Diet Suggestions for Post-Urostomy Recovery (Vegetarian)

(i'm posting on behalf of krimat)

My father in law had a urostomy on 30th of jan and was discharged on 15th of feb. the delay in discharge was due to sluggish bowel movement. he is on a semi solid diet. What can be included in his diet(vegetarian only)?



thanks in advance.

Krimat

Some people are able to eat anything by this point (3 weeks post surgery); others do better with a low residue diet (avoiding fiber basically) and plenty of fluids.   If he is going to eat vegetables, cooked  soft and small pieces would probablly digest easier.  Toast, pastas, cheeses, juices, fruits should all be fine.  Tofu is soft and easily digested.  Just go easy on the fiber.  



Is your dad taking pain pills?  If so, a stool softener often helps if constipation is the issue.  



When creating a urostomy, since part of the intestine is used, it disrupts that system too.   It takes time for the bowels to get back into a routine.  "Normal" bowel movements vary; some folks have frequent liquid stools after surgery, while others have constipation.    Smaller more frequent meals may be easier for him to digest.  If the home health nurse is visiting, he/she may be able to give you suggestions and will probably want a bowel history since hospital discharge.



Let us know how it goes.  It should get better and into a pattern the next couple of weeks.

thanks whoa!!

my f-in law is 81 years, may be that is the reason for slow recovery. his doc has asked him to avoid fruits and veg for abt a month.



he seems to have constant hiccups is that normal? I think we in India do not have the system of ostomy nurse or home health nurse.



thanks

Interesting to hear from another part of the world!    I would think at the large city hospitals there would be ostomy nurses there??? You could try asking for a stoma nurse, ostomy nurse, ET nurse (many names!)



I don't know what is causing the hiccupsl constant ones are not normal.  If they don't settle down in a week, I'd check with his doctor.  



Recovery time is individual, though elder patients do seem to recover more slowly in general.

Can I take normal bath with the urobag and in due time, does it get spoiled  by water ?  Or do one take daily bath, without taking any risk about the outside bladder ?

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I asked if I can take normal bath everyday in water without worry about the safety of the external bladder and its other plastic covers etc.  How does one bathe daily ?



Krimat

Hi, there is no problems with taking a bath with or without the urostomy pouch, altho in most cases the water curls the edge of the flange(adhesive plate). to combat this, get some surgical tape and tape all round the edge of the bag, this should avoid any loss of adhesion round the edge.

Also another thing, if the bath water is very warm, the glue on the flange tends to get a bit tackier, which often means having to use adhesive removers to remove the excess glue on the abdomen after removing the bag. some people skin are sensetive to such removers, so untill you know that the peristomal skin can cope with adhesive removers it's best to keep the bath water as luke warm as possible.

It should be fine to tub bath and reommend doing it with the pouch on....some folks will use a layer or skin prep on the tape portion of the wafer, let it dry, and for some this kind of "water proofs" the tape part of the wafer.  Other types of tape:  Pink tape, Hy tape are semi water proof and not too expensive.  Medipore is nice but extremely pricey.



Krimet, I do worry about your dad's ability to get in and out of the tub though...the nurse in me thinks about fall risks.  Don't know if you have a shower at your home?  A shower chair or bench may be safer.

I have been made to wear a four-inch widh belt across my abdomen, which I have been weraring since my bladder-removal.  What is the purpose of this belt and for how long should I wear it ?  It always creats problems for bathing and dressing !!