Suddenly, a small, hard pellet of undigested nut flew out into the washcloth. Followed by a spurt of liquid. Then a loud, glorious, bubbling fart.
Gently, so gently, he placed his palm beside Buddy. He did not press hard. He used a soft, circular, clockwise motion, like he was polishing a priceless antique. He was trying to encourage the trapped food—likely a fiberous string of green bean or that rogue almond—to wiggle loose. He visualized the blockage: a tiny raft stuck in a river. stoma blockage what to do
Don’t panic, he whispered to himself, repeating the mantra from his discharge papers. Panic clamps the gut tighter than any blockage. Suddenly, a small, hard pellet of undigested nut
Six months ago, the word "stoma" had sounded like a medical curse. Now, "Buddy," as he called the rosy nub of his small intestine protruding from his right side, was just part of the team. But tonight, after a celebratory dinner where he’d foolishly nibbled on a few nuts and forgot to chew his mushrooms properly, Buddy had gone silent. The ostomy pouch, usually gurgling with activity by now, was flat. Empty. And Leo’s belly was starting to look like a kicked soccer ball. Gently, so gently, he placed his palm beside Buddy