Posted by: Bill grandy

Beware of large oranges causing blockages. I had a blockage a couple of weeks ago. The doctor I saw said that was the second blockage he had seen from oranges in a month. Luckily I passed it all within a matter of a couple days.

What I do with oranges is to remove the membrane of each slice so that only the "meat" of the orange is consumed. The other parts of the inside of an orange can be very difficult to chew well enough not to cause blockages. 

Yes, you can add me to the list of orange  partial blockage. I handled it from home only because I was not in that much pain. With short gut syndrome, I was aware how many meals and what should have been through to the bag. After two days of nothing, and eating lightly,  I new I was hooped. I also new immediately what had caused it. I had two small oranges the night before. After that if I wanted an orange, I made a point to take it out of  the skin. If you have ever watched a chef on TV you will know how to do this. Let me help. Cut the tops and the bottom off the fruit to make it sit to not roll. Then slice the peel off the fruit from top to bottom removing the softer part of the skin under the peel also, once done with a knife place the blade into the fruit as close to the skin as you can get. Do this on each side of each segment and then making the triangle towards the center, the fruit should release into  waiting bowl. Do this over a bowl or plate to catch the juice and be sure to enjoy that also. To get the remaining juice from the pieces of peel you just removed, take the back of a spoon and drag it along the peel over the  bowl. I am on a very tight budget, and at first thought this would be wasteful. Not any more. If you have a problem with doing this to your fruit, reason it out to one less hospital stay. Grape skin can be equally as bad for a blockage. I chew the grape down to the point where the skin is feeling tough and dry and then toss it. Not worth the risk.  Three days later, the blockage cleared. I will not make that mistake twice. I get eczema on my hands quickly from oranges, so I usually drink my OJ, but sometimes you just need a good chew! 

Posted by: Linda Knelsen

If you have ever watched a chef on TV you will know how to do this. Let me help. Cut the tops and the bottom off the fruit to make it sit to not roll. Then slice the peel off the fruit from top to bottom removing the softer part of the skin under the peel also, once done with a knife place the blade into the fruit as close to the skin as you can get. Do this on each side of each segment and then making the triangle towards the center, the fruit should release into  waiting bowl. Do this over a bowl or plate to catch the juice and be sure to enjoy that also.

That's pretty much how I do it. Here's a video for more clarification. 

Sorry you ran into the same problem Linda. Thanks for the tips. I won’t be eating oranges for awhile. I didn’t realize grapes did the same thing so goodbye to grapes also.
Bill grandy

Eric,  THANK  YOU!  That was perfect. I was going to say in my entry to squeeze the life out of the remaining center, but because I get eczema and the OJ burns it when wet by OJ, I just take the cutting board I used, grab a fork, jab the remains and slide the back of a spoon across the rest to get all those great vitamins. Eric, your so awesome! Does anyone else think Eric is awesome?

k

could also be a fungal rash - try non powdered antifungal foot spray - if skin if irritated - the spray will sting like crazy, chnage your wafer every couple of days & spray with antifungal first, then do your usual skin prep routine. antifungal treatment usually takes 2-3 weeks to completely resolve.

@dd4741, Hi there, no, no foot spray.  Stinging will inflame the skin further. Please see your doctor, a fungus can be dangerous and if it chooses to move inside of you, your could have much further trouble! Your GP OR Nurse Practitioner can prescribe a cream. Bring a new pouch with you when you go incase they swab the area. But please no foot sprays.

My reversal is in 10 days and I'm having the same problems, had my stoma got 6 months with no troubles at all,the last three days have been hell,the cramps and hard stools and haven't changed my diet,and of course tomorrow I have to go for my first presurgery tests and I'm feel blocked,my doctor told me to try colace ,so I am but it's not helping much and makes my cramps worse, I'll let you know tomorrow what they say,and maybe it wii help you,good luck!

@Amy Dormann

Amy good luck! If there was no change in your diet, were you drinking less or did you add any new medications to the mix? Sometimes even stress can cause changes in your output. 

I hope your reversal goes well! 

Very helpful I go from thick to loose I eat starch to stop then I end up with thick then pancake I don't feel I should have to set this like a baby 2years in can't form a good life style. Will I ever I'm always worried. ?????

Hi Geri, I find that it helps to be consistent with what I eat to help avoid those swings between liquid output and thick output. It can certainly help to ease your mind when you are worried about what's coming next. Try to balance out your meals throughout the day and see if it helps.

Geri, I find that a teaspoon of Metamucil in my cereal every morning helps with my output consistency. I also have to watch my fibre intake; I seem to be sensitive to fibre. Just a suggestion that works for me. Good luck.

Laurie

Why my stoma not working all of a sudden used to get bag full morning now it needs waking up I drink well water peppermint tea and warm boiled water everyday then mid morning it there thick out put what would you advice scarry

For me, a single large biscuit of shredded wheat for breakfast is just the right amount of fiber to keep me regular. At times when I don't eat properly, a non stimulant gentle stool softener works very well and overnight for me. Consult with your doctor or stoma nurse if the problem continues though!

