![[OstomyOK.org - An Alliance of Volunteer Ostomy Support Groups]](/images/header_main.gif)
Welcome to OstomyOK.org!
About this Website
This site is shared by a number of non-profit, volunteer-run ostomy
support groups. The site has existed since 1996. Key events in the
history of this site include:
- In June 1996, this site began as the website for the United Ostomy
Association’s Stillwater-Ponca City (Oklahoma) Chapter (now the
Ostomy Association of North
Central Oklahoma). Initially, the site didn’t have its present domain
name (ostomyok.org) but was hosted in personal webspace from an ISP. At
that time, the UOA national website was less than a year old and only a
handful of ostomy chapters had their own websites.
- In August 1998, this site was expanded to include all UOA chapters in
Oklahoma (or, at least, every chapter willing to participate -- we ended
up with 6 of the 8 Oklahoma chapters). Initially, each chapter other than
the founding Stillwater-Ponca City chapter was given a single web page
displaying information provided by the chapter (which the chapter would
hopefully update reasonably often).
- In subsequent years, two of the chapters represented on this site,
namely, the Lawton
Fort-Sill and Tulsa
chapters, provided their own webmasters who maintain their pages
independently (these pages are linked into our site using "frames" and
display the same left-side menu as our other pages, but do not reside
on the ostomyok.org server). Consequently, these groups now have more
than a single page.
- In May 2001, having already been hosted in personal webspace from two
different ISPs which either went out of business or merged with other
ISPs, this site obtained the
ostomyok.org domain name, thereby providing a more recognizable
identity and avoiding the need for additional URL changes in the
future.
In June 2005 came the sad news that the
United Ostomy Association was dissolving
and would cease operations on Sept 30, 2005 -- and the groups represented
on this site began preparing for life as independent support groups
without a national parent organization. At the same time, we contemplated
a significantly increased role for this website as a way to help local
ostomy support groups work together. One of our plans was to take over the
discussion board previously on the UOA site. We did, in fact, install a
discussion board on this site, but never activated it.
Those plans changed a few weeks later when we learned that a group of
former UOA leaders were forming a new national ostomy organization called
the United Ostomy Associations of America
(UOAA) to fill the void created by UOA’s dissolution. As it became
obvious that the new discussion board would be on the UOAA site, we
abandoned our plans to host a discussion board on this site (and all
discussion board links on this site now point to the
UOAA Discussion Board).
Meanwhile, this site continues as a way to bring together the ostomy support
groups in Oklahoma and any other support groups who may wish to
participate.
DISCLAIMER:
The documents contained within these WWW pages are presented expressly
for informational purposes only. In no way are any of the materials
presented here meant to be a substitute for professional medical care or
attention by a qualified practitioner, nor should they be construed as
such. ALWAYS check with your doctor if you have any questions or
concerns about your condition, or before starting a new program of
treatment. The operators of this website are not responsible or liable,
directly or indirectly, for ANY form of damages whatsoever
resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied
by these documents.
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