Hi Terry.  I'm a little over a year out and I'd say it really took my body 6 months to fully adjust so recognize that 6 weeks is still super early.  On average my transit time is about 4-6 hours, although my worst slowpokes (carrots, even when cooked) will occasionally take over 12 (ie, eat at 4pm and still some site of them in the morning.)  You might benefit from taking some digestive enzymes or even check-out  Dr. Shade's Bitter X which increases bile which may help with overall digestion/transit time.  Movement/exercise is also really helpful I find. If you feel fullness even with liquid foods, it may be still some lingering swelling from the surgery.  If the pain persists, you might check-in with your doctor.  Sending my best healing vibes your way.  

Hi Terry, 

I’ve had my ileostomy for almost 2 1/2 years. I agree with Lynne, it takes a while for your body to adjust to the ileostomy. For me, transit time depends on what I eat and drink and how active I am. During the day, I would say 4-6 hours sounds about right. If I have milk (either to drink or on cereal), it goes much faster. Some things slow it down (usually carbs-bread, potatoes).  Things also slow at night. My bag does fill up and I get up at least once during the night. But I can eat dinner at 6 or 7pm and have nothing but water, and things are still coming out late into the morning. When I get up at night, I usually have a drink of water and things pick up a little after that. 

I hope things become more regular and predictable for you. 

Hi Lynne,  Thanks for this.  I have an appointment with my GI coming up and I'll ask about the enzymes and stuff to increase bile production.  It sounds like something that might help.  I'm a very active person and I know this does help. Thanks again.

Terry

 Hi Liza,  I do realize it's still early days for me, but I have always seemed to lean towards constipation, and it seems like that is what is continuing to happen.  I can't imagine 4-6 hours transit time, and if anything, as time goes on it seems to be getting longer for me rather than shorter.  I am talking to my GI soon and will hopefully get some answers.  In the meantime I have to continue drinking lots of juice which is what is keeping things working.  I don't like having to ingest all that sugar, but I don't know what the alternative is.  Thanks for your advice. 

Regards,

Terry

@varg55...Hi Terry...not much fun!! Before ileostomy & several surgeries, I had gone 18 + days without a BM...my 1st surgery  1996,  was a Total Cholectomy Ileorectal Anastomosis with J-pouch. Long story short...extremely lazy bowel, causing horrid pain, inflammation & all sorts of nastiness! The J- pouch was a love hate relationship. Mostly hate ...lol!! 

After Ileostomy in 2009, I dealt with a lot of blockages even with short gut syndrome. I learned a few things to keep my guts moving  that have worked for me.

I loved raw veggies & a big salad for a meal. I learned to chop my food smaller & grate things like raw carrots. I loved raw asparagus so I cut it in small 1/8" approx. circles to have on my salad & same with many others, plus grating raw carrots, hard squash is tasty raw or harder veggies work peeled & grated too. I peel most veggies especially thicker skinned & fruits too. Ex...regular cucumber peeled but  not the baby ones. The peel on these is not nearly as tough. I also eat more of the  watery veggies. Cukes & Radishes are great in summer for a snack & rehydration.  If seeds are transparent you do not need to deseed them. 

I took Eric's advice & put my fork down between meals.  Chew, chew, & chew before swallowing. Brings foods to unidentifiable other then colour.  Gross thought...I know!  I drink a full glass of water, usually 15 min. before any meal. I found this woke up my guts!! With a meal I drink another glass of water & a big glass of milk then another water after all meals. I even go as far as swishing my torso so stomach contents mix with fluids well & not just sit around them. You may be able to hear this.

