I’m finally 6 weeks post ileostomy surgery, and I’ve been cleared to start introducing more foods into my diet.  

To celebrate, my wife and I went to a great vegan place in Toronto called The Loving Hut.

I had carrot soup, lemonade and a “Lucky Chow Mein”, which looked like this:

Yes, you see broccoli, you see bok choy and mushrooms.  Mine also had cabbage, which I avoided.My strategy for this dish was to save the bok choy and mushrooms until the end, and then chew them slowly and with care.  

Both are officially off the menu for ileostomates as they are known to cause problems, but that’s not the case for every ileostomate.

I also had a summer roll, which contained noodles, lettuce, and shredded veg (cucumbers, carrot, cabbage (I think)).

I kept a careful watch on my output in case food bits were passing undigested and to my surprise, everything went through perfectly.  :)  I’m very happy.

I’ll be trying more veg and fruits (without the skins for now) and perhaps some legumes in the next little while.  It’s nice to be able to bring these foods back, as they lessen my need for extra supplements.

If you’re in the Toronto area, I recommend trying the Loving Hut. (Update Jan 2022: Unfortunately, it looks like they closed down their Toronto location).