Hello Susan and welcome to Vo!  My first question is have you been eating regular meals and drinking the same amount of fluids every day as much as possible?? Any changes in your regular eating and drinking routine can give you changes in your output the next day and even as quickly as the same day.  

I would suggest you drink extra fluids when you think there may be something changing  in your output.  Keep up with extra fluids and see if that helps. If you start to have any pain then you should see a doctor.  

I have an ileostomy with short gut syndrome but still went thru a bad time of blockages.  It does help us to give you the right side of tips if you share with us what type of an Ostomy you have.

I feel the same way. 2 years and then found a parastomal hernia on CT in the ER. Didn't look huge. Scheduled surgery for 2 weeks later. It got so bad my surgery got moved up. He said I had an abdomen full of hernias. I just knew fixing the hernias and moving my ikeostomy would help...it did for only 2 weeks then back to normal. I don't eat starchy foods at all. I even buy expensive flour and sugar substitutes and rarely use those...just fir a craving every once in a while..surgeon decided maybe it was a digestion issue. Went to see a new agi Dr who wouldn't entertain the idea or do any imaging. I asked for a barium study. I've never even had one. He was trying to put me on multiple IBS-C drugs...nope...the last Dr tried that...I did my own research the night before and suggested a motility disorder. He said well that could be it....do I have to be the d...
Dr here. He says 1 medicine we can try and guess what insurance won't pay for it...not on my plan it's not A PA ordeal even. So now I have to go through a patient assistance program to try to get it bc not working I don't have $600 a month for medicine. Every record I have says I may actually have Chrons. Well nobody will do a study on my small intestine. The other problem I have is my ostomy swelling. If it's swollen nothing goes through it. I had UC and it spread through the whole colon. Drugs stopped working and I am a surgical tech so I texted the colon surgeon and told her if it was back take it out. My GI Dr knew I did that before he even scored me. Lol. She had already said let me know what it says and already grabbed him at 5am telling him she better know asap. Still working with all those doctors for all those years...nobody knows. According to them all it's rare to be constipated with an ikeostomy on a daily basis. Told me to eat more fiber and that made it 100 times worse. I'm at a lost. I can't even blend carrots or potatoes and eat them. And then when. I do keep the many partial blockages I get dehydrated from my body trying to get it out. Ant win for losing. I asked my PCP to chexk my electrolytes and it was like pulling teeth. He finally did just to make me shut up...funny thing is he got to wipe the looking at me like I'm stupid off his face when they called the next day bc my labs were a mess and they needed to do more. I swear. Why don't they make doctors like they use to. Use to on my old insurance I could ask for a lab or test and they knew I work in medicine and did it and would always find something. They were always amazed at how I was so in tune with my body. I hate this insurance.

Thank you for sharing, Becky. Sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation made worse because insurance isn't helping.

It's a common situation that so many people find themselves in, and I wish I had some solutions to share.

It also sounds like the doctor(s) you've seen have not been very cooperative, and in those cases I always suggest looking for another.

Good luck! I do hope you find some relief soon.

Hi Becky & welcome to VO! YOU'RE  SAFE HERE & Have folks who understand & will share their stories if we think it will help you.  But know we all welcome you here. No question or experience is a dumb one. 

I have some things to tell you but its the end of a very tiring day for me & my eyes are giving my issues,  but I'll  come back & chat with you. I've had very similar experiences starting at age 10 & want to share some with you what I think may help.  Make tea or coffee bcuz I can get a bit long winded! Lolol! 

There are ways to handle Doctors & GI's that will help you thru appts,  but i may need a bit more info to go on.  Bavk in the late 70's I nursed as obe of the first care aides in Geriatrics for a few years & came out of that knowing things the average person does not know. But, I do share them here if appropriate. My guts were wierd & very nasty too,  so I and others here know it is not a smooth ride getting answers.  Hang tight! Maybe if your comfy with it,  start a new forum &  introduce yourself & tell us a bit about yourself & how you came to have a stoma.  I think you said Ileostomy. ,This will help get the replies that might help you too. If you have an appt. before I get back to you,  as I need to rest my old eyes, take someone you trust with you right into the exam room.  You'll  be very surprised at the difference in how you are listened to  & treated. Tell whoever you take that you need them to back you up on everything you say even if they haven't heard of all the private parts of your suffering & keep them there for the exam too

I'll be back tomorrow if my old wacky eyes cooperate... lol!

I am going to get an Ostomy but sometimes I do have round pieces of feces which I am worried about. I also have an awful lot of diarrhea. I had a total colectomy in 2009 and my doctor thinks my rectum is breaking down but I do not want to have my rectum removed. I am 77 years old.