I tend to skip breakfast & like Danbh, I really only eat 1 meal a day & take about 45 to 1 hr to do so. I  graze on healthy snacks, mostly fresh fruits, Macintosh Apples break down very well, no sponginess like some brands. Pears, Melons &  summer is great for peaches, apricots, plums nectarines.... something I was told to avoid Grapes ( eat the seedless variety) ...I just peel them...kidding... but if I have no inside grape in my mouth & only peel hanging around, I'll spit out the peel into a napkin.   I chew all my food down to an applesauce or less texture. I started by adding applesauce after each meal  & a swish. I found this well even if there was a dessert 1st.  All meals end with fresh fruits. You'll find which work for you, its a lot of trial & error. I found i was always hungry as my ileostomy. Fruits helped a lot!! 

I loved Eric's tip on keeping a journal of foods & the literal  "out"...come!  I learned quickly what worked this way. I do this too if my guts slow down.  When my guts slowed, I recorded what I ate if you remember the last 2 - 3 days, then after & to outcome untill you have the change you want.  I can not express enough how I always thought I drank plenty of fluids but untill I aimed for 8 plus glasss a day, I was surprised how much better my guts reacted & how much better I feel.

In sumner I dehydrate quicker & so a lot more then in winter to start each day a homemade fruit/yogurt smoothy/juice or milk with 3 frozen fruit  varieties & always a few dashes of turmeric for inflammation  & sometimes a bit of vanilla too.

A walk as long as you can tolerate every day  is great too, do not push it, you are still recovering.  When you start feeling tired is when you turn around. You are still recovering from surgery I believe up to 6 months not 6 weeks as we are told.  You can add a longer walk each week. Check with the doctor before active workouts. Build up your strength slowly. Take a friend, listen to a novel or music, a podcast maybe. Be alert though.

I hope you can find what works for you & keep in mind swelling can re-occur up to a year afterwards. If you have questions...just holler. 

All the best & be as well as you can be. 

Hi Linda,  A lot of really good information and advice here, thanks so much.  So, a strange thing, this morning I had some canned peach with breakfast.  I had not had any the last two mornings as I was just drinking prune juice.  Well, imagine my surprise when less than one hour later, they were coming out into my pouch!  I was always assuming that the peaches I was seeing were from the previous morning's breakfast, but this time I know there is no way as the last time I had peaches was three days ago!  So, I guess I'm really seeing proof that it depends on what I eat when it comes to how fast it exits!  I know some things are really taking their time, and I do have a lot of discomfort which I am thinking now might be more due to gas than anything else.  Still a lot of experimenting to do and a lot to learn.  Thanks again.

Regards,

Terry

@varg55...you are more then welcome Terry.  I am glad I can be helpful.  Yes, thank goodness for those darn slippery peaches eh!! lol! You will find as you go along that you'll be able to pick out what to eat based on how the guts feel like. That's good you figured out the peaches! Keeping a journal will help you discover what works as you go along too.  Keep notes on when your aware of the transit time. It can be helpful if you deal with a slight blockage or very slow gut! Follow your instincts, nip it in the stoma early! The 1st time I rub my tummy, its become lightbulb moment! lol! I keep a recipe card with what works well when my guts do slow down & I'm having a bad day, no thinking, but my guts need to be rescued. This helps me see what works at a glance.  I also helps if someone is trying to help you by suggesting choices. 

Canned fruits are great to have on hand for when your guts feel slow or just as a regular to help keep them flowing. If I need a bit more help from fruit, pears & prunes are good too.  I'll add yogurt to them for extra nutrition & slip. A little tip...where I live though the stores are relatively handy, I can't always get to them. Put some little serving cups in the freezer, they thaw quickly or make a nice dessert if I need something cold on a hot day. About 20 seconds if I remember right in the Microwave & its a ready frozen a treat. If my guts have that sluggish feel, I'll pop one or two in the fridge the night before.

