Hey @jillian, were the beans from canned or dried and cooked?

It's strange that these would have such an effect when you mention that other beans are well tolerated.

Is it possible that this bad experience was a one-off?

I agree, i doubt it is from garbanzo beans themselves, unless they were spoiled..   just beans in this salad?  

in my understanding of colostomies for 15 yrs now, nothing you have said makes any sense that a simple colostomy is creating the problems you are stating.  

you are wasting your time on this site when you should be talking to a doctor.    hopefully people here understand this as well.

Hi Jillian,

I have an ileostomy, and I do have to be careful with what I eat. I don’t eat a lot of beans, but I do love hummus. Even in hummus when the beans are blended, I have to be careful with how much I eat because of how it affects my output. So, just keep an eye on things. Maybe garbanzos will be something to limit going forward. 

The ostomy life is a constant learning curve. Best of luck!!

Jillian, I also have a colostomy, and I have trouble with beans, lentils and anything made from them, including hummus. I don’t cut them out of my diet completely, but I’m very careful to limit how much of these foods I eat.

Laurie

Jillian, I also have a colostomy [4 months now] and am enjoying putting foods back into my diet. I'm learning by trial and error what I can tolerate and what I can't. Because of anal cancer and a brutal treatment regimen that damaged my lower colon - and ultimately resulted in this colostomy - I couldn't eat a lot of foods that I had loved before cancer/treatment. Now that the "bad" bits are gone I can eat and not be homebound anymore. Anyhow...I can relate to your output story. I never have been a big fan of beans and eat very small amounts even now. However I'm currently learning lessons about what I can eat and how much. Last week I made a favorite stew recipe which was rich with lots of potatoes, carrots and a thick gravy. Didn't have a huge bowl for dinner [two nights in a row] but realize I should have had an even smaller bowl...talk about thick output! Hope you are doing okay now. - Linda

@tigerlily , I'm not sure what you mean by "trouble with beans"?  can you explain?    how does having a reduced length in your large intestine attribute to this trouble?

@granddayout , also the basic same question to you.  what foods can't your colostomy tolerate?  having  thick output in a colostomy is pretty normal,  very thick can causes bag failures.  you did mention I think certain fruits you avoid?  why?  learning to alter thick output is far better than avoidance, unless its junk food.

I ask these questions because i never heard of such problems before and i wonder how these problems come from shortening the large intestine and not a something thats been there all along.

@dogtalkerer I don’t intend to explain anything - asking people to “explain” their experience is not appropriate. I have a sigmoid colostomy, so I have lost very little bowel, but I have lost so much bowel function. My output is quite different than it was before my surgery, and foods that I used to tolerate well I can no longer tolerate at all. I guess the takeaway from this is people have vastly different experiences, and it is important to recognize and respect that. We’re not all the same. That doesn’t make our experiences less valid or subject to interrogation.

every one has different experiences and tolerances , the best advice given to me was try a little of something an see how you get on , 

for instance mushrooms are celery are BIG nono's for me as they can cause blockages , trial and error and small amounts are key , 

I have to balance my ostomy , gallbladder problems , arthritis and now type 2 diabetes and I manage with some patience and help mostly from advice on this site , 

and if any newcomer wants to ask ANYTHING , feel free to message me , all my inhibitions are long gone ,

and the most important advice I can give any new ostomy recipient is to stay positive , it will get better , you will be able to change/empty appliance half asleep and sort out even what seems like disasters now with no problems .

@tony-h celery is a monster! Also artichoke dip …. !  

Granddayout, I am a colostomate who has had radiation, also, and things have been different since. I am cautious about beans - is the little skins/membranes that are the problem, do you think? I think it would be difficult to “peel” a bean! 😊

Folks it’s strange how some of us can get away with certain foods and not others. I love celery but also avoid it raw. Boiled and served on the side no problem and in soups. I do eat all pulses but in small amounts. 😀🥜🌽🥦🍄

Jillian ... I love Garbonzo /Chick Peas & all beans. There are some I've had to weed out like red kidney beans. I recently tossed together a one pan dinner to use up veggies & to have some for 2 or 3 meals. I had butternut squash, onion, garlic, asparagus & zucchini & gb's on the tray.  I have had the GB's in soups before but never baked. I noticed how much more tender they were to chew & with my fussy guts, they caused no issues at all. I would think about trying them again but stick to a 1/4 cup or less , drink fluids with them & add something else to it, even a toast is good just to kind of act as a buffer breaking up any amount & see what your guts do with them heated to tender in the oven or even boiled.  The difference was equal to butter including the skin. Bonus, I did'nt have the typical gas I'd get normally with any beans either.

Eating veggies that cause issues... try again in small amounts cutting them differently. Instead of eating a 1" piece of asparagus, try cutting it into 1/4" ROUNDS. Anytime you cut a veggie to where you get long strands of fibre, you may risk a blockage. Same with celery, cut it straight across & less then 1/4" & chew your food down to nothing. This is easier to do for me, on Erics advice, to put my fork, spoon or sandwich down between bites. When you're sure a food has been offensive, you can try adding it again in smaller amounts, maybe cooking/cutting it differently & keep track of how your guts react to it.  I've opened a can or fresh veggies & used part of the container & then froze the rest flat for easy access & kept trying again. Sometimes the body just needs to adjust its absorption & digestive issues. 

I hope this answers a few questions & if theres more feel free to ask, I try & check in once or twice a week. 

Beans from a can may be a bit harder to digest than home cooked beans. I soak my beans overnight and add some baking soda to the soaking water. This help to soften the skins, so they cook faster and more soft.

If you wish to remove the skins after cooking, put them in a bowl of cold water. Stir them vigorously, then let them settle. The skins should float to the top, so you can easily scoop them out.

When you eat, chew. Chew really well. I used to wolf my food down, chewing maybe five times. I slowed down, chew really well and put my fork / sppon down between bites. Don't eat in front of the computer or tv. Lastly, make sure you drink enough when you're eating high fiber foods. 

@cat-momma Now, that sounds like a nifty trick to remove the skins, or most of them, leaving what ever skins are leftvery soft.  I love homemade baked beans, haven’t made them in years but I think I’ll give it another whirl!