frikkin’-believable.

Despite today being a pretty awesomely exciting day for me, this blog post isn’t about me. I’m not going to go into my story and how I got here, nor am I going to talk about how grateful I am to be alive. You all already know this.

Instead, today’s blog post is about you.

Please watch.

Today I am launching the “Where’s Your Ostomy” effort from Uncover Ostomy to push the envelope on how, together, we can raise positive ostomy awareness worldwide.

And I need your help!

You’ve already taken the first step by watching the video. Here are 4 simple things to do next:

1.SHARE the VIDEO! Please share the video above with ALL of your social networks, family networks, work networks- everything. Post it on Facebook, Tweet it on Twitter, Share on Pinterest and LinkedIn, email it to your contact lists, play it on a large screen tv in a Best Buy…. ANYTHING! Share this video with everyone you possibly can!

2. BUY the SHIRT! We are selling two tshirts with the help of the wonderful team at Teespring!

-For people with ostomies:  “This is where my ostomy is”

-For people without ostomies: “This is where my ostomy would be”

Teespring is a crowdfunding based selling platform. “Crowdfunding” is when a certain number of items need to be “reserved” for the order to be processed. Uncover Ostomy is selling shirts for the next 21 days with a minimum of 75 shirts/ostomates 100 shirts/non-ostomates. We need to sell at least 75/100, for the order to process. If you are confused about ordering, please see the Teespring FAQ, or comment or post on the UO pages and we can help!

3. SHARE the SHIRT! The shirts will only be printed if we sell a minimum of 75 ostomate shirts and 100 non-ostomate shirts!

4. WEAR the SHIRT! If, after 21 days, we end up selling the minimum number of tshirts (and hopefully more!) and you get them in the mail (WITH a fabric pen included), we ask that you draw where your ostomy is, or where you would want your ostomy to be and whatever other fancy designs you’d like to add and then WEAR IT in public!

5. SNAP some PHOTOS! Once you’ve received your shirt and drawn alllll over it, we will be running a contest that involves both the shirt and pictures!… but those details are yet to come. Remember – that’s only if we end up selling out those shirts. (So get sharing!)

Guys- this is it. This is our chance to change perceptions. To change negativity. To change minds.

Let’s do this.

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All proceeds raised from sale of the tshirts will go towards ostomy education, awareness, and future Uncover Ostomy efforts through IDEAS.

[Video] I Need Help

Only 2 Days Left to Vote!

Help get the ostomy in Times Square by going to this link and clicking the green button in the top right hand corner!

Then, share this video:

Thanks so much, everyone!

VIDEO: My First Week (and a bit) In New York City!

May be a tad jumpy… I’m not working with the best programs here…

[Non-Profits (and Students) don't have budgets to work with!]

 

Enjoy :]

 

Back From the Conference!

I’m finally, semi, settled back into life since being back from the UOAA ostomy conference in Reno.

It was a great 5 days full of amazing people, seminars, fun events, and food (so much good food!) Positive ostomy energy was everywhere!

While I was there, I helped run a few seminars for the young adults, I stood with Rob Hill at the IDEAS booth in the exhibit hall alongside the product vendors, and I gave the closing ceremony speech at the end of the week on “defeating the stigma.”

It was a fun week but it was definitely overwhelming. I hadn’t expected so many people to know who I was, let alone ask for pictures with me and autographs! Why would anyone want my autograph? I kept telling these people I was just another girl with a bag! I guess it didn’t really help that my picture was EVERYWHERE! There was a poster of my Phoenix magazine cover, I was in the conference program, and I was on a 6 foot tall poster for Colo-Majic’s exhibit booth… so weird.

The good thing about it, though, was that because everyone knew who I was and kept coming up to me, I got to meet everyone! I met such amazing and inspiring people that I would never have met if I had not been invited to this great week. Thanks for bringing me, UOAA!

UOAA Video

It’s so Much Fun-akkah to Celebrate Hanukkah

I just wanted to wish a very happy Hanukkah to my fellow Jews out there!