When I was learning what made my horrid guts work I backed up anything I ate with something slippery. I discovered very quickly that red meats were harsh 4 my bowel, so I switched to fish & ate more chicken. Chicken can get boring though so I have a few recipes I lean on for variety.  I also cook my veggies differently.  Ground beef is easier then a whole piece.                                                                                                                              I started cooking my much loved wide variety of veggies by still steaming, but taking them to the tenderness of being able to put a fork in the thick part to the center of them. The fork gave me the taste of tender & texture close to tender crisp without the mush & loosing all the taste which I felt was washed out when boiled.  to me I felt that was obvious by the water in the pot. If you find this, but prefer boiled, save the water in a container & freeze it for soup. 

These are a few things I thought of after. I also avoid breads most of the time, I eat crackers instead. They have much less rising agent in them & it avoids the horrid gas I get from them.  I always have Gas X on hand & take one & before & after I eat bread. Again, drink plenty of water with it. Good luck as you figure things out!  

Hi Linda,  I am so grateful for all this good advice.  I read your bio and it sounds like you have been through more than your share.  Our medical histories are somewhat similar so a lot of what you are doing may also apply to me.  I didn't have inflammatory bowel disease, just what was described as lazy bowel, but some of the lack of functioning may have been similar.  I also found that for me it was easier digesting fowl and seafood rather than red meat and gave it up over 30 years ago.  

I am at the six week post surgery mark and "could" start introducing the more dangerous foods into my diet, but I decided to wait until after the new year.  The last thing I want is an ER visit on Christmas Day for instance. That would be a nightmare!  I have been eating broccoli, cauliflower, onions, all very well cooked and cut very small, in soups.  I would love to have some of my favourite, brussel  sprouts, for Christmas, but I guess I'll take a pass. You mention many fruits you eat but did not mention berries.  Can you eat them?  I love strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. 

You mention yogurt.  I have read conflicting stuff about dairy products.  Some say that dairy causes output to thicken and slow and others say milk and yogurt goes right through them.  I'm confused!  I have been drinking less milk than I used to but would love to up my intake.  One of my favourite things is peanut butter on my toast, but I found it really jammed me up, so now I think maybe if I drank some prune juice with it, it would slide in along better? I don't want to have to totally give it up because I love it and it's good for you.

I am using GasX, which has helped.

Cheers,

Terry

P.S. your bio mentions Vancouver.  Is that where you live now, or used to?  I was born and raised in the city but now live in Delta, a suburb just south.

Hi Terry, 

I am one of those “milk goes right through me people. Yogurt, not as much. Especially high protein Greek yogurt. I’ve noticed the same think with peanut butter thickening things up and slowing things down. I too love peanut butter toast, so I usually drink some cran-grape juice. The grape moves things along and the cran makes it less sweet. 

I love berries, but I have been very careful with them. I did have a bit of a problem when I ate strawberries. I think it was probably the seeds. It wasn’t a full blockage but something wasn’t right. I haven’t tried blueberries because of the skins. In general I follow a list someone gave me in the hospital and have very slowly been adding some things back into my diet. 

PS: I am your (and Linda’s) American neighbor to the south, as I live in Washington. 😀

...Hello Ladies.. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned berries...I love them. I eat blueberries & strawberries especially with no issues. Blackberries and Raspberries, I find the seeds are bigger & cause issues.  Blueberry skins break down easy enough if I do the train thing...lol! Chew chew chew! Hehe...sorry!  I usually have unwhipped cream with them. However, I eat them after a meal too. Fluids & Swish. 

I love peanut butter toast too, its by far my fav. treat when I can't figure out a crave session.  I found recently our grocery store makes a cheese bread, sliced & its thinner slices. It does not seem to give me as much gas & bloat as some breads have.  I apply a nice layer of butter & it melts into the toast, yumm....hmmm, My Cholesterol is still way too low so I get away on the butter without the guilt! Haha...maybe that's the slip there, lol, but the peanut butter is always thinly applied so I can still taste it & have my treat too. What is it about peanut butter toast anyways???! That is followed up with some apple/blueberry sauce. Most anything I eat is followed up with fruit.  

