Expanding Your Diet with an Ostomy: Personal Experiences

Hi all,

I (ileostomy Dec '09) had a couple of years of very restricted eating. What a drag. Had one major blockage that required NGT

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. I was eating several small meals and no fruit, veggies, meat ... lots of refined carbs and soup seemed to work. And junk food like chips, cheesies - go figure.



But my dear Ostomy Nurse had told me to keep trying little bits of different foods ... so I did.



Fast forward to the last 8 or so months ... what I can eat and how I eat has changed so much!



I can process most foods except for raw veggies (Romaine lettuce ok), popcorn, fresh fruits (canned peaches/oranges/pears ok). What a difference this has made to how I cook. No more 'one meal for me, one for hubby'

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Still eat meat in very small portions ... but that's more healthy anyways.



Also, I don't have to eat those multi mini meals ... I can do 3 meals a day with a snack about 3pm. I drink alot of fluid - so important.



BTW ... I am one of those ostomates who started gaining weight steadily after my surgery. It is a battle to keep myself at 150lbs (which is plenty for my frame) and I eat roughly 1200 calories max daily.



So if you have trouble with foods ... do keep trying them in little bits. If it's lettuce that you'd like to try ... then a mouthful or 2 chewed very well. If you're wondering about cooked onions, again just a small mouthful (onions still don't process for me - cramping)



It's almost as though the small intestine needed time to know how to deal with it's new role

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Beatrice,  Good advice and so important!!  Eating a full and balanced diet can be a challenge for most of us with an ostomy.  Certainly, everyone's situation is different and we must learn by trial and error....sometimes painful if you get blocked!!  



My experience over the past twenty yrs of having an ileostomy has been constantly changing to the point now where I can eat almost anything I like.  Some foods that I had difficulty processing in the earlyl yrs are now no longer an issue.  So it appears that over time one's small intestine goes through a transition as it adapts to the needs the body requires.  



My diet is significantly changed in the past few yrs as I have moved to a more health conscious diet.  I eat raw veggies, friuts, nuts, seeds in abundance now and with no consequences.  My weight is easily maintained and I feel great.



Of course there are still foods that I avoid however I am sure we all have particular foods which irritate our systems.  



For those new to dealing with an ostomy....be patient and experiment with foods in small amounts.  Give your body and mind time to adjust.  It can take years.  Foods that are difficult to process now may become easier to process as your body adapts.



Good luck to all.  And eat healthy and get off the couch.....it will make you feel better and help you live longer.

the first rule of ostomy: introduce new food slowly, then observe for any changes