Hi Stella, We have all been given the advice on what not to eat. Yes some foods may be best left alone but the majority of fruits and veggies are fine. Try out small amounts and keep a diary. Yep lettuce will not really break down but I have never had any problems. Let me put it this way, this is a site created by a vegan with an ostomy. Many ostomates enjoy a healthy vegan lifestyle. It’s one thing medics giving information ( with the best intentions) but someone who lives it every day knows more. 👍

Hi Stella.  Ditto on John's comments.  You asked about beans .. I eat them frequently but soak overnight and then use a high pressure Instant Pot, mixing all the spices etc.  They always digest really well.   I also eat a lot of strawberries. Chewing well is key for all.  Sometimes I will stick the cut strawberries in the microwave (and mix it with yoghurt after) for a little extra help breaking them down.  Good luck in finding a healthy and tasty diet that works for you.

Hi Stella

I’m just going to reinforce what John and Lynne have already said, as the more people who confirm all this the better!

I’m 18 months down the line with an ileostomy following a total colectomy, and, like you, was very wary at first of eating anything that could possibly cause a blockage. But - start off small, chew very well and see what happens. 

I’ve learned a couple of things along the way which may be just me, or may apply to others, I don’t know. Firstly, there are some foods that no matter how much I chew them they still appear in the bag in some form. Lettuce would be one of these! Tomato and pepper skins, spinach would be others. But I’ve learned not to mind and just ignore it, as they are really small bits and seemingly easily passed through. Secondly, I’m just constantly amazed by how much my system has transformed itself over time by dealing with just about anything I choose to eat now. It’s as though it’s a complete reeducation. It takes a time - over a year in my case - but things are now settled and my only golden rules are ‘no hard lumps’ and ‘nothing stringy’. That gives me a lot of scope!

Stay positive as things will improve…..and please eat strawberries….!

All the very best to you on your journey.

Rosemary

Hi Stella!

I think there are many different scenarios for how we handle tough-to-digest foods.  I worried a lot after surgery, to the point of refusing to eat raw veggies and fruit.  I'm now 18 months post-op, and I have gotten to the point that I don't ever think about what I eat.  

Not saying that it works for everyone.  I have read many horror stories of people having blockages.  I actually had one the day after my proctocollectomy when I had a total blockage from inflammation after eating my first meal.  I had never experienced pain on that level and don't want to again.  

But, I pretty much have resumed eating anything I want to - corn, beans, raw veggies and fruit, whatever. Speaking of lettuce - I often eat sub sandwiches piled with shredded lettuce.  I can pretty much fill my bag with partially digested shredded lettuce.  I have yet to have a problem with this.

I think I am very fortunate, or maybe a bit foolish.  We are all different.  Please take it slow until you understand your stoma.  Just my experience.  Best wishes!   

Hey Stella...my family dubbed me the queen of blockages, lol, so I totally get your caution in this matter!  Before my ileostomy and now short bowel syndrome I ate a wide variety of vegetables & salad. I've  learned to cook a little differently over the years. I have a history of cooking in restaurants & colleges, so I nearly fainted when I was told the list of foods to avoid! I was having none of it,  so thru trial & error I learned to cook differently for my guts, flavour & sanity sake!

In came the just past tender crisp steamed veggies! I test with a fork not a knife, a difference between sort of crisp but not mushy. I always chewed well, but now I chew nuts & seeds & such down to a powder, limit 1/3 c. whole a day spread out to start & veggies & salads (use Iceburg lettuce)  down to near oblivion. I learned from Eric to put my fork down between bites. This made for very well chewed meals!  I eat a salad at least 1ce a day.  I eat strawberries & all kinds of fruits now.  In  Moderation.  I started with Melons, cut 1/2 " slices & again chew chew chew! Strawberries, concentrating on mulching those tiny seeds in my teeth, strawberries blueberries & mango are yummy frozen with yogurt instead of ice cream & in **fruit smoothies. This is where I ate fruits I love 1st but was afraid of. I also add veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach to smoothies. Smoothies: 1/3 yogurt , 1/3 orange juice, 3 fruits. I use frozen strawberries, blueberries, mango. I add a dash of vanilla. If too thick add more O.J. or wait till fruits thaw.  Made to much, eat frozen later! 

I cut fibrous veggies differently. All in 1/4 inch slices & when eating with a meal I basically ate in a circle off my plate giving a good mix as it landed in my tummy.  Because I needed to gain weight I added sauces & such to veggies. Theres some nice dry mixes stores. The more Fibre, the more fluids with a meal. I love beans of all kind so I made spreads instead of whole thus pulverizeing the skins. Humous was a new fav. & still is. I love beets, so I make a beet chickpea humus or buy the ready made in a deli. 

I remove veg skins that are fairly thick. Tomatoes, I score the skin in small squares cutting down on chew time to some degree & shake the seeds out in a paper towel in my sink or just use a finger.  Roma tomatoes have more meat, less seeds.  If I make time I dip 2 at a time in boiling water for about 1-3 min. & put directly in cold or ice water & slip skins off, remove upper core store in fridge till used. I  peel cucumbers & even peel peppers with a peeler if eating raw. I love pickles so chewed them extra well & limit quantities to start.  My dog loves the skins of veggies, but not spuds.  Peppers peel easier if cut in chunks around the curves. 

I dialed down the spice levels I enjoyed in chili's & switched to a white bean verses kidney beans. Softer skins.  I switched  from yeast breads  & biscuits to a wide variety of crackers. 

Instead of hard veggies in veggie dips, I used peeled peppers, zucchini, cakes, tomatoes , the Softer vegetables. Steamed carrots & chilled before eating. Instead of cream dips, I use a variety of humus or bean dips. 