Go ahead & eat some Brussel Sprouts, start with about 6, cut them in thin slices first then steam them. I add them raw to salads but they are thin cut.  I eat them with little issue other than Gas but that's where Gas X comes in too.  Foods that bloat cause me so much pain that I just keep it on hand all the time now. Go ahead & if its been okayed by your doctor, just  introduce what you have not been eating slowly & a little at a time & mix it with other foods on your plate.  If you normally ate 1 cup worth, maybe eat a 1/3 cup & keep in mind the fluids. If milk never bothered you before it should be okay now. It goes right thru me too if I have it without foods. MAybe start with a smaller amount. Yogurt it is usually mixed with canned fruit unless I eat a small tub frozen in summer.  It's a good replacement for Ice cream & fruit flavours help with the sweetness. 

I think the big thing here is to trust your gut & your judgment of how you feel before and after you eat something or add something new.  Your body will let you know what it likes and does not like! For me it became about avoiding blockages big time. If I had the Peanut Butter & toast, that too had fruit following it close behind! Keep up the fluids & milk. Eat less for a while then slowly increase. I can't eat nearly the plate size I used to eat, just smaller meals & fruit for snacks & then the thicken up topic when too watery is a whole other conversation. Oh, I also eat a regular yogurt. The greek stuff & thicker varieties do play a number on my guts. I had not thot of that till it was mentioned. I prefer 2% milk. Again try different things. If you need to gain weight, sauces are helpful & for flavour satisfaction.  What works for me may not work for you. It's all trial & Error. Have fun with it.  Mke sue your getting your vitamins especially your Iron. If not in foods then in supplemental form. Never take more than recommended.  I have been taking a Hair, Nails & Skin Vitamin for about 6 months now & my hair is actually coming in again & even my skin is not so itchy & dry. 

My moto for a long time was Everything in Moderation but give it a try then try again! Don't give up the first time, lessen the amount you ate then try again.  Maybe this is where I tell you that I eat Popcorn several times a week also. Not the microwave stuff tho. I find that popcorn popped in a heavy pot in vegetable oil causes the little shells to be a lot more crisp & they break apart no problem for me. But I would wait till about 6 months down the road to try it if you do,  eat only about a cup of popped corn to start for a while to see what your guts tell you!  

My two cents’ worth - I find that canned diced peaches are just wonderful in keeping things moving along.

And for me artichoke dip is the enemy - found that out experientially! Also cheesesteak sandwiches ....

Linda LK gives great advice about chewing chewing chewing. 

And I have referred back to the very helpful information Eric has put on VO about diet many times.

For me, transit time (end ileostomy) really depends on what I eat.

If I eat a lot of raw spinach, it's out in a few hours. Corn? Could be 12 hours and continue for many more. 

Your body will become more consistent so that regular meals and meal times will produce more predictable times to empty your bag. 

A food diary can help.  Best to you. 

@squeakyandliza Well, Hi there neighbour!  Maybe someday our border will open again and it will feel like we are neighbours again!  It's sure a strange world we are living in.  Thanks for the advice.  I'm getting the clear message that things are different for everyone and the thing to do is "cautiously" try everything out.  I have been drinking milk, skim is all I drink, and it doesn't seem to cause me a problem.  Haven't tried yogurt yet. I still think I will wait until after the holidays to try fresh fruits.  You said you are still slowly adding things in, how long ago was your surgery?  I'm just over six weeks post surgery, so I want to be very cautious.

Cheers,

Terry

@dlkfiretruck  Hi Linda,  Well, I peanut butter on my toast this morning with a glass of skim milk, and then followed it with a glass of prune juice along with my two cups of coffee (decaf), and within about 1 1/2 hours I had some very loose ouput, so I guess the prune juice counteracted the peanut butter, but I could probably drink a little less juice next time.

