Field finding: hard-stool photo should trigger soreness, hydration, and tarry-color follow-up #67

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rockachopa · 2026-08-27T00:02:15Z

rockachopa commented

2026-08-27 00:02:15 +00:00

Field finding (anecdotal; not labeled clinical ground truth)

A real photo-first conversation exposed a useful follow-up pattern:

Visible stool appeared small, hard/lumpy, and dark brown, provisionally consistent with Bristol 1–2.
The user then self-reported mild anal soreness and mild dehydration.
The crucial color clarification was whether the stool was merely dark brown versus genuinely black, sticky, and tar-like.

Do not retain the submitted image or treat this observation as classifier training truth. Pain, hydration, texture/ease of passage, and other symptoms remain user-reported—not inferred from pixels.

Product implication

After a user confirms a hard/lumpy photo suggestion, Timmy should offer a short, non-diagnostic follow-up that captures:

Was it hard or difficult to pass?
Any soreness or sharp pain afterward?
Any visible red blood?
Was it dark brown, or truly black/tarry/sticky?
Does the user feel dehydrated / is urine unusually dark?

The response can give proportionate self-care guidance for an otherwise mild report (steady hydration, avoid straining, gentle cleaning, warm sitz bath, external barrier ointment, food-based fiber) while preserving the authoritative urgent red-flag boundary.

Acceptance criteria

Photo analysis continues to suggest only visible form/color/quality.
Soreness, dehydration, difficulty passing, and tarry/sticky character require explicit user confirmation.
Dark brown is not silently escalated as black stool.
Confirmed black/tarry stool, substantial blood, severe/worsening pain, dizziness/weakness, vomiting, or very low urine triggers the existing deterministic safety path.
Mild guidance is concise, non-diagnostic, and does not imply that a photo ruled out bleeding or disease.
Add conversation tests for the hard-stool → soreness/dehydration follow-up and dark-brown-vs-tarry clarification.

Related: #5, #23, #62.

## Field finding (anecdotal; not labeled clinical ground truth) A real photo-first conversation exposed a useful follow-up pattern: - Visible stool appeared small, hard/lumpy, and dark brown, provisionally consistent with Bristol 1–2. - The user then self-reported mild anal soreness and mild dehydration. - The crucial color clarification was whether the stool was merely dark brown versus genuinely black, sticky, and tar-like. Do **not** retain the submitted image or treat this observation as classifier training truth. Pain, hydration, texture/ease of passage, and other symptoms remain user-reported—not inferred from pixels. ## Product implication After a user confirms a hard/lumpy photo suggestion, Timmy should offer a short, non-diagnostic follow-up that captures: 1. Was it hard or difficult to pass? 2. Any soreness or sharp pain afterward? 3. Any visible red blood? 4. Was it dark brown, or truly black/tarry/sticky? 5. Does the user feel dehydrated / is urine unusually dark? The response can give proportionate self-care guidance for an otherwise mild report (steady hydration, avoid straining, gentle cleaning, warm sitz bath, external barrier ointment, food-based fiber) while preserving the authoritative urgent red-flag boundary. ## Acceptance criteria - [ ] Photo analysis continues to suggest only visible form/color/quality. - [ ] Soreness, dehydration, difficulty passing, and tarry/sticky character require explicit user confirmation. - [ ] Dark brown is not silently escalated as black stool. - [ ] Confirmed black/tarry stool, substantial blood, severe/worsening pain, dizziness/weakness, vomiting, or very low urine triggers the existing deterministic safety path. - [ ] Mild guidance is concise, non-diagnostic, and does not imply that a photo ruled out bleeding or disease. - [ ] Add conversation tests for the hard-stool → soreness/dehydration follow-up and dark-brown-vs-tarry clarification. Related: #5, #23, #62.

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Reference: stackchain/timmy-talking-turd#67