AT A STROKE 2

Hello fellow ostomates.

Recently, I agreed to write a few rhymes for my wife's weekly 'stroke-group' and it occurred to me that anyone with a stoma would be so much worse off if they were to suffer a stroke and be left with the typical after-effects of : 

1) Having one hand/arm useless 

2) Having one leg dysfunctional 

3) Having cognitive impairment 

4) Having speech impediment  ( 0aphasia)

The rhyme (below) tries to envisage what it might be like to be struck down with a stroke and be left with the after effects, if the sufferer was also an ostomate.

Best wishes

Bill

AT A STROKE (2).
 

It should be said I have no bum

so all waste food comes from my tum,

through what is called a ‘stoma’ hole, 

which helps me try to keep control.

There’re many things I need to do 

to manage what is wayward poo,

I need my hands and arms for this 

if I am not to come amiss.

I also need a functioning brain 

to make sure poo and pee will drain 

from my stoma to the loo

without a mess from wayward poo.

In days gone by my legs were good

so, I had little doubt I could

get to the toilet in good time 

to manage all that grime and slime.

But, at a stroke, my life would change,

my mind and body became strange

and would not work the way it had 

which made my life both sad and bad. 

At a stroke, I found I landed

in a world where single-handed

seemed simply to be not enough  

to manage all my stoma stuff.

On top of that, I could not think

how I could manage not to stink 

when I could not get to the loo

to rid myself of wayward poo.

Having a stoma is no joke, 

yet there are those who, at a stroke

might find themselves in deeper shit

whilst trying hard to manage it.

Be Withers 2022

My worst fear!