Dealing with Ileo - Juggling Food Choices

I have an ileo and it seems like it is constantly a juggling on what to eat, potato, pasta etc makes my output
too thick, which brings on pancaking which brings a nice blowout, so to combat that, I am drinking prune juice, grape juice, and now I have a liquidy output, does anyone else juggle every day?

Yeah... it takes time to dial in what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. If I have an afternoon meeting, I know I need to plan lunch for around 11:00, and the meal needs to be well-balanced and of moderate size. After three years, I'm still fine-tuning, but the good news is that things continue to get better.

On the pancaking issue, I know folks have done different things that work. For me, it was changing to a convex pouch with an elastic waistband. When I made the change, it was slightly less comfortable than the standard pouch I had been previously wearing. However, I went from praying to get at least one day of wear without a blowout to 4-5 days (sometimes 6), and knock on wood, no blowouts. Also, the convex pouch now feels completely normal to me. It just took some getting used to.

Cheers,
Dave

Well said....The key to a normal life with an ostomy. I would add, watch that fiber intake.

I finally eliminated pancaking and blowouts when I threw away my leather belt, bought some trousers another size larger, and began wearing suspenders. Seems it was pressure directly over the top part of the pouch causing problems. As far as the liquid/solid problem is concerned, I stopped getting crazy over it. I eat whatever I want, chew it well, and accept the consequences. My ever-erupting friend, Vesuvius, doesn't seem to care one way or the other.

Beer, hot tea, chocolate, and apple cider help also. The problem with chocolate is that you gain weight. I avoid those foods you mentioned or take them in small doses. I prefer the liquid output versus pancaking. It also hurts me.

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

Hi Foxwoods. I'm not sure how long you've been an ostomate, but I'm 20+ years (with a colostomy). In that time, I've learned that eating late and not chewing vigorously are two of the worst "offenders". Gravity is also important to our digestive process, so moving about helps.

In the early years, I ran into lots of similar problems, but in time, these things seemed to work themselves out.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean about juggling food. I have a colostomy since November 2010 and all was fine for 2 years while getting used to the changes, had a few accidents but nothing too serious. Then in February 2013, I had my first obstruction. It was out of the blue and I was rushed into the hospital with unbelievable pain and vomiting. The medics got it all under control and I was admitted for 3 days. It was only then I was told that this is a fairly common thing that can happen due to scarring and adhesions. I've had 4 now in total, the last one was on Christmas morning at about 6 am. I had a lovely few quiet days in the hospital. Now I'm pretty paranoid about food, I am going to try a Low Residue Diet now (lots less fiber) to see if that works. Keep experimenting because everyone is different. So good luck. Trudel