Blocked Stoma !new! -

“It was working fine yesterday,” his wife whispered, wringing her hands. “Lots of output. Then tonight… nothing. And he started vomiting.”

She ordered warm water and a few drops of dish soap—an old nursing trick—and drew it into a large syringe with a soft catheter. Gently, she flushed the stoma, massaging the surrounding abdomen in slow circles. At first, nothing. Then a trickle of brown liquid. Then a small, almond-shaped pellet popped out, followed by a gush of gas and fecal matter that filled the bag in seconds. blocked stoma

“Mr. Hendricks, did you eat anything different today?” she asked. “It was working fine yesterday,” his wife whispered,

Emily’s stomach tightened. Blocked stoma. One of the most urgent complications in post-op care. She pulled on her white coat and hurried down the dim corridor. And he started vomiting

Mr. Hendricks was a quiet man in his sixties, three days post-colectomy for colon cancer. When she entered, he was curled on his side, face pale and beaded with sweat. His colostomy bag, attached to the stoma on his lower right abdomen, was empty—bone dry. But his belly was distended, tight as a drum.

Before leaving, she touched his hand. “You did the right thing calling. Next time, don’t wait for the vomiting.”