Life After Colon Surgery: Diet and Adjusting to an Ileostomy

Hi everyone ! I'm new here. Before 2 months i found up that i had FAP and that my colon was full of polyps. I had to remove all the colon before it went in something cancerous. Before two weeks i had the surgery and now i end up with ileostomy. Can you please help me or tell me what should i eat or drink at these first weeks. How is it to live with an ileostomy? And how does our life change after this?

I just had the same surgery on 9-10-18 because of UC and was in the hospital for 8 days before they released me. I lasted 2 days out of the hospital before I made the mistake of snacking on some dry fruit and went to the ER because I had a blockage. It turned out that when you first start out, you need to eat a low fiber diet and chew your food thoroughly. I have been eating poached eggs and overcooked pasta with pasta sauce and started to add ground turkey into it for protein. Jello is always good, and seedless watermelon. With a lot of the conditions people on this website had before their surgery, there are food allergies that might have developed; even after the surgery, still avoid those foods as you are trying to let your digestive system heal. You will need to add supplements (vitamins and minerals) to your intake because without your large intestine, your body will have a harder time absorbing nutrients. A good liquid multivitamin works great; if you start to have dry skin issues, add some good fish oil to your diet. I have been doing well with overcooked yellow squash, but I am peeling the skin and cutting out the seeds just in case. Overcooking to allow it to be soft is a good idea. Avoid vegetables that have a lot of fiber even when cooked. You will find a lot of good information on diet on the website's forum. When it comes to drinking, water flavored with lemon juice or half sport drink, half water is good; no energy drinks and avoid sodas as the extra carbonation will give you gas and make your stoma talk more. Always drink to stay hydrated throughout the day and take a 1-liter bottle to bed and have it on the nightstand to drink at night as your body is still adjusting; you might find that when you wake in the middle of the night you might feel strange and drinking liquid always corrected that throughout the night for me.

Always remember that after the surgery it is a healing process; you might notice tenderness, discomfort, and feelings of muscle cramping at first. A lot of these things will go away with time, but it does take time. Per my doctor, avoid picking up anything over 10 lbs to avoid a hernia and allow your muscles to heal after surgery. It is good to walk each day to keep your body from getting stiff and to allow your insides to move around. It helps to get the air out of your body after the surgery. I made the mistake of laying around a little at first, and my back is a little stiff now from sitting around too much watching TV. Take it day by day and let your body heal.

I see that for 20 years I was living with UC and all of the discomfort and flare-ups, with the food allergies, and joint pain, the panic running to the bathroom at a moment's notice, the medication, and side effects. When a person struggles with those things, I see having a stoma and having to empty a bag is not too bad, and something that I can adjust to. I am starting my forty week and am already seeing the recovery and healing speeding up.

I wish you the best on your recovery and hope the information I shared helps.