Young woman with toothbrush stuck inside her

[Palominoo]

I've just read about this poor young lady, Ayla Haines.

The hospital have said they expect her to pass it naturally. It's still inside her 10 months later after she swallowed it.

I can't see how that can pass through her stomach/digestive system? Is it possible?

Poor woman being left like this and her family having the awful worry.

I read the story and assumed it was just the head of the toothbrush

April fool?

How does one even swallow a toothbrush? Like even the changeable heads on the electric ones are quite a size?

Not an April fool

www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2019/04/01/young-woman-so-desperate-to-leave-mental-health-unit-she-swallowed-toothbrush-9084310/amp/

I briefly heard about this today however I am not entirely familiar with the details. I have come across people swallowing all sorts of things pens, knives and forks spring to mind usually in the context of self harm.

It is not as simple as just whipping it out. Whilst lots of people’s natural reaction is to say she obviously needs it out it’s not that clear cut. She may retain capacity and has refused permission, she may lack capacity but in the absence of significant symptoms, the surgeons may feel the potentially serious complications outweigh the potential benefits or she may not be mentally fit enough to be an inpatient for an elective operation.

Literally this is not the worst aspect of this poor lady’s care but I totally see why her family have used it as ‘in’ to get her story in the wider spotlight.