My favourite way to prepare brussel sprouts is to roast them until they are really carmelized and quite well cooked.  I slice them in half and toss them in olive oil, then garlic and spices, and roast them in a 400 degree oven for at least an hour and about half way through I add sliced mushrooms.  I stir every 20 or so minutes and add some fresh lemon juice just near the end.  They are fabulous.  Everyone says mushrooms are a real no no, what do you say?  I would love to make my brussel sprouts again but I will still wait until after Christmas this year.  It's still pretty early days for me.

I am eating smaller portions too.  I just don't feel like eating too much, maybe my stomach shrunk, that would be nice!  I am not a popcorn fan, but I do love mixed nuts, another thing I've been told to avoid like the plague.  Can you eat nuts? 

I'm glad you mentioned vitamins.  I've been unsure about taking some of the larger pills and the dietician at the hospital wasn't much help.  I bought some multi vitamins but they are a pretty big tablet and I'm afraid they won't break down enough in my gut and then end up getting stuck.  Is that a possibility?  I take glucosamine for arthritis in my fingers and I have changed from a tablet to a capsule because I know it will dissolve easily.  I was thinking of seeing my GP to have some blood work done in a few weeks maybe, just to see if I have any deficiencies.  

Thanks again Linda!

Cheers,

Terry

@varg55

Hi Laurie. I’m actually 2 1/2 years into having my ileostomy, but I’ve had a lot to contend with, so have been extra cautious with what I eat. I know others here are more brave than I am, but I’d rather give some things up than risk getting a blockage. 🙂

@varg55...Hi Terry...my apologies! I actually did answer here but I forgot to hit add reply & lost it all & you all know I'm long winded! lol!   So...I just shut it down that night then my eyes did there inflammation thing & I could hardly look at the screen,  so I've taken a few days off from all electronics. . At any rate they are much better today.

Liza is wise about being careful to avoid a blockage.  She has some special circumstances of her own for sure.  I've had many but more due to functional issues. So please,  do not let our situations stop you from cautiously trying & adding foods you enjoy. If you have issues, try less & again down the road. Have fun & enjoy it!  

As far as nuts go...when I do eat them I'll eat about 1/4 - 1/3 c. but I chew them down to a powder. Laterally!! It can be done...then again with the sauce & fluids. lol! Apple sauce that is! Your recipe for Sprouts sounds good. I'm going to give it a  try. Thanks for adding it here, but  If you have a chance you should add it to the recipes section. In my mix I eat Cashews sometimes, but always Almonds, Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds & Brazil Nuts. These are all good for the thyroid & about three of the big Brazil nuts a day really are beneficial to the thyroid gland.  

Vitamins...as long as they are not time release can be broken into smaller sizes & crushed between spoons but lately I have preferred to use two plastic lids I get for soup cans at the $ store & lol... finally a use for it, I mash them with  my meat hammer  between the 2 lids. Much easier then the spoon thing! Good move onto a capsule. Some pharmacists will bring in a liquid or gummy variety if they can be made in that form.  Do you find the Glucosamine really works for your fingers? Somedays mine are pretty sore in the knuckles & I've thought about taking it but am just not sure. May I ask what amount you take & brand that you find helpful??

Yes, a dietition is more about eating your vitamins thru foods, not so much in tablet form. I'm not sure they understand about transit time or Ileostomies.  I'm not sure if a big old pill could block the pipes & some of my vitamins are pretty big &  I have found 1/2 dissolved ones in my pouch. Same with some meds. that had to be changed to another form. If in doubt, break it down to size. I learned recently that my skin, hair, nails one works better if taken with milk. I usually read labels before taking anything, but these eyeballs are in for an overhall soon! lol! My specialist apt. is booked for the end of January so I'm looking forward to that. Covid caused a year delay on that much needed appointment.

