Yes debiejeanne, I realise the phlegm comes up from your stoma. It comes from your lungs and then out the stoma. In your old life when everything was connected normally, your nose did a great job at moistening and warming the air you breathe. Now that your airway is no longer connected to the nose and throat, you are breathing in colder and much drier air. This is why you have to add moisture. The cold dry air dries out the secretions in your lungs making it thick and difficult to cough out. That's why larys need a humidifier and to nebulizer saline down the stoma. This keeps it moist. Do you wear a cover of any sort over your stoma?I really recommend you read the webwhispers site to help you understand and care for your stoma and lungs. There are many different sorts of covers available in the US to protect the airway and maintain the lungs in as healthy a condition as possible.
Tammy