The key is to introduce them slowly, and in very small portions. Chew it very well! I'm 7 years post stoma formation, and I have found through careful experimentation that I can pretty much eat everything I did before except: Popcorn, in any amount can cause a blockage. I used to eat shelled, salted peanuts shell and all. Nope, not anymore!

Too much fiber causes problems, too little causes problems. It's taken years to get it all worked out.

You'll get there!

Hi Jillian,

Taking it slow and experimenting with new foods as you are doing seems to be the best way to go. I a have had several blockages and found that smaller meals more often helped a lot especially when trying to gain weight back with emphasis on protein. It a slow process and takes a lot of patience and experimenting. Weight will start to come back slowly. So I encourage to keep up the good work!!

Fred

Hi @jillian, I'm glad to hear that you want to expand on your food options!

The two articles that should give you a good idea on how to proceed are:

Ostomy Diet: What to Eat in the First Six Weeks and Ostomy Diet: Beyond Your Recovery.

The first is more for the recovery phase following surgery, but it establishes a solid baseline, then you can move onto the tips in the second article to expand your diet further.

Taking it slow is important, but not just chewing slowly. Slowly, as in introducing one new food at a time in smaller quantities.

A food diary may be helpful to note what you've eaten and how it affected your output. Bear in mind that as your body adapts, your output and how foods are processed in the body will also change.

Good luck! Let us know how things go :)

@veganostomy Thanks for responding!

7months is a long time.   i lost my last 10inches of colon/large intestine, I went right back to eating my normal diet.  i do not recall the hospital suggesting more than eating health(14 yrs ago).  I haven't come across colostomy people who have the same problems that are common to the ileostomy. there is a sizeable difference between the function of the small vs large intestine.  

your 3 to 4 day cycle sounds more like a body function problem more than a diet problem, unless your diet is exactly the same and cycles every 3 to 4 days .      its odd that you say you go back to a normal output the following day?  if I get diarrhea, I'll go several days with no output.  this is inline with the intent of irrigators.  also there is a guy on UOAA forum that intentionally induces diarrhea so that he can have several days without output and gas.    have you eaten, say corn, and see how many days it takes to 'see' corn coming out?  gives a good idea as to the speed of your system.

what does your gastro doctor tell you?   I wouldn't rely on an ER doctor, they are good but are there to stablize incoming emergencies.

@dogtalkerer I see a new Gastro doctor tomorrow morning. I was not comfortable with the one I had. I am interested that you mentioned that after a large output, you go several days without one. This is what I go through too. I will have normal output for a few days, then comes the diarrhea. I have to take Imodium and it works well. Maybe the Imodium might be part of the cause of delayed output as well.

@veganostomy The food recommendations that you sent me of what to eat and not to eat in October was for illeostomies. Can it be followed for Colostomies as well? Seems to work.

@jillian 

Hi,

I have an ileostomy.

Did your team include a nutritionist?  I found in the beginning my nutritionist had good ideas to help me keep a healthy diet until I could eat my normal diet again.  She suggested keeping a diary and adding one food at a time in small amounts.

I was fairly careful what I ate the first 3 or so months then I began adding more foods in until now I pretty much eat what I did before ( vegitarian + fish ) with a few exceptions such as popcorn.

My biggest issue is I do not chew my food enough but I am working on that.  Chewing well seems to be the biggest key followed by good hydration.  

Best of luck in finding what works best for you.

cygo

Posted by: @jillian

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Can it be followed for Colostomies as well?

Yes, and as a general rule, it should be even easier for colostomates to introduce foods back into the diet since the risk of blockages is far lower for them. 😉

@veganostomy Thanks for responding! Appreciate the advice.😁