Do you know how sometimes you and/or your friends come across something so WTF?, so – I don’t even know what to call it – that it must be shared just so the burden of knowing this exists is not yours bear alone.
This is one of those times….
The Device
To begin Aspiration Therapy, a specially designed tube, known as the A-Tube™, is placed in the stomach. The A-Tube is a thin silicone rubber tube that connects the inside of the stomach directly to a discreet, poker-chip sized Skin-Port on the outside of the abdomen. The Skin-Port has a valve that can be opened or closed to control the flow of stomach contents. The patient empties a portion of stomach contents into the toilet after each meal through this tube by connecting a small, handheld device to the Skin-Port. The emptying process is called “aspiration”.
http://www.aspirebariatrics.com/how-it-works.html
Where a standard catheter processes food removal after digestion. Here, the person has a type of catheter attached to his/her stomach that allows a portion of food to be removed from the body before digestion is complete. This medically sanctioned bulimia is calories in, calories out without having to stick one’s fingers down one’s throat. Good, because I imagine that must be murder on one’s manicure.
Now, as a medical procedure for those who would need to do such to save their lives, I understand. I fully understand that there are those who can’t, and I do mean cannot, make use of the socially accepted methods of weight loss – dieting-exercise-Weight Loss Surgery. However, let’s be honest. Never mind all the verbiage on the website that this “therapy” is used to assist in one’s “lifestyle modification”, and requires careful monitoring by one’s doctor. We know a good portion of those who will volunteer to use this are going to be the ones who won’t (not can’t – won’t) be so bothered with those sociallyaccepted methods.
Considering the ‘aromas’ involved during a normal body waste removal and/or auto purge response. Never mind what’s involved scent wise with the use of catheters when things go wrong – and they occasionally do go very wrong. I do not want to even think about what charm would emanate should that valve and/or pump ever fail.
And So…
- If it comes down the front tube it’s urination.
- If it comes down the back tube it’s defecation.
- If it comes up the esophageal tube, though not necessarily out the mouth, it’s regurgitation.
- And if it’s sucked out the inserted plastic tube on the side it’s aspiration.
They liken the process of expelling the contents of one’s stomach to the process of drawing one’s breath. I know aspiration is the technical name for that part of the process medically speaking, the drawing of air or liquids through suction. Still, I’m betting, if the standard definition of the word were a person, s/he would be appalled and highly insulted by such.
Raivenne-lations 
Without even going to the link, all I can say is “THEY GOTTA B KIDDIN!”, although the ancient Romans might have been interested. As to “sexy” and “ports”, all I can say is, I much prefer USB (usual sexy body) ports myself.
HA! I like your kind of USB, Thanks Bob.
Wow…I never heard of anything like this. Sad really….and disturbing.
” Sad really….and disturbing.” Agreed Fit Journey. Thank you.
By referring to it as therapy, they euphemize it as therapeutic which is curing or healing of disease. Bulimia by nobodies definition is therapeutic. In fact, it’s a medically induced in this case….disease. I’m walking around in circles. Hmmm….It’s just baloney, which I would imagine is off the checklist because it’d clog the pipes.
On a more serious note, when my mother was dying (of gastric cancer), she had to have one of these installed so she wouldn’t starve to death. It was ghastly. To imagine someone doing this to drop a few pounds to fit in a dress for a big event or look svelte in their wedding album (I’ve seen news pieces with those as the persons’ motivations, I’m appalled.
I also hope they’re just as gung-ho about volunteering themselves to be medically de-fertiled (my own word, but it’s so much greener than ‘sterilized’) so they can’t pass their issues on to any offspring.
Perhaps, not to put too fine a point on it, these people should be encouraged to do so, and perhaps if the worse case scenario should occur, that they not find themselves lauded as courageous for taking such a drastic step, but yet, truthfully, become another inductee, forever young, of a Darwin Award.