This gal I follow on Instagram  "vegan babe".  She has lots of easy recipes & an easy site to get around on too. Why not check her out & give some a try.

Meats & corn are the hardest thing to digest for me so I switched to tofu &  salmon & some sea foods. Cream corn  verses whole or 1/2 cob. Try creamed on potatoes or whole kernel mixed in. I missed pastas so I added crushed canned tomatoes, great on mashed potatoes.  Foods that absorbed fluids like pasta, rice, high Fibre veggies I drink a lot of extra fluids while eating & after as well. 

I hope this helps a little.  There's a world of possibilities & flavour out there.  Enjoy!! 

@dlkfiretruck

Linda you deserve a double like for this post. Its loaded with good detail on avoid and managing to create some healthy eases on your gut food.

Ever thought of doing a book or booklet on this?

Wow, thanks everyone for all the great ideas. I will try bit by bit and to get back to eat what I like. Thanks so much my dear family.

@dlkfiretruck Thanks Linda for showing me in details how to eat the veggies in a new way.

@stella...you are more than welcome!  I want to let you know that as John has said & Eric too, keep a journal of foods you eat to track how your digestive system responds  to new foods.  Gas,  bloating, what your output was like. I  track time I ate too.  This will give you a fair idea of time foods took to go through your guts into your pouch. It'll also let you know what foods you may want to avoid.  This will help you when planning outings as well.

You may notice an increase in odour when emptying your pouch.  There's a liquid deoderant you can buy for inside your pouch from Hollister (they'll send you samples of most anything you want to try including different Pouches) or Amazon and I'm sure other sites . I  find that " M9 Odor Elliminator Drops " work very well.   In Canada, I'm not sure if it's in the U.States, sorry, but  you can order from a company called... Pay Less Medical... 1-866-533-0772, for around $22.00. My pharmacy was charging up to $70.00 a bottle!!! YIKES!!!  Check out their website its not just for ostomy supplies. This product works fabulously. The manufacturers advise to use 4 to 12 drops. I use on average 20 drops & get a month from the 8 ounce/240 mL. bottle. There's a bonus to ordering from Amazon. At no extra cost to you, Eric gets a little bit of a pay back which helps pay for the expenses of running this site. It's a small bit of a detour back here to his direct link but a great way to help support him.  See above... Support Me...top far right to help out when your placing any Amazon order.

Some foods may stain the inside of your pouch & even change your output colours. Beets, Green Beans, Asparagus are good offenders! Beets can also change output & urine to an alarming colour & may lead you to think something worse is going on. I found this out in a most enlightening but embarrassing way in the emergency room one night!! lol! Ugh!! Live & learn but still better safe then sorry!! 

I hope you enjoy yourself adding new foods to your diet! Most importantly...Remember...  

Everything in moderation.

@chrisandbagpus...Aaaaaw shucks Chris! Thank you for such a nice and kind compliment.

Honestly No, I've never thought to do that.  Lol, maybe if my bazarre anemia didn't force me onto my non-functioning backside stoma &  totally write me off every  3 to 4 months I may have had enough brain power to consider such  a thing! Lol, as it was I wrote that pretty late & it took some time to do, more so with editing, lol, but this I do for Eric's sake, lol & believe me, I edited!!!  Yet another failing personal battle !!! 😆🤣😂 So sorry Eric, I do try!  Lol! 

Hi Stella,  Lots of good advice here.  I, like you have a loop ileo and I'm at about eight months now.  I am able to eat anything, and my diet consists of all things high in fibre, lots of fruits and vegies, skins, seeds and all, beans, corn, mushrooms, nuts, you name it.  I often see undigested things come out in my bag, but the point is that they pass just fine, no problem.  One of the problems that many ileostomates seem to have is scar tissue, which can contribute to blockages.  Most often these are people who had croh's disease or colitis.  I had my ileo due to a ruptured bowel, so no previous disease to cause scar tissue.  If your ileo was due to cancer, you may be in much the same situation as me.  Don't be afraid to try things.  I started out afraid to eat anything but now I don't even think twice about what I eat.

Good luck and bon appetit!

Terry

@varg55 thanks so much encourage me. Yes, I will try. Vege food is good. I will take time to eat and chew everything to very fine. I'm happy that I can get back foods that I like. 

@stella...don't be a stranger though & let us know how things are going for you & what you've found most enjoyable since adding foods you love back to you diet ! 

@dlkfiretruck thanks Linda encourage. I ate few broccoli last night. Seems good, the output seemed not so watery as before. I plan to try canned peas tomorrow. And later may be blueberries smoothie (I love this). And plan to add spinach into my next grocery list.

@stella...Good for you!!! Remember that fibrous foods like Brocolli, oatmeal, noodles, all absorb fluids and need fluids to pass thru you,  they can make output thicker, so drink plenty. I tend to drink a lot of fluids anyways, but I  drink extra especially while eating and then after a meal too. Eventually you'll figure out exactly what works vest for you. Everybodies system is different so listen to yours carefully. 

@dlkfiretruck I also use about 20 drops of m9 and it is amazing.  Almost no odor, unless there is a lot of gas.  

I'm eating brocolli, spinach, some canned peas and oatmeal.  Seemed more not that much output and less watery. Plus I took the advice that I drink while I eat and drink a big cup of water after I eat. 

@glenn-giroir  newbie here just 7 1/2 weeks post emergency surgery for ruptured diverticulitis woke up with a colostomy..  

just stopped by because I would like to know what m9 is?

my stoma is in a hole and no nice pink rosebud for me, so every bag I have tried the wafer gets infiltrated almost immediately.  

Linda

@gimo 

Hi Linda.  M9 is an ostomy bag deodorizer.  It really works well in eliminating odors for when you empty your bag.