I am currently home for a few days to celebrate the holiday with my family. Friday night, I have a dinner with my father’s side of the family and Saturday with my mom’s. I’m looking forward to spending time with everyone since I haven’t seen them in quite some time. Aandddd I may or may not be excited for gifts as well! Haha.

It’s also really nice to be home to relax. I’ve had an extremely busy few weeks between my assignments and sorority things so I figured this was the perfect excuse to go home and take a break. Well… “break” is a relative term, since I have 3 essays due at the beginning of the week. AWESOME.

Anyways, I have to get back to spending time with my motherrrr. We’re watching our soap opera on the PVR together.

Oh, one last thing!

If anyone wants to be realllllyyyyy nice and give me a present for the holidays, I’ve been in need of a YouTube wallpaper thingy for my account. Since I’ve started video blogging more, I feel like my “channel” needs to be spiced up a bit. So if anyone has any photoshop skills and wants to make me a special Uncover Ostomy background for it, I would be extremely grateful!

Oh and in the spirit of the Holidays, here is my favourite Holiday song!

You Know… There ARE Ostomates Under the Age of 50…

Perks of Presidency

When I was elected president of my sorority, I was excited to be in charge of an amazing group of girls and to have the opportunity to help make this a great year.

It never really crossed my mind that being president also had its fun little perks.

This past Thursday and yesterday night, two sororities held big events that put fraternities against each other in order to raise money for charity.

Alpha Phi ran their annual Mr. Greek on Thursday, also known as their male beauty pageant. The participants were judged on their answers during the question period, their skills during the talent portion, and… well, a few other things I can’t go into detail about! Kappa Alpha Theta, last night, ran their event called “Airbands,” where the fraternities send a group of guys, usually their new members, to put on a dance performance for the crowd.

Being president, I was asked to judge these competitions with the president’s from the 4 other sororities on campus. We had front row seats and everything!

Both events were a lot of fun, especially because this year it seemed as though the fraternities put in an amazing amount of effort. I mean, I’ve been around for 4 years, I’ve seen these events before. This year was the year everyone went all out.

The winner of the 2010 Mr. Greek was a guy from Pi Kappa Alpha, who not only won over the crowd with his charm and good looks, but with his skilful rendition of the “Bed Intruder Song” for the talent portion. It was a close competition though, because everyone had amazing talent. The guy from Lambda Chi Alpha sang “I’m yours” by Jason Mraz, which is one of my all-time favourite songs, the guy from Phi Gamma Delta did an amazing breakdance number, and the guy from Alpha Epsilon Pi actually brought me up on stage and serenaded me. It was a tough call because they all did an amazing job.

Airbands was also an extremely tough competition. It seemed as if every fraternity had been practicing for this competition for weeks. Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Chi looked like they had been working on their performance for a while. I know Lambda Chi Alpha had been, for sure, since they were reigning champions and wanted to keep the title. They put on an amazing performance that included a set from “Glee,” one of my favourite shows. Unfortunately, they lost the title, in a close race to Phi Gamma Delta who did a musical performance of the movie “The Hangover.” Someone posted the video online so I thought I’d add it to give you a feel of the event.

It was a really close race and because everyone had worked so hard.

This just raises the bar for us girls when, next semester, Sigma Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha run their events that we’ll have to compete in. Guess we better start practicing now!

Rant: Best Buy Canada Warranties.

Ok so this video post is the story of my experience with Best Buy Canada and their warranty policy. It’s long, and I apologize, but I am literally telling the entire story. 3 months of hassles worth? Exactly my point. I just want to make sure everyone knows not give up in a situation like this, to be strong and push for what you are owed, and that, eventually, it will work out in the end!

You never want to mess with me when it comes to computers haha.

Also, tell me if you’ve had similar experiences like mine and that I don’t just have ridiculous bad luck with compters. Please? haha.

More ostomy stuff soooon :]