Diet tips after colostomy surgery?

Hi everyone,
I am one of the silent followers on the site and it is so great to read everyone's blogs even if we don't ever answer. One thing that has been concerning me for a while is that lots of folks talk about eating or not eating certain foods. After my surgery, the colorectal nurse just said not to eat too many salted peanuts in one go! But no other diet advice was given. I don't think I have had too many issues (aside from unladylike amounts of wind in the first few months but my buddy seems to have got used to coleslaw now) and just figured that trying to eat the 5 a day was the way to go. If anyone else has been given any useful diet tips, I would love to hear them. Thanks.

Everybody is different when it comes to the food they eat. Some can eat veggies and fiber without any problems. It all depends on how much they eat. If it causes a blockage, well then you have to remember you ate it. You took the risk to find out. It's like playing Russian roulette. You might get away with it a few times, but then you might not. Just watch what goes in and make sure it comes out.

I had a nurse asking me what foods I liked. As I was telling her, she kept saying, "You will never eat that again." My stoma nurse was standing in the doorway listening. She turned around and said, "Bollocks! Eat and drink whatever you want." I know I'm one of the lucky ones. Some people do have problems with food. Since I had a lot of my small bowel removed, I can't eat pineapple. Peanuts just irritate me, being lumpy in my bag. I can even drink Coke without any problems from wind.

Years ago, they used to discourage certain foods. I have a friend with an ileo, and she has a really restricted diet. But I try anything, and if it doesn't agree with me, I don't have it again. I used to love a glass of wine, still do, but my stoma isn't keen, so I have a gin and tonic. No problems. I think our stomas are as individual as we are, even if some of the associated problems aren't.

Trish

Having had an ileo for 51 years, I eat and drink anything I want now. But as a child, there were many things I had to avoid--like raw veggies and anything that was highly acidic. Some of the foods I eat don't even digest completely (or not at all because I have no large intestine left), but I eat them anyway for the flavor they have. Plus, I try to chew things like nuts and raw veggies a little more to prevent a blockage. The advice you got about not eating too many nuts is correct--they don't break down after you swallow and can cause problems, but have a few at a time anyway. Overall, it just takes time and experimentation to find what you can tolerate, and if you find a food that causes problems, maybe just have it when you are going to be home close to your own bathroom...or leave it out of your diet completely. Just remember, try one new thing at a time to see how it sets with you--some things will cause very watery output and may irritate your skin, and you would want to know which ones they are so you can avoid them or leave them out of your diet. Don't be afraid to eat and drink anything--over time your body will adjust to its new way of processing foods...it just takes time...so go for it.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I agree with Weewee. It's all individual, but I'd add that it tends to evolve over time, and you'll find your body accepting/rejecting foods for no apparent reason--just seems to come with the territory, I guess. Some things that you found you couldn't eat early on will be fine later, while the opposite is true, too. (Just try not to overeat!) The general suggestion to stick to a soft diet early on and then introduce stuff slowly is right on. But I would say that there is one hard, fast rule: CHEW, CHEW, CHEW! And when you're ready to swallow, CHEW AGAIN!

I agree with everything that has been said. My surgeon said to chew a minimum of 25 times. That is a lot of chewing but it seems to work great. If I hurry the process, I tend to have more issues than when I am extremely cautious. Good luck and try anything you want, just don't introduce too many unknown items into your diet at once. Once you know an item is going to agree with you for now, then add some more. But if you eat a whole new menu at your meals, you may have a hard time knowing what caused the problem. Eventually, you will learn what works and doesn't work for you and you will either avoid it or learn to deal with the consequences because it is something you love and don't want to lose from your diet. Regardless of what others say, your body will tell you what is acceptable and what isn't, and it may be something totally different for you. Good luck with your diet and hope you don't have any problems.