Diet Tips After Ileostomy Surgery: Feeling Full

Hey everyone. My mom has colon cancer with mets to peritoneum . In January she got a small bowel obstruction due to the mets.  Which wasn't relieved conservatively so she had a surgery and got an ileostomy on 22 Feb. She's been eating normally since thn but for the past one week she feels heaviness after eating. She feels really full even if she eats less. Can someone relate?

Saraaa,

After surgery our bodies react differently to the processing of food.  Absorption and breakdown change, and things that were regular staples of our diets can also change in the way our body handles them.  Hopefully your mom is aware of dietary restrictions and after some time she will be more aware of how quickly (or not) things pass through her system.  Liquids are VERY IMPORTANT when one has an ileostomy.  We dehydrate more quickly and the amount of fluid we NEED can seem to be a bit much, but it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to stay hydrated to avoid strain on our kidneys and other organs, not to mention to keep our skin from drying out.  Perhaps your mom may want to stick with a fairly light diet for a bit until she gets used to how she is reacting to each individual  thing she is eating?  It helps to keep a log in the beginning to keep track of how quickly things pass, as items like salads and sugary things tend to be more liquidy and pass pretty quickly with me, but pasta and potatoes, rice, oatmeal, are a much thicker consistency and pass more slowly.  Also, if there are any pain meds being taken, opiods tend to slow down the motility of output.  After three+ years I have found that I am one of the lucky ones and I can eat pretty much ANYTHING I want, as long as I CHEW, CHEW, CHEW, and drink lots of fluids.

Good luck

Peace

Nancy