Questions About Ileostomy Care and Recovery

Hi there!

I'm from Indonesia and recently got a temporary ileostomy. I have a lot of questions, but unlike resources in first-world countries, I was not assigned an ostomy nurse (I read around, and they don't really have ostomy nurses here). So I have a few questions!

1. Just recently, my feces color changed from brownish yellow to dark brown. Should I be worried?

2. I was told by the nutritionist in the hospital that I could eat vegetables and even sweet potato, and I was taken aback a bit because I thought you should avoid fiber the first week after getting an ileostomy?

3. I'm still recovering from surgery, and sometimes my stomach cramps. How do you know if it's a blockage and I should be worried?

4. Do I need supplements to cover for the lack of veggies I'm eating? They gave me B complex for a week and didn't really discuss it..?

Sorry for all the questions; I'm a bit lost!!

4. Without a colon, you will need B12 shots occasionally.

1. No, don't be worried.


2. You are supposed to avoid fiber for the first few weeks after surgery and then introduce it slowly. Chew well. You shouldn't eat corn, raw veggies, or very fibrous veggies at all. No skins or seeds.


3. You will know it's a blockage if you vomit, if you do not have output, or if you have watery output.


4. Needing supplements kind of depends on what you are eating or able to eat. You might need B12, and you might not. I can't take B12 supplements because it makes my B12 go too high. You could take a multivitamin to cover most things.

Hey there, a nutritionist doesn't know food and nutrition for someone with an ostomy. They have no idea how it all works having an ostomy and food, water, and nutrition; they are way out of their depths when it comes to ostomates, and they give food recommendations that we can't eat.

So yes, your output color will slowly change over time. Right now, your ostomy is still really swollen, so you should be making sure you're drinking your water and only eating mushy, soft foods. You should not be having fiber at this point, nor should you be eating any meat or veggies. Your ostomy will be swollen for 6-8 weeks, then you introduce foods slowly. When the time comes to eat veggies, they must be cooked; you cannot eat raw veggies, no seeds, no nuts, nothing with skin. Also, be careful of medications: no capsules, no gels, no meds with coating. Make sure you are staying hydrated, as with an ileostomy, you get dehydrated very quickly, but you can chug your water; you have to sip throughout the day.

When it comes to changing your bag, you do not want to put any creams or lotions, nothing oily or greasy, or soaps with perfumes or moisturizers. Clean the skin with warm water, and I use gauze, but you can also use paper towels. When you do use soap, Dial antibacterial I have found works best; just make sure it is all off. Make sure the skin is completely dry before putting on your wafer. And when cutting your wafer, cut to the size and shape of your stoma. Do not leave gaps; leaving gaps will cause leaking and skin issues.

What counts as watery output?

Since I read that ileostomies are generally more watery than colostomies, I'm struggling to identify when it's normal or not.

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

The wafer part has been hard, and I have been going to the hospital for help since it's swollen. It's a bit harder to put on.

The surgeon observed me for a week in the hospital and moved me from liquid to mush to solid food and gave the green light for solid food. I don't seem to have any problems yet. Should I consult another doctor? I have been regularly getting my protein and eating rice/noodles.

Honestly, I would stay on a mushy diet longer. You're only 2 weeks out. You don't want to get a blockage. Rice is hard to chew down to mush to begin. When you're swollen like that, you can easily get a blockage, and your intestines aren't in full movement yet; they are moving, but it's going to take a bit and the swelling to go down to have them function normally. Your body is still adjusting. So you want things that are mushy and break down to mush.

When I had a blockage, I had clear or almost clear output. That is what I meant by watery; it was all water coming out, no food, no poop, just cloudy water. And I ended up in the ER and in the hospital for 4 days with my blockage.

Noted! Thank you for the description and for sharing your experience. I kept worrying when I had more water in my output, but knowing it should look more like water instead of being liquid gives me a bit of ease.

I agree with what Beth has suggested. Just remember some foods will change the color of your output. For me, it's Jello; it turns my output to a slight reddish color, depending on which flavor. Black jelly beans will make your output darker. Just don't panic! Totally agree with Dial antibacterial! Good luck; it takes time to figure all this out, but you will!

Rice and noodles make my output thicker. I just make sure I drink plenty of fluids to try and even it out. Coming up on my 1-year anniversary for my ileostomy that saved my life!

You're not just 2 weeks out of surgery. Just having an ileostomy surgery and being a year out are way different. Just being out of ostomy surgery and being super swollen shouldn't affect what you eat. As time goes on, like all of us, you figure out what you can and can't eat; all our bodies are different.

Very good advice here. My ileostomy is 10 years old, but I still have to be very careful about what I eat. Eat low fiber for now. I've never been able to work up to a lot of fiber, vegetables, and other things. But everyone is different.