I rather enjoy mushrooms & I do eat them. But,  I found the white button mushrooms are harder to break down & require a lot of chewing so I have avoided them.  Then even with the extra jawing, I still found them very identifiable in the pouch. But I recently tried a recipe for stuffed portebello mushrooms & I find they are much meatier & actually broke down nicely Compared to those sweet little white ones.  I really liked the taste of them too. If you haven't, maybe buy one or two big ones & give it a try.

I think your well on your way to recovering & you will enjoy many foods again soon. Small meals is the way to go & that may or may not change. I kind of flip between the two forms. I find some days I am hungry all day long even after just eating or during... I'm already thinking about what to eat next! lol! This is where the fresh fruits came in also.  

@dlkfiretruckHi Linda,  I know what you mean about taking a break from electronics!  It's a really good thing to do for yourself.

Thanks again for all the advice.  I did try one "risky" food, a pickle, and I had no problem.  I was going to try some sliced tomato on my sandwich yesterday, (haven't had any tomato since my last surgery) but then I thought, do I really want a trip to the ER on New Years Eve?  NO!  So, I'm going to try it today and see how it goes.

If you do try the brussel sprout recipe, the spices I use are salt, pepper and nutmeg, and  little hot sauce, but then, that's just because I like anything spicy!  I will give mushrooms a try in the next little while.

As for glucosamine for arthritis, yes it absolutely does make a huge difference for me.  I used to get terrible pain in my right pointer finger and sometimes in my left, and I haven't at all since I started using it.  The dosage I take is 500 mg three times a day.  I have heard some people say it doesn't work for them, but I think it may be because they are not taking enough.

I bought a few mandarin oranges, but haven't tried one yet.  Maybe tomorrow morning.

I got an email message from the site saying there was a "broken" private message.  I don't know if this means you sent something to me that I didn't get, or if you didn't get the private message I sent to you?  Did you get a private message from me?

Cheers,

Terry

@varg55...hi Terry...a little tip on tomatoes.. I score the skin in 1/4 inch sections & have never had a problem passing them. I love tomatoes like you would not believe. I grow my own every summer & enjoy them all summer long. Fried green even! Yum. If your concerned about seeds just take a spoon to them & loose them. You can also put canned tomatoes on mashed 🥔 potatoes, That tastes really good. Heat them first. 

I think I'll give glucosamine a try. My hands have been pretty wicked lately. Especially my fingers. Do you mind telling me which brand you use? I especially think I should try it for the arthritis in my ankles, feet (arch area) & toes & where they connect to *the*  feet. I sort of disowned my feet a while ago! Wow...thats a whole other issue!! Lol! 

Nutmeg is one of my fav. Spices. I love to use it on green beans & salads even. Use a fresh nut if you can get them  in your grocery store and green them on the smallest grater you have. YUM! .Again its another better burst of flavour the prefrontal.   It gives the beans a whole other realm of flavour that I just love. 

I tend to use Herbs & Spices in a wide variety of  my foods and even mushrooms soup. In myshroom soup I love to add a well squeezed pinch of Basil, Oregano, Thyme and  a dash of Nutmeg. Try adding some dried onion pieces in it too and if you like spice add a dash of Cayenne! Uhboy...the flavour boost is wonderfull but squeeze the leaves well between your fingers or in your palm. This helps release the flavours and oils in the tiny leaves. I dry my own Herbs that I grow in summer so I have my own supply going! 

I've eaten oranges with little issue other then Eczema. The navel oranges you can cut out of the skins like  grapefruit sections, or , cut them in half & eat them as you would with  a grapefruit spoon. It works very well for me that way. 

I actually sent you a PM as well before Christmas...about 10 days before. Did you get mine. Maybe this is an issue Eric needs to be advised of. Mine to you  is still there but there's no sign of your to me. 

Your on the right path...keep adding and trying new foods as you go. Take your time. Small portions at first. Your well on your way Terry! 

Terry...I mentioned to Eric about the pm. Please read what he wrote in the forum on the...New  Website Host...Need Testing. It